The Descendants Series Vol. 1

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

After leaving Leo’s the night before, my head hadn’t stopped spinning from what he’d said. 

Even though Isobel had told me everything before, it was still tough having to hear it from Leo.  Having him in front of me, on his knees, begging me not to stay here but go back with him.  Where we were supposed to be…

I was still lying in my bed when Mom came in with the phone in her hand.  She walked over and handed it to me.  “It’s Brittany,” she said, smiling.

I took it and put it up to my ear.  But before I could even say ‘hello’ she’d already started talking. 

“Okay, I remember this dress in your closet that you’ve got to wear to the dance tonight,” she said.  “And there’s another that I want to borrow…if you don’t mind, of course.  Do you?”

“No, I don’t,” I said.  “Brittany…”

“Great!” she said.  “I’ll be over in about a half an hour.  I’ve got to take a shower and get all of my stuff…and then I’ll be over there!”  I heard her take a deep breath.  “This night is going to be so great, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” I said, my throat tightening up.  “It will…hopefully.”

“Okay, I’ll see you in a little while,” she said, and hung up before I could say ‘bye’.

I got up and headed for the shower.  After I put on my pajama pants and tank top, I went out into the kitchen, where Mom was fixing something for lunch. 

“I figured Brittany was coming over, so I’m just fixing a quick something,” she said without turning away from the stove.  She turned and must have seen the look on my face.  “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I said quietly, and sat down on one of the bar stools. 

“Something’s up with you,” she said.  She walked over to the fridge and got out lettuce for the salad.

I was silent for a moment before I let it all spill out.  “If you must know, Leo, Nic, and Isobel are all going back to Italy tomorrow.  As in they’re moving back,” I said.

She was motionless as she stared at me with the bag of lettuce in her hand.  “What?” she asked. 

“Leo told me yesterday night.  That’s why I was crying when I came in,” I said.  “I don’t know if Nic’s told Brittany yet.  She didn’t sound upset on the phone just now.”

“Why is he going back?  Does he not know what this will…do to you?” she asked.  She finally moved to grab a bowl from one of the cabinets.  She was looking at me with worried eyes as she set it down on the counter.  “I know you.  You’re going to…”

“I’m going to have to get over it.”  I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.  “He wants me to go with him,” I said quietly.

“What…?”

“But I told him I couldn’t leave you and Dad behind,” I said.  “I know that I’m from there, but this is my home.  I can’t just abandon it.”

She was silent again as she continued to stare at me.  “Do you want to go?” she asked quietly.

My eyes popped open.  “Why are you asking that?”  

“Because if you want to go…”

Tears burned my eyes.  “But I wouldn’t get to see you ever…that much.  Do you really want me to go?”

“Well, no,” she said, shaking her head as she got scissors out of one of the drawers and cut open the bag of lettuce.  “But you’re right.  That’s where you’re from.  Maybe if you go back to live there for a little while, you’d be able to try and see if you remember anything from before we got you.  And it’s not like we’d never see you again.  We’d come visit and you could come back here a few times, like for holidays.”