Bruises ; O2L

30

In the morning I wake up Connor.

"Do we have to tell people that I remember?" I ask.

"No, but I'd tell them you gradually remember, so tell them to lay off a bit," he says and laughs. I laugh with him.

I hear a knock on the door as I walk down the stairs. I run to answer the door. What I see, makes my jaw drop.

"Hello Cora."

"Mom?!" I yell.

"How've you been?" she says and hugs me.

We come inside and sit down on the couch. Connor stares in shock and sits right beside me, clenching his jaw.

"What're you doing here?" I ask. How could she be here? How'd she know where I lived?

"Can I not come visit my daughter?" she asks and laughs.

"Um were you actually sober enough to drive here?"

"Cora, ever since you left I've been in rehab. I realized I needed to clean up my act. I've been sober since.. a month after you left. So 4 months. Now how've you been?" she says.

"Oh, I just got out of a coma." Her jaw drops. She hugs me.

"Oh my poor baby! What happened?!" she asks.

"Mom! Are you kidding me!? You can't just come to California after almost half a year of not seeing me, and act like everything's okay! BECAUSE ITS NOT!" I yell. I feel my eyes water and my face heats up.

"I know I screwed up your life. And I'm sorry! I want to be a mom. I want you back in my life! You're my baby!" she cries.

"I don't want you in mine! You're a drunk! You beat me! It's a little too late to be a mom now! I'm 18, legal adult!" I yell.

"Cora, maybe you should give her a chance..She's 4 months sober. That's pretty good." Connor whispers in my ear. I look at him, then back to my mom. I sigh.

"Fine."

"Great! Let's go eat tonight, just you and me. We can catch up," she says with a half smile. My mom was trying, she was really trying.

I go upstairs to get ready, Connor follows. I pick out something casual to wear and do my hair and makeup.

"Connor, do you think it'll last?" i ask.

"Will what last?" he asks back.

"My moms sober life." I say.

"I don't know, it seems like she's tried really hard, for you. I wouldn't get my hopes up, but don't doubt her either."

My mom picks me up at 5 and we go out to eat. After we order food my mom looks me directly in the eye.

"Cora, I've had lots of sober time to think," she says. Oh yay, what now? "I want you to move back to Minnesota. With me." she says.

"What? No!" I protest.

"Cora! I'm your mother! I have legal custody of you now, if you didn't know! By law, your not stable enough to live in your own! Because of the things you've done.."

"Yet you're stable enough to have a child again?" I say. She shuts up right away and her eyes water.

"Cora, please. Give me one more chance. I want you to move back. I want to live the life we use to have. A happy one, together." she says. A tear falls from her face.

"Alright, give me some time to think."

We eat dinner and catch up. My moms a changed woman. She's really cleaned up her act. I'm proud of her. When I get home I make a final decision. I'll give her one chance, I'll move back.

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