Forever and Always His

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

                Where the hell was it?

                The last time I saw it was just this morning, and now it was gone from my nightstand. I ran my fingers through my hair with frustration, as I went downstairs to where my mother was. She was sitting on one of the seats in the dining room, polishing some of her most treasured vases and China plates. She stared up at me, giving me a light smile, before rubbing a cloth on a plate. “Riley, honey, you’re home.” She paused. “Are you hungry? Do you want me to whip you up something real quick?”

                I shook my head. “I’m good, mom, thanks. You haven’t happened to take anything from my room today, have you?”

                “Oh, right!” she rummaged through her piles of plates carefully, before pulling out the picture frame that I was going crazy looking for. “I forgot to tell you that I took it while you were in school to clean off the dust for you.”

                I sighed with relief, as I took the frame back in my hands. “Thanks.” I said, before turning on my heel.

                “Hey, you looked really happy in that picture with Everett.” She paused. “How come I haven’t seen him here in a while?”

                My heart sank, as I stared at the picture in the frame of Everett and I. The two of us were fourteen in the picture, and we were at the pool that was in his backyard. Back then, he was skinny, but he had signs of muscles and abs showing in the picture. His hair was damp and mess, and was looking at me in the picture. I was laughing at the camera because he had his arm around me, tickling my bare stomach.

                I remember that moment so perfectly, and I would’ve done anything to go back to that day.

                “We aren’t exactly friends anymore.” I muttered.

              My mother’s face fell, as she frowned. “Oh, honey. I was afraid that was the reason why he stopped coming here.” She sighed. “Does the reason have to do with Colette’s death?”

                “Yes.” I whispered.

                My mother stared down at her vases and plates with a sad expression, before she let out a deep breath of air. “God, I miss that woman. She and I were the best of friends since high school, you know?” she wiped away a tear from her eye, before she let out a soft laugh. “I can still hear her voice sometimes.”

                It broke my heart to see my mother this way. “Mom-“ I started off.

                “Oh Lord, I’m sorry honey!” she gave me a weak smile. “I’m going to start on dinner now. Go upstairs and do some homework, okay? I’ll call you down when it’s ready.”

                I stared at my mother for a long moment, before I turned around, and walked upstairs to my room.

                I flopped on my bed, clutching the picture frame closely against my chest. I closed my eyes, as I began to remember all the moments I shared with Colette.

                I first met her when I was five, when my mother finally reunited with her high school best friend. I solely remember Everett watching from behind his mother’s leg, as the two women embraced each other.

                We lived in the same neighborhood, so whenever my mother came over to Colette’s house, I tagged along with her. I would always go off to the backyard and play with Everett when the two mothers would complain about their jobs over coffee and tea.