I Love You, Mom.

Scarlett feigned sadness as she walked into the living room.

Clarissa’s brows knitted in worry as she walked up to her with Levi on her hip, “How did it go Scarr?”

She exhaled and plopped down on the sofa.

Clarissa came up beside her and smoothed her hair, “It doesn’t matter how this interview went, this was just one out of the many you can...”

“I got the job mum!” she cut in a cheery voice.

“Holy shit!” Clarissa blurted out before she could stop herself.

Scarlett’s eyes widened in alarm, “Mom!” she leaned forward and took Levi from her, showering him with kisses.

Her hands went over her mouth. “You had me genuinely worried when you walked in with that long face…” she playfully swatted her arm.

Scarlett leaned away from her, her eyes turned into slits as she burst into laughter.

Clarissa pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead. “I am so proud of you Scarr…”

Her eyes crinkled at the corners as her lips curled into a smile. “Thank you, mom,”

Later that evening, when Levi was fast asleep, Scarlett filled her in on everything that happened at the company. She was resting her head on Clarissa’s thigh in the large sofa in the living room. They were seeing rerun episodes of their favourite horror series.

Clarissa absent-mindedly ran her fingers through Scarlett’s hair. Scarlett shut her eyes and let out a satisfied hum. It was the most relaxing thing ever, to be in her mother’s arms. For the longest, her mother had been a steady handy holding her through whatever challenges life threw at her. In her mother’s arms, she didn’t have to worry. “How did your day go, ma?”

“The same old…” she answered.

Scarlett knew her mother better than anyone, she would carry the world on her shoulders without a care in the world and no complain on her lips. “So that means, your day was stressful? Levi was handful, you could not get to the daycare on time, you had breakfast at noon, Levi put up such a fuss and you had to be home early, which explains why you had such a large dinner prepared before I got back…”

Clarissa shook her head.

Scarlett sat upright, “Mom, I am really so…”

“You have nothing to be sorry about, didn’t I tell you already?” she cut in, “I love my grandson so much, he could never be so much trouble, you on the other hand, well that’s a different case entirely.” They burst into laughter.

Scarlett relaxed. “I am going to make it up to you mom, you know that…”

“Shhh…” she placed a forefinger over her lip. “I love you too much already, you do not have to do anything else for me to love you more. I am so proud of you and how much you have had to endure to get here, Scarr…” She cupped her cheeks, “I thought I was going to lose you by this time last year and the thought was terrifying. The thought was like having my whole heart violently ripped from my chest. You went through the most trying time in your life and came out with a beautiful bundle of joy. Now look at you, picking up the pieces of your life and getting it together…”

Scarlett flicked away tears from her eyes, “Okay, if you don’t stop mom, I am going to end up a blubbering mess…”

Clarissa sniffled, “I think I am going to end up a blubbering mess whenever I remember I have to get used to you on blonde hair.” She teased.

Scarlett burst into laughter. It was always like this with her mother. Despite whatever it was they were going through, there would always be a reason to smile.

After she left Paris with the weight of her betrayal and disappointment weighing on her, she had gone back to her small town but she didn’t feel better. It didn’t help that she kept bumping into Luke at every turn, almost very day. He was apologetic for the first week but apparently, he gave up on it the following week because she would bump into him with different girls the next time.

Sometimes she would recognize the girls. She had this little game in her head she played, where she gave the girls names and based off how many times she saw them with him, she tried to figure out whom he loved the most.

His plea for forgiveness turned to polite greetings, later it was just a mere acknowledgement as she walked by, in the end it was nothing. It was like she never existed, like he could not see her walk by.

It didn’t help that they lived in the a very small town and everyone knew them together, at first it was pitiful stares, some were bold enough to walk up to her and apologize. At first, she didn’t understand why there was so much sympathy. It was later she found out from a co-worker that Luke had been doing a lot of talking around town about the “huge vacation” he was planning. She was losing her mind bits by bits, trying to make sense of everything. Until she fell sick at work and was confirmed pregnant.

As if she was not already going through a lot, the pregnancy came with its troubles, her mental health was on a steady decline. Her deteriorating health didn’t allow her go back to work. She was crawling in debts and suicidal. Her mother had showed up just in time to save her.

Even as she reminisced on that time of her life, she was glad of where she was presently and grateful for her mother.

“I am honestly torn between just outing myself to him or letting the joke go on for as long as I can” she said with a tinge of amusement in her voice.

Clarissa chuckled, “He sounds like he has a stick up his ass, I would love to see his reaction much later, when it is a little too late…”

“I love you, mom.” She said with a smile on her face.

“Okay, enough of the touchy-feely stuff...” Clarissa protested. Even though she didn’t say the words out loud, Scarlett could hear her say it loud and clear.