Alluring Masquerade

Chapter 44 - Could You Repeat That?

          "Mum!" Hira gasped. She put a hand on her heart nervously.

          "Hira," her mother addressed her formally.

          Uh-oh, she isn't calling me 'Lily,' Hira thought silently. "Mum, I–"

          "You should have called me to collect you from the hospital," her mother said calmly. "How did you get here? The buss' times are long gone."

          "Well, you know – mum, please let's have a seat?" Hira offered nervously, pointing at the sofas behind her parent.

          "Very well, Hira, you need to sit down – I understand. After all, if will not understand your feelings who would? I won't stop you from sitting down. Go on! Sit down!"

          Realisation flashed in Hira's eyes as she sat next to her mother. I knew mum was going to think that I had been lying to her about me and Kael – but there didn't used to be a 'me and Kael' until tonight. Oh, Kael, you blabbermouth!

          Her mother was facing her with her elbow leaning on the back of the sofa, whilst her head leant on her palm. "Why didn't you tell me that you were seeing someone?" her mother cried. Her quiet was persona long gone already. This was how her mother was – she could not keep her feelings bottled up and just had to get down to the bottom of things.

          "Mum," Hira said softly, and put her hands on her mother's. "Please listen," she sighed.

          "When do I not listen?" her mother snapped.

          "Of course, you do, but I didn't know about me and Kael until today myself," Hira explained.

          "So ... you hadn't been keeping us in the dark?" her mother said hopefully, gesturing with her right hand. "Then ... elaborate. How did you and that handsome young man come to be a couple?" Her mother's eyes were sparkling but her face was stern. She was very curious and protective at the same time.

          "Erm, well ... he had visit me, before you and Hiba came to visit me in the hospital," Hira stuttered, glancing at her mother's faintly worried expression every now and then. She removed her hands and began fidgeting.

          "But didn't he come to see you when we were about to leave?" her mother corrected.

          "Yes, that was the second time that day..."

          "Oh...!" her mother said as if she had heard a secret. She scuttled in closer to her daughter and listened intently.

          "The first time he came to visit me..." Hira hesitated, but then rushed it all out, "told me he loved me."

          He mother sat back for a moment.

          "Mum, then I realised how much I ... loved ... him ... too." Hira gulped, not knowing how her mother would react.

          Her mother was thinking, while her chin was resting on her hand.

          "I'm sorry if you felt betrayed. You always wanted us to be like friends and tell each other everything. And I'm telling you now." Her mother looked at her with tears and hugged her suddenly. "Aw, mum, I knew you couldn't stay away from me for long!" She hugged her mother back.

          "No wonder you didn't like Alec," her stated, and broke the hug.

          "Yeah," Hira said. "He's gone now."

          Her mother nodded. "He said a proper goodbye to us while you were in hospital."

          "Hm..." Hira didn't know what to say.