Amery & Caddel

Chapter 4: A Pair of Blue Eyes

For the rest of the day, I caught up with my parents. Axel didn't stick around much longer after Arianna left; he said he had work. It was nice talking to my parents. Although, nobody addressed the elephant in the room.

I didn't see Arianna for the rest of Saturday. After she left the study, she left the house too. Rosa said she returned home Saturday night and slept in her room, but I still didn't see her Sunday morning at breakfast.

She was avoiding me.

I can confidently say the best part of coming home was Rosa. I underestimated how much I missed her. When I gave her a hug, she had tears in her eyes, and she kissed my cheek about thirty times. 

Rosa showed me to my old room Saturday night. Although I didn't need help finding it, I think she wanted to spend time with me. I was surprised to see my room was the same; the colours on the walls, the pictures hanging from the frames, the stuffed animals, the fairy lights, the duvet, the carpets, the books, and the posters. 

It all felt very nostalgic and overwhelming. A lot of good memories came from this room, but so did a lot of bad ones. I think the most challenging part about coming home was sleeping. I couldn't sleep Saturday night. I felt like I was 17 again, trapped in this massive house and feeling alone. 

After the breakfast Rosa made Sunday morning, Mom said she wanted to go shopping with me. I didn't have the heart to tell her I didn't want to go, considering shopping with my Mom was never a fun activity. She insisted we went together for some mother-daughter bonding, so I went with her. We visited many designer stores, and she made me try many dresses. After the 3rd store, I quickly realized that my Mom wasn't purchasing anything or even looking at the racks for herself; she was only looking for me.

"I think this would be a nice colour on you." My Mom says, holding a magenta dress in her hands.

I'm not fond of the dress.

"It's a nice dress." I lie.

"Try it on?"

"Umm, I think I would if it was black, but you should try it."

I have no idea why my Mom is trying to buy me a dress I would never wear, so I asked? 

"Mom, can I ask why you are picking out all these dresses for me," I kindly ask because I don't want to offend her.

My Mom sighed and grabbed my cheek; her gaze softened.

"The main reason is because I want to spend time with you, so giving you a multiple dresses to try on means your stuck with me." 

"I also want to gift you something nice, and I'm sure you already know, but tonight we have your father's work dinner. An important family will join us tonight, so I need to find something nice for you to wear and... something to change your appearance.

I nodded my head. That was the nicest my Mom would get, so I didn't fight her and continued my Sunday afternoon shopping with her.

I currently stare at myself in my childhood room's vanity mirror. It's 6:45, and the guests will be arriving at 7. 

I gaze at the dress Mom bought me today. It's a black, off-the-shoulder Channel dress. The dress is simple and elegant. I'm happy I found this one today. It was the only dress I liked from the million I tried on. Mom liked it too, surprisingly; she said I wore it well. My hair is parted midway and tied back into a low, loose twisted bun. Mom wanted me to wear my hair down, but I thought it looked nice pulled back. As for makeup, I wear a little red lipstick while keeping my eyes natural with bronze eyeshadow, black eyeliner, and mascara. I look into the mirror and stare at myself.