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"MOM. Can I speak to you?" In Noel's hands was a hot cup of cocoa. He was standing outside of the master bedroom due to the fact that his mom had locked herself up in there all day.
Without heeding a response, Noel powered through the door anyways. He set down the cup of cocoa on the bedside table, watching his mom's crumpled, weary frame on the bed.
"I brought cocoa."
"Bad news?" For the first time in what felt like decades his mom was talking to him, yet she kept her gaze on the ruffled blankets wrapped around her.
Noel joined his mom on the bed, shuffling closer to her body so there legs were touching. He breathed in deeply, in the musty scent of when the windows are kept shut for too long, and the fading smell of wasted salty tears. He could feel his mom's hair tickling against his neck, Noel didn't know why he was so nervous, this was his mom.
"I don't really know where to start...but I guess I'll start with this." Then Noel rolled up the sleeve of his jumper, revealing the marred slashes across his arm, he brought it closer to his mom's face, his arm slightly trembling as he did so.
"What happened?" His mom breathed out slowly. The scars were healing, now turning into dark fleshy scabs, yet Noel knew they were going to last a lifetime.
"Ron happened."
It seemed like something clicked in Kim's brain, she brushed back her black hair, staring Noel straight in the eyes. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Mom, it's okay."
"It's not okay. I neglected you. I got another chance of love and I neglected you to maintain that. This was happening and I knew nothing of it. How did I know nothing of it? How many times did this happen Noel?"
"I don't know...like three times maybe?"
"Three times he stabbed you!" His mom's voice took a hysterical octave, her eyes pricking uncomfortably in shock.
"No, he stabbed me the last time. The other times he slapped me, or would pinch me hard...just stuff like that."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"You were so happy, you were getting married! What could I possibly have said?"
A silence then fell into the room, one that was stifling, stark and painstakingly true. "I couldn't take that away from you Mom. But, I guess the truth always comes out."
"Why? Why would Ron do such a thing?"
"I think he's mentally unstable...or insane."
"Isn't that the same thing?"
"Yeah." Noel could feel a ghost of a smile flicker through his lips, yet his Mom's expression remained stony and hurt.
"This is all my fault. I should have known."
"Mom, it's fine, we're okay now."
"How is this fine...you were stabbed by my ex fiancée, I can't imagine how you must be feeling..."
"I'm alive. And I'm here with you, and I brought cocoa." Noel pointed to the mug on the bedside table, giving his mom a lopsided smirk. "You remember what you told me about bad news and cocoa."
"The cocoa will remind you, that no matter what, things will be okay again."
Noel didn't reply instead he just stared at the ceiling in front of him, eventually falling into a deep slumber.
Kim stayed awake, grabbing onto Noel's hand and intertwining it into her own, never again was she going to lose him, despite her broken heart, despite the vapid gossip churning at work and with her own family, she was determined to never let Noel go. "Sleep well, my little Noel, sleep well."
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