𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 [𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙞 𝙖𝙪]

18

"oh shit," nina mumbled as she rolled over on her bed, just seeing all the notifications. she quickly sat up and leaned against her headboard as she read through the texts from her family group chat.

all of them were asking her to call them and how they needed to tell her something.

"what?" she whispered as she changed apps to go call her moms.

"nina?" she could hear carol speak sternly as soon as she answered.

"mama c, what's going on?" she asked, her voice lower than usual, due to the fact that she had just woken up.

"nina, where have you been? we've been trying to reach you for the past hour," dana said.

"i- i was sleeping, i didn't realize i slept in," she replied.

"you need to come home," carol demanded.

"huh? why? did something happen? are you okay? is ej okay?" she questioned all in one breath.

"we're fine nina, but you can't stay there any longer," dana softly said.

"what are you talking about?"

"we could send someone else in for the rest of your trip- maybe mark."

"mamas, no, i can finish work here, it's only a couple more weeks."

"no nina. come home. now. i'm arranging your flight for-"

"what? you can't keep doing this."

"nina, please. this isn't a time for arguing."

"well this isn't a time for you to control my life. i'm sorry for what i'm about to say but recently it's been clogging my mind," she started, taking a breath. "i'm 20 years old. 20. you can't control what i do in my life. i get that two years ago, i was in an awful state, and i'm sorry that you had to take care of me, i'm sorry i fell and hit my head hard enough for me to get amnesia, and i'm sorry i still don't remember what happened."

"that's not your fault, your doctor said you have to go at your own pace."

"i know, and that's what i'm doing."

"nina-"

"wait, let me finish. just cause i have been so mentally gone, doesn't give you the right to baby me and control me like i'm some dog. i'm not going to fetch every time you want me to be somewhere. i'm an adult, i can take care of myself, and i will finish my business here like i said in the beginning. thank you and i hope you have a nice day."

she hung up the phone and tossed it a couple inches away from her. she buried her face in her hands before she brought her knees up close and hugged herself into a tight ball.

an hour later:

"hey, what's going on?" ej asked genuinely.

"i don't feel good."

"oh no, was it something you ate?"

"no."

"did you drink something?"

"no."

"i could ask ashlyn to go out and-"

"i had a fight with my moms."

he stayed quiet and she sniffled to stop her nose from dripping and to fill the quiet air. she scrunched her eyebrows at the loud silence and she checked her phone to see if one of them had accidentally hung up.

"bubs?" she said after she noticed they have been silent for quite some time. "are you still there?"

"yea, yea, i'm here."

"i don't know what go into me, they were just so controlling and i just went off."

"what did they say?"

"they wanted me to go back."

"did they say why?"

"no! they didn't say anything, that's why it was weird- not that they ever really give me any reasons for the directions they give me but- wait... they literally don't tell me anything. how the fuck have i not realized? we just go everyday with them saying 'nina this, nina that,' never 'nina could you do this cause blah blah blah,' why the fuck am i living if its for them only. ugh, it's so frustrating, and as much as i love you and i wouldn't change our relationship for the world, but they kinda forced us onto each other. i mean, it worked out in the end but-"

"neens, you're rambling."

she let out a breath, "sorry," she softly said, closing her eyes, "i just don't get this. any of it."

"what did they say after?"

"nothing, i sort of hung up on them before they could get a word in."

"woah, talk about a power move. i don't think anyone has ever hung up on your moms, especially mama c."

"yea, well they deserve it."

"did something maybe happen between that and the last time you talked to them?"

"literally nothing. i hung up the call with them last night, posted a picture- which i always do for new years, then i went to bed."

"so, what now?"

"no idea. i was kinda hoping you could help me through it but i guess you're just as clueless as i am."

"yea, sorry. i could ask ashlyn to take you out to distract you or something. maybe we could facetime and netflix party? or we could watch disney+, how do you feel about tangled?"

"that sounds perfect. thank you ej, really."

"anything for you nina. i love you forever, you know that, right?" he asked, quite unsure.

"of course," she replied, "i love you too."

the two turned their phone call into a facetime and did what ej suggested. they first started off with watching tangled, one of nina's ultimate comfort movies, then went to watch nina's favourite anime, "your name." the movie she swears by is the absolute best.

they enjoyed their time together, it was like old times where they would cuddle on the couch for endless movie marathons, except further apart in distance. but they didn't mind, the company was all they needed.

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