A Life In College: Checking In, Part 2
#15 of Life In College
So this is like, super super short. But, I knew that I wanted to have a "come to terms with it" sort of feel for this story, and I didn't want to drag it out. I may or may not go back and lengthen it, but we'll see.
Anyways, I'll see you all next story, cuz I'm going to bed. :3
Four months.
That was what the little number etched into the sliver coin read. Four months.
I looked at my backyard, my knees pulled up to my chin. I had my paws wrapped around my legs, and was looking at the grass.
Laying near my was my mother, dressed in a set of capri pants and an old t-shirt that had belonged to my real dad. My mother was laying with her paws behind her head, and her long wide tail hung over the seat. I had been back in my house for almost seven minutes now, and so far, I'd only seen the little chip that my mom had gotten from her last meeting at AA.
She had seen me at the door when she pulled it open. She had looked at me, as if trying to figure out just who I was. Then she'd come out of the house, and thrown her arms around me. My moms a short woman, only 4' 7' at her full height. I'm 4' 5' myself, so she doesn't stand that much higher than me.
For a while, all I did was sit in the chair, with my chin on my knees. I let out a small sigh, then picked up my head.
"I'm sorry I just took off," I said aloud. I glanced at my mom, and she sat up, turning to look at me.
"Oh, honey It's okay," she said. She looked at me, her deep brown eyes reminding me of my dad. "I don't blame for leaving, I was out of control,"
"No, that's not it," I put my head back on my knees. "I was mad because you were just laying around, and I thought we would lose our house if you didn't, have a job or something, and I wasn't talking to you about it."
"It's okay," my mom said, "I don't blame you for leaving, I was a mess."
I grunted in response. I really didn't want to say it, but my mom was right. She had been a mess, laying around all the time. I picked my head back up, and looked at my mom, a sudden thought running across my mind.
"Why did you and dad split up?" I asked.
"Don't you know?" my mom asked me. "I know I've told you before, but I guess it has been awhile. He cheated on me, with some other woman you know that. Of course I wasn't sure why he did it, but I obviously wasn't going to stay with him."
"Yeah," I nodded, my face on my knees.
"I'm glad you came back," my mom said. I looked up, then looked at her again. She smiled at me.
"Yeah," I repeated. "I only came back because I knew if I didn't, It would just mess with me and I would feel bad."
"Okay," my mom said, "Well, I'm still glad your here." I still looked at my mom, then gave her a small smile.
"I'm glad your better," I said. "And I'm sorry I left, and stayed gone for so long."
"Oh It's fine," my mom tossed her hair over her shoulder, then put her paws in her lap. "I know you were mad, and I don't blame you for leaving."
"I just feel bad for never saying anything," I said.
"Why not?" my mom asked, "You know you can talk to me about anything."
"I know," I felt a note of annoyance roll into my voice, and I paused. I shrugged the twinge of anger off, then said, "I just didn't know what to do, and I didn't want you to get mad at me if I said anything."
"I wouldn't have gotten mad, Thomas you know this," my mom looked at me. "You should have been afraid to tell me, you know that."
"I know," I put my paws on my head, and ran them through my hair. "I just didn't know what to do, and didn't want to deal with it."
"Well I'm better now," my mom said. "I know you left because you were upset and didn't know what to do."
"I know your better," I said. "I can see that plain as day, and I'm glad. I'm glad your not drinking as much as you used to." I finished my sentence, then bit my lip, feeling like what I had just said had sounded mean.
"I am too," replied my mom. No hint of hurt in her voice. "I'm on track again, and money's not a problem, if you were ever worried about that."
"I was worried about that a little bit," I admited. "I was worried that we would lose our house, or maybe you would get fired from your job and we would have to move."
"Is that why you left?" she asked. "Because you didn't want to be around if something bad happened?"
"Yes," I gave her a small nod, again being honest. "If you lost your job or we lost our house, I knew I would get upset and leave anyways, so I left when I did."
"And I'm not blaming you," my mom said, "But now, I'm fine honey, and you don't need to worry."
"Okay," I gave a small nod. My mom smiled at me, and I smiled back.
Later, I went back to my car after hugging my mom goodbye. She told me to drive safe, and that she would call me in a week or so. I smiled at her, and told her that her I was sorry for leaving without any explanation. And again, she said it was okay.
I got in my car, fired up the engine, then pulled onto the street. It was around 2 in the afternoon, and it would be a long drive getting all the way back to Green Pine Campus in Long Beach. But now that I'd settled things with my mom, I was ready to get back to school.