Adopted by my teacher

Chapter 32 Sophie's Return

SOPHIE

Mom was in a relationship with someone new but the details about him were vague. All she told me was that his name was John, he worked as a professor at the college, and 'was an amazing guy'.

"If he's so amazing, why is she putting me off from meeting him?" I told the girls in exasperation. "It's been almost a month since they dated!"

"Maybe because you gave her ex-boyfriend a bit of a hard time," Charlotte reminded me.

I was silent for a moment as I thought back. Several months ago, mom dated a car salesman named Bryan. I was unhappy because he was the first guy she dated since I left home, thinking it was because she was lonely. I couldn't understand what she saw in the guy despite the fact that he was approximately six-feet-tall. Mom tried to make us bond over a shopping trip but instead, I interrogated him about his character and his intentions. Not long after, they broke up.

"They broke up right after she made you go shopping with him," Charlotte continued. "I don't know what you said or did, but I imagine it wasn't pleasant."

"I only asked how many times he had been married and what plans he had with my mom!" I declared.

Calley lowered her phone from her face in surprise. "What the - you didn't tell me that!"

"You and I both," Chels chimed in.

I laughed awkwardly. "I thought I did..."

"Nope."

"I was only trying to make conversation," I said in my defense.

Hazel eyes rolled as Calley went back to whatever she was watching on her phone. "Sure you were."

Chels laughed. "She's a grown woman who can make her own decisions."

"She's also my mom," I told her. "I just care about her and don't want to see her hurt..." my voice trailed off when my chest tightened with grief. It's always been just the two of us since I can remember.

The next day, I was finally going home to see my mom. The girls rode with me to the airport straight after school. It was a nice day; the sun popped out and the sky was pastel blue. I couldn't wait to get back home. After bidding my friends goodbye, I hauled my single suitcase into the busied building to board my flight.

Disembarking, I found mom standing in the moving crowd. She was staring out and about and even though she was quite a distance from me, I could see a sense of tranquility surrounding her features. I couldn't see John, which was a relief because I wanted to see my mother alone first. I always remembered how much it hurt her to watch my departure for the first time and it had almost broken her to pieces.

"Mom?"

The sound of my voice snapped the woman out of her thoughts and into the happy sight of me running at full speed towards her. Without a moment's hesitation, she scooped me up in a warm embrace, squeezing me as tightly as she could. "Oh, how I've missed you!"

Once we settled inside the car and started the journey home, Mom turned up the radio a notch, filling the car with dulcet tones. I was looking out the window, watching the structures and people pass by with my head propped by my hand.

"Mom?"

"Yeah, Soph?" Mom glanced over at me, flipping on the turn signal. I was still looking out the window, but I could see her watching from the corner of my left eye.

"Where's John?" I asked, turning to look at her with curious blue eyes, an exact match to her own.

"That's what I want to tell you about."