I tried to be as silent as possible as I walked into my own home. I was scared; I’d admit it. “Rachel, that you?” I heard my dad’s voice bellow through the foyer.
“Hey daddy,” I tried to sound as excited to see him as possible. He enveloped me in a big hug and I smiled.
“Baby girl! I didn’t know you were coming home! Brad, you knew about this?” He questioned my brother. Brad nodded with a smile. I watched my mom come downstairs.
“Rachel? You’re home!” She exclaimed and hurried towards me. A nauseous feeling came over me and I had to use every muscle in my body to hold back my vomit. I don’t think I had ever been this nervous before.
“Yeah, I’m home,” I sighed.
“Well, why didn’t you come home with Ryan this morning? He came by to see your brother earlier,” she frowned.
“I had some things to finish up at work,” I explained. “But I’m home now. I really need to talk to you guys about some things, though.” I sighed. I glanced back at Brad for a reassuring nod.
“Rachel, why aren’t you wearing your engagement ring?” My mother’s voice tensed up. I sighed and played with my fingers. A nervous habit, I suppose.
“Can we go sit on the couch?” I asked, quickly changing the subject. They had to know it was coming, though. We walked over to the couch. On the way, I tried to find the words I would say. Brad and I sat next to each other on the leather, cream colored, love seat, while my parents sat across from us on the matching couch.
“What’s going on?” My mother frowned, worry dripped from each word.
“Mom, Ryan came to New York to see me,” I began. “We got a little time to talk through some things and we both decided that things weren’t working out. It was completely mutual.”
“You, what?” She exclaimed and clenched her fists together. Her knuckles turned insanely white and fear began to bubble inside me. Words just started rambling together and flying out of my mouth.
“It was all so soon and so unexpected. If I would have known he was coming…” I trailed off. It was then that I realized my mother had brought it all upon herself. “If you wouldn’t have sent him after me like that, maybe things would have worked out on its own.” I shot back. I should at least try to defend myself.
“Rachel Marie, don’t you dare put this on me!” She yelled across the room.
“Why shouldn’t I?” I yelled back. “You sent him there! You told him that he shouldn’t trust me! You told him all about Nick.” I spat in her direction.
“Why is that such a problem? He is your fiancé, you know,” she muttered with anger.
“Was, mother. He was my fiancé. Besides, I don’t know everything about all his ex girlfriends, why does he have to know about my ex boyfriends? Nick had nothing to do with Ryan and I,” I folded my arms across my chest.
“Didn’t he?” A mischievous grin came over her lips. “I know you, Rachel. I know you better than you think I do. I knew that boy was still in love with you and you were still in love with him.”
“That’s right,” I muttered. “You were the one that broke us up! How dare you go to him yourself and tell him to leave me! I know your type. I don’t know how I can be your child when you are like this!”
“Get out,” she muttered through her teeth.
“Gladly,” I stood up and walked towards the front door. I stopped and turned around. “I feel sorry for you, mom. I really do. You have such a wonderful husband and two great kids. It’s sad you don’t want what’s best for them.”
“Ryan is what’s best for you,” she mumbled as she walked up to me. “And if you let him go, you shouldn’t expect to ever talk to me again.”
I stared into her eyes as mine filled with tears. My mother was rude, insane and unruly, but in the end, she was my mother. Part of me wanted to apologize, but then I thought back to Nick and how my own mother had watched my cry for months after we broke up – he left. She told me she didn’t understand why he had left. She lied to me. She watched me hurt and be depressed. “Goodbye, mom.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry for not updating earlier! Today was my brother's 15th birthday, so I took him out to dinner with the rest of my family. I'll update more tonight, though!
