STORY OF THE CHUBBY

STORY OF THE CHUBBY 26

I can’t tell you exactly how it will end, but I can say this: when it begins, it will feel like rain and when it ends, it will feel like the fire, and the truth is we’re all beautifully mad enough to believe that maybe love was meant to save us from ourselves. –r.m. drake  

‘That app’le pie was so good,’ Alex said, yawning. I took the plate from her and placed it on the night stand next to mine and then removed her glasses and put them in their case.

‘Yes it really was,’ I said, lifting up the covers for her to settle inside them. ‘Now you sleep, okay? You must be exhausted after all the running you did today.’

‘Nigh’ nigh’,’ she muttered already falling asleep. I smiled and kissed her forehead.

‘Night night,’ I whispered before tucking her in then taking our plates and walking out of her room.

 After supper downstairs, Alex and I had gone up stairs to her room to eat the apple pie I had gotten from Mrs Watson while watching an episode of Friends. Mum and Dad were downstairs washing dishes and talking stuff. I could say my parents were a lot of things but I could never say they weren’t in love with each other despite anything and everything that was happening. They didn’t show it openly but it was there for anyone to see.

‘Alex fall asleep?’ Dad asked when I got into the kitchen. He was leaning against the counter facing Mum who was sitting on one of the bar stools.

‘Out like a light,’ I said, placing the plates and forks inside the sink.

‘Yea, I would understand why. She was really hyper in the morning,’ Mum said, a smile on her face. ‘Are you heading to sleep too?’ The caring mother. I am yet to get used to this, I thought to myself.

‘Not really. But I’ll be up in my room,’ I said, turning on my feet.

'Cecelia, wait a second,’ Dad said behind me.

I turned to look at him. He looked a bit...nervous? Why was he nervous all of a sudden?

‘Um...your Mum and I were wondering...If you’d like to come with us on a trip this time...instead of staying behind,’ he said, still nervous but his face hopeful.

I looked at my Mum who also had the same hopeful expression in her eyes.

‘Why?’ I asked, and that seemed to deflate their hopeful expressions.

‘Do we need a reason to bring along our daughter for a family trip?’ Dad asked.

‘As a matter of fact you do,’ I said boldly, although I didn’t know where this boldness was coming from. ‘You’ve never taken me to one and suddenly you’re asking me to tag along so I want to know why.’

They looked at each other, as if talking mentally and then Mum looked at me, ‘Sit down, honey.’

I hesitated before sitting down next to her on the stool.

‘We know...we know we haven’t been the best parents to you,’ Mum started, facing me. ‘We didn’t think we were denying you anything...’

‘But know we always loved and still love you, Cecelia. Even though our way of showing it is not so good,’ Dad said, coming to stand in front of me.

Um...Okay...So this wasn’t in the agenda today. What an emotional rollercoaster it has been today, I thought. From seeing Chris’s girlfriend and seeing Chris himself to this...

‘We’re trying to make things right, Cecelia,’ Mum said, placing a hand on my shoulder. ‘Please let us...’

‘Soon, you’ll be the only one left for us...we can’t lose you too,’ Dad said, his voice a little rough.