You Reed Me Right

Chapter 6

Currently, I was standing over a sink. I thought that was scrubbing was supposed to make one feel clean. I guess it doesn’t work when you are trying to scrub away the nagging feeling in your brain and the kiss that disappeared about 5 minutes after it happened. Why couldn’t it just go away? Why did he have this control? I barely knew him for God’s sake.

       I was falling in love with idea of love.

       For days, every night, I would imagine what it might be like, tempting my own regrets to come burden me some more. I found myself going to the beach with Sandy and Rufus a lot more. I could always imagine him coming out and yada yada yada, but of course that’s all it was… my imagination. I was gripping onto a moment at which I was only half conscious of my surroundings, if that. Who knows if he even kissed me.

       Well, now I am in denial.

*****

       I was getting ready to head out. It was gloomy and gray out, but I didn’t mind. I silently hoped it would be raining by the time I get back so I could sit on the porch and read a book in the relaxing warmth.

Recently, Gracie had been consoling me to come help her at the shops in my free time, when I needed to get out of the house. Slowly, she had been pulling out her other hidden treasures. Something about her made me feel at home. I wasn’t sure if it was here clear obsession with flowing floral prints and linen or how her glasses sat right on the natural crest of her nose. Perhaps even, how she had a couple of different glass’ chains that she would change depending on her outfit. She was a mix of a grandma and a hippie that I had never encountered before. I found that no matter my mood or my emotions at the moment, when I saw her, I smiled.

I was just about ready to leave the house and go see Gracie when there was a knock at my door. Opening it I was surprised to see Rich. It was such a rare occurrence. I quickly became very skeptical by the look on his face. He looked nervous, worried that I might do something irrational, perhaps?

“What is it?” It came out a small bit more demanding. I was curious to know what could make him so uneasy.

He rubbed the back of his neck, “Well, um you have a visitor. Do you-“

“Who is it?” I was intrigued. Reed? Who else would come to see me? He was the only acquaintance I had outside this house for miles.

       “Your mother is downstairs.”

       I am pretty sure that my mouth went slightly ajar as I tried to process my mother being anywhere within 10 miles of the Hamptons.

       “Are you sure?” I was honestly not convinced my mother would ever think of coming to see me, let alone follow through and come.

       “I am quite sure. You two show quite a resemblance.” He said with a small smirk.

       “No we don’t,” I didn’t love being compared to my mother. “I’ll be down in just a minute.”

       With that, I slammed the door in his face. I went to the mirror and pinched my cheeks trying to return the color to my face. What does she need? What the hell is my mother doing here?!

       I gathered my things and left my room quite quickly now. I needed to know. No more questioning it. She is obviously here and you can’t avoid it. I came to the stairwell and sure enough, there was my mother. She was wearing a pair of loose jean shorts and a linen button down with some cork and white flip flops. She actually looked pretty decently put together. Although, as I got closer to her I could see that her complexion was not well and her eyes were swollen and puffy.