It's About Time

I Want to go Home

Natalie sat on the couch in the living room with a copy of Harry Potter in her hands.  Looking out the large bay window, she watched the sping leaves rustle as the breeze blew through the neighborhood.  Natalie let out a wistful sigh as she thought of the sandy beaches and tropical winds of North Carolina.   

It had been about six weeks since Natalie had come back to Michigan.  The novelty of being back had quickly worn off and a gray cloud had settled over Natalie.  It had been nice to spend time with her friends again and to visit with her grandparents.  She had been re-enrolled her old high school and last week she had graduated.  But as she walked across the stage with the kids she had grown up with, Natalie had been imagining walking across with Sabrina.  And climbing off the stage to sit with Scarlett.  And throwing her cap and running into Grayson's arms.

Natalie felt bad for not being more appreciative of her friends and family in Michigan and of the effort her mom had put into getting her job back and moving them home, it was just that she had grown really close to everyone in North Carolina and she missed them more than anything.

"You can't keep doing this."  Natalie jumped, having not heard her mom come in.  She turned away from the window to look at her mom.  She was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over her faded blue overalls as she gave Natalie a somber smile.  Natalie shook her head.

"Doing what?"  She had had a feeling this was coming.  Her mom had been watching her carefully since that had come back, almost as closely as when they had moved down to North Carolina.  Her mom sighed and walked further into the room, dropping her arms so her hands rested on her hips.  

"Moping.  You've done nothing but mope and pout since we came back.  I thought you wanted to come back here." Grace sounded concerned and slightly exasperated.  Natalie knew that this would be the best opportunity to tell her mom.

"I did-" Natalie assured her quietly.  "-In the beginning.  At first, I hated it there.  I would have jumped at the chance to come back here and get away.  But after I started making friends I didn't feel that way.  I love Sarina and Scarlett and Gra- the girls."  Natalie's cheeks flamed crimson at her slip up and she mentally slapped herself, quickly pushing his name away to avoid the pain in her heart.  "Once we started fighting, I freaked out and thought that coming back here would be better than staying somewhere no one wanted me.  When you first told me, I was so excited that I started mentally packing my stuff.  I was so ready to leave.  But then I realized that I was being stupid and that I couldn't let one fight with my friends push me out completely.  I was being dramatic and panicking over one fight.  I realized that I wanted to stay".  Natalie's confessed.  Her voice was small and timid, afraid that she would upset her mom.

"Firstly, don't think I didn't catch Grayson's name" Her mom said, smirking.  "But we'll come back to that later.  If you didn't want to come back, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you had tried so hard to do that for me!  And you were so excited, I didn't want to ruin that.  You were literally squealing.  I couldn't be the one to mess that up for you, Mom."  

Grace watched Natalie for another minute before letting out a deep sigh and pulling Natalie in for a hug.

"You should have just told me!  I would have understood.  I should have known as soon as we got back and Emma brought everyone over.  You barely smiled.  I should have realized, honey".  

Pulling back, Natalie shook her head in protest.  

"No, I knew that you wanted to come back.  I made the move so hard on you and I knew that it would make you happy to come back here".

Grace gave her a stern look.  "I love you for worrying about me like that, honey, but it is not your job to worry about me.  I was just fine living there if you were.  I wish you would have told me that you wanted to stay."

"It's okay Mom."  Natalie assured her.

"Don't do that, Natalie Rose.  I was so worried when we moved.  You were quiet for months.  You wouldn't leave your room for days at a time and when you did it was for food.  You read that stupid book probably a million times!"  Grace gestured wildly towards Harry Potter.  Natalie didn't bother to mention that there were seven books and that she had, in fact, not been reading the same book over and over again.  "I was terrified that I had made the wrong decision and that I had messed everything up", Grace confided.  

"Mom-".

"And then you started hanging out with Sarah and Sabrina and Scarlett and Grayson and you actually left the house and talked to me.  You smiled more and you just seemed to be happy.  And so I stopped worrying.  And then you started fighting with your friends and I watched you slip back.   You had spent weeks working past that sadness and then I watched you slip back into it in less than a week.  It scared me and I panicked.  I thought that the only solution was to move you back".

The room filled with silence, tense and perplexing.  Grace could see the gears turning in Natalie's head as she tried to piece together everything she had just told her.  

"Mom, I didn't mean to scare you.  It was hard moving away from Michigan and being alone in North Carolina and when everyone got mad at me, I felt alone again.  I made a big deal about nothing."

"So did I, honey.  The most important thing now is what you're going to do."  

"What do you mean?"  Natalie questioned.  Her mom gave her a knowing smile.

"Do you want to stay here or go back to North Carolina?  Don't make your decisions based on what you think I want.  What do you want to do?"

Natalie stopped, taking everything in.  Her mom was giving her an option; it was completely her choice.  She could stay or she could go.  She smiled and pulled her mom into another hug, whispering in her ear.

"I want to go home."  

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Sorry it was late again guys! I've been so busy preparing for exams but I promise I'll try to get the next chapter up on Thursday. Also...

Thursday will probably be the last chapter and hopefully a long one! xx