Heartbreak | bxb angst

Chapter 9

"Jude, honey?"

"Just a sec, mom."

The middle aged woman smiled lovingly at her daughter from the doorway of her room. Jude was sat on her desk, typing out something on her laptop. Her fingers swifly typed out her thoughts, eyebrows furrowed in focus at the screen. Occasionally, she'd stop in her tracks to have a moment of reflection, and while doing so her thumb would absentmindedly move to rub the tips of her fingers.

It was one of the little things her mother loved about her, especially since it was a trait she shares with her father. Just a small, barely visible quirk that speaks volumes about how much Jude resembles her father.

"..And we're good. Sorry about that, mom. What's up?" Jude said after finishing up the paragraph she was typing.

"Me and dad have something to tell you. Come downstairs? I made lemonade."

-

Jude's mother's lemonade isn't like any other. At first glance, it looks like any usual pink lemonade everyone is familiar with. But Jude loves her mother's especially, simply yet tremendously elevated with the addition of rosewater to the drink. Jude would take this lemonade over alcohol any day.

A sip of the lightly pink tinted drink brought a smile to Jude's face, now sat on the dinner table across from her parents.

"So what did you want to tell me?" She asked.

Her parents exchanged looks with each other. Jude now has the impression that whatever it is she'll be told, it's gonna be either amazing or terrible.

"It's.. about our jobs, bug."

Bug. Judebug. A nickname her dad calls her when she was small. The nickname is sweet, and very dear to Jude. Though now as she's a lot older, the nickname only seems to show up during serious situations, like that one time her dad apologised for eating the ice cream she had saved to eat after a long day of classes, or that one time he and her mom had to go away for days.

Both her parents work for the same health institute, her mother a therapist and her dad a neurologist. Heavy jobs. Certain times one or the both of them wouldn't come home for the whole day. But in instances where they'd need to leave for a longer period, Jude is always notified beforehand.

"You two are going away for a while again?" the girl assumed based off of past events, fingers rubbing the condensation of her cold glass of lemonade.

"It's slightly more than that. Me and your dad, we.." they shared another glance. "We've been relocated."

Jude furrowed her eyebrows.

"Relocated?"

"To Belgium, honey." her mother precised.

"No, that's not my question," Jude let out an awkward chuckle, "Relocated, like, permanently? Both of you?"

Her mother nodded.

Jude sat there, somewhat sceptical at the news. However, the serious expression touched with a bit of concern remained on the faces of her parents. They meant what they said. They're moving away.

"When?"

"We're leaving in a week." her dad replied, his hands doing the little trait they share, thumb rubbing his fingertips.

"Wait, but.." Jude's hand gripped her glass. "What about me?"

Things have been looking great ahead of Jude, mainly with the dim light of hope she has about Vinny. Of course, there are other reasons that concerned her if she had to also move away. Her stable studies, her friend, and the city she has never considered leaving.