Bloom (ARBAON #2)

Chapter Eleven

I was starting to feel normal again. "It really is you." I said eventually. My body felt exhausted but I was still sitting on the bench and the place was empty except for the two of us.

"Why are you here, Dee-Dee?" She asked me, pushing back hair from my face. She touched me so casually and I couldn't help how comforting it felt. Her fingers were a salve against my burning skin. "The other moms wanted to call security because there was some passed out man in the seating area. And when I looked—" her voice broke a little and her eyes glassed over. "I haven't seen you in years. I told Brian and the kids to go home without me."

"I was in an accident." I explained, ignoring the Brian and the kids part. The world was clearing up again and I sat up more comfortably. My hands were slick with sweat and I felt like my body was on fire. I told her the whole story somehow, focusing on how I'd lost my memory. She looked shocked and horrified.

"It's been over a year, and you only looked for me now?" She sounded...offended.

I blinked, not at all expecting that reaction.

"Wait, shit, I didn't mean it like that." She back pedalled. "And obviously you can't remember anything. God, do you even remember me at all?" Her face screwed up tight and her voice sounded hurt. As if I had chosen to forget the first twenty odd years of my life just to spite her.

Just as I was about to tell her I didn't remember anything, I did remember something.

#

"Baby, give Momma her medicine."

"Hmm?" I asked, more interested in my colouring book. Most of the pages were all done up and Momma said once I was done I could get another one.

Sometimes, I would colour so hard that I would just forget everything. I would forget about how smelly our house was, or how sick Momma got, and about all my chores.

While Momma was sick, I had to cook, and clean and wash stuff. Sometimes, I missed a few spots but I thought I did a pretty good job.

I looked over at Momma. She had those funny shoelaces tied on her arm and a needle beside her on top of a table. She was lying on the couch, looking sleepy. I didn't know how Momma put medicine in her arm when it looked like it hurt. She told me it was like a flu shot for grown-ups. I wondered why Momma still got so sick, then. She took a lot of those flu shots.

"Momma, you're so silly." I laughed at her and went back to colouring. This picture was of a ballerina. I gave her a nice pretty pink tutu and added some nice butterflies on her dress before I got up from my little table.

I walked over to Momma, and patted her hand, but it was kind of just laying there. Today seemed like a really sick day for her. Sometimes, she said she didn't need medicine anymore and then we would clean the house together and we'd go for cheesecake. Cheesecake was my favourite. 

I picked up the needle and put it in her hand. It was pointy so I was extra careful. Then, I went over to her face and put my hands on her cheeks.

"Momma, there's your medicine! Hurry up and get better so we can go get cheesecake. You promised we could get cheesecake."

"Yes, Dee-Dee, we'll get cheesecake when Momma feels better." She pressed the needle into her arm and I waited for her to feel better. Her eyes flapped and she breathed all happy.