Sugar & Spice

15|someone else

Aria nearly jumped out of the car when she saw her mother in the driveway. This was the first time they saw each other in quite some time, since her new boyfriend was keeping her busy but Aria liked to see her mother happy. Catherine had cut her hair a little shorter and wore a beautiful light brown sweater dress and high boots, looking ever so young.

"Mom; I didn't know you were going to be home this weekend!" Aria exclaimed when she ran into her mother's arms. 

Catherine laughed and kissed her daughter's forehead, "I know you didn't, but I wanted to surprise you! Thank you for helping me with the cafe from time to time, I know it's quite the drive." 

"It's no drive at all," Aria responded quickly and thought of Tom, "are you going to the Fall Festival?" 

"As a matter of fact I am, but not for fun. The Cafe are selling pastries at the fair during the day so that's the most I'll see of it. In case you were wondering I'm not going to ask you to work this weekend, you should enjoy yourself." Catherine said and gestured for them to go inside.

Little conversation about the trial had been had between Aria and her mother but she liked to keep it that way. Almost everyone in her life knew about it and wanted to know what was going on so to have someone to talk to, about everything else, felt kind of nice. Even if she wasn't sure how Catherine would feel about Tom now she still wanted to tell her about him, if they were going to be friends she didn't want to keep him a secret. 

"I'm actually going to be seeing some of my friends; Jane and Rebecca. They'll be arriving a little later today...and then I'll be seeing Tom." Aria waited for her mother's reaction. It was subdued but it was still a reaction nonetheless. 

"Oh, you mean that guy who--that's right his name was Tom," Catherine looked around the kitchen area for anything to distract herself with, "you're still talking to him?" 

Aria nodded, "Yes we still talk, a lot. There's a lot I haven't told you...it's nothing dangerous or bad, but there's things that you don't know." 

"Did something happen between you two? He didn't hurt you or--" Catherine stopped on the other side of the counter top and was now facing Aria, having a conversation she didn't look to want to have.

Aria wasn't sure if the age difference was still an issue to her mother or not but she needed to tell her the truth about her and Tom, about that kiss in The Cafe. It was important for her mother to know that one way or the other Tom Landry was going to be in her life. 

"--no of course he didn't hurt me. I already knew that he wasn't in love with me, but a part of me still has hope I guess. We met on prom night, at The Cafe, and we danced...and kissed. I told him then how I felt but he didn't feel the same way, which of course hurt, but it was my own fault." 

"You two kissed...in my cafe?! Aria; you can't just use that place for personal reasons!" Catherine said to which Aria smiled and nodded, teasing her mother with that smile.

"I wish I could tell you that I was sorry but I'm not and I wasn't. That night was the best night of my life, mom, even if he didn't love me. We're trying to stay friends but it's hard sometimes...but I still want to try." Aria pushed on.

Catherine put the tip of her tongue to meet her upper lip and stared at the counter top for a long time. Aria let the silence hang in the air for a long time without searching for words to say or enticing her mother to speak, no she needed to wait for the authentic and unprovoked reaction. 

"These past few months have been amazing for me, Aria. I think I'm starting to fall for someone myself," Catherine smiled vaguely, "so to deny you the one you love would be nothing but cruel of me. I want you to know that I...I will support the two of you if you ever decide to become more than friends - or if friends is all you'll be, then I'll support that too."