Another Wrong Turn?

Chapter Twenty-Four: Mom's Home... Call 911!

            “No, but I think it really fits!”

            I sighed. “Vince, enough games. Miranda is already parking in the driveway.”

            “What?! Oh shit. Never mind.” And with that, he hung up.

            “Who was that?” Suzanne asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

            “It’s Vince. He told me not to come home now,” I said, shaking my head slightly. “He said someone is at home. I wonder who it is.”

            “Let’s better find it out,” Miranda said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

            I did the same and opened the car door. I was the first one to be out of the car. I walked quickly to the door and turned the doorknob. I pushed the door open and the next thing I saw was blonde hair.

            And not Vince’s dirty blonde hair, I’m sure of it. Because this hair is longer—like a girl’s. And this hair has the same smell of my favorite shampoo. There’s only one person who I know who has blonde hair and uses my favorite shampoo. My eyes widened at the thought.

            Mom.

            But—but she was in New York! She was in New York, working as a lawyer, to hand half of her salary to Vince and I every end of the month! But why the hell is she here?

            “Oh my God, Victoria! You’ve grown! It was Christmas the last time we’ve seen each other, yes?”

            Oh sweet Jesus, it is my Mom.

            And she continued, “I’m sorry if I hadn’t called you or Vince that I arrived today. I want to surprise you! It’s not everyday you’re going to see your dear old Mother, would you? And where is your brother?! What took him so long?! I told him to prepare me a cup of coffee!”

            “Mom,” I managed. “Why—why are you here?”

            She raised an eyebrow at me. “You mean you don’t remember? Didn’t I tell you that I’ll be visiting for three days in May?”

            “You did?”

            “Of course!” she cried. Then she narrowed her eyes at me. “Are you saying that you are forgetting everything I tell you?”

            I laughed nervously. “Not everything…” Then I smiled warmly at her. “I missed you, Mom.”

            Then she smiled at me, her eyes tearing up a little bit. “I missed you, too. You don’t know how much I’ve missed you.”

            And with that, she buried me to another hug. Yes, I love my Mom very much. We might not be close because she’s in New York and I’m living in Maine with Vince, but still. She’s my Mother and I love her. Even though sometimes she’s really annoying, I still love her.

            Vince and she are okay. Well, not that okay but at least they talk comfortably, just like the old times when Dad was still alive. But I know, deep inside, Vince is still angry with her for leaving us alone with our Aunt. And I know, somewhere deeper inside Vince, he had forgiven her.

            As if on cue, Vince stepped in scene, a cup of coffee in his hand. Mom let go of me, grabbed the cup of coffee from Vince’s hands and sat on the couch, dragging me with her. “So tell me every little important thing that happened to you for the past five months!” she said excitedly as she sipped the cup of coffee.