The Otaku and The Prince

Mom and Dad's past

The next day I told mom the news.

At first she didn't believe me but then she read the messages. She was shock, silent, and then to my surprise she cried. It wasn't a sobbing, chaotic cry... it was silent. Only a few tears escaped her eyes.

I sat next to her on the couch, we were the only one home.

"I used to wish that he'd die before." Mom said quietly. "Every time that he'd be gone for weeks I wished he was dead...."

"I know." I said, I felt the same way.

"But now that he's actually gone I... I'm not sad but I'm not happy either." Mom sighed, then buried her face with her hands, but then looked at me and gave me a small, tight smile. "You know, I've known Darius since we were children. He wasn't always like that, before he was sweet and always so protective of me." Mom's face pinched with emotion, her eyes glazing over as she remembered something. "Darius was my only best friend, your grandparents never liked him though... and when I got pregnant with you they disowned me. Darius's mom didn't like me and he didn't have a father so we were on our own. He dropped out of school for me so he could work to support us, as for me, he motivated me to stay in school and to get an education. He once told me that 'if it isn't me that'll make it out, it will be you'."

Mom went quiet and tightened her jaw.

"It was my fault that he turned bad. He was working the day I had you and when he heard he rushed over to the hospital and got struck by a car."

I did a double take on her at that, "What? I never heard anything about that!"

Mom nodded, her eyes devastated, "He was hospitalized and we were buried in depth. At the time the doctors didn't catch it either but when he was hit he struck his head pretty hard, it must have messed something up in his mind. Even still... throughout the years when things started to turn rotten I remembered that... that he changed because of me. I only put him in jail once but afterwards I let him back in our life because I felt guilty... but it came to a point that I was too unhappy and then he hit you... I couldn't do it anymore." Again her jaw muscles started to work and her eyes glistened with tears, "But I still love him," Mom smiled softly, "and I'm glad he finally remembered that he loved me too."

"I'm so happy." She repeated, she covered her mouth with her hand, closed her eyes, and let the tears fall from her eyes.