"Your phone is ringing again," Avery stood at the door to my room taking in the scene before her.
I lay underneath multiple blankets, laptop blaring some Netflix show that wasn't doing much to make me forget about my current predicament, old Chinese takeout boxes scattered over my sheets. I must have looked disgusting, to put it lightly.
"Throw it in the trash then," I replied shovelling a huge scoop of ice cream into my mouth.
She raised an eyebrow at me, "What's the plan for today?"
"Same as yesterday." I responded, my mouth filled to the brim with rocky road.
"You've been in bed for two days, Olivia."
"I'm aware," I replied sarcastically.
"Well, have you talked to anyone?" Avery asked walking into my room and shuffling some dirty boxes to the side before she sat down at the very edge. I'm sure it was taking everything in her to not clean my room right now and disinfect it with bleach.
"Nope." I said curtly.
"Have you talked to Aaron?" She asked again.
"Ha. No."
"Alexander?"
I shot her a grim look before changing the subject, "You know what I don't get about Shadow and Bone? How did he just make that dark energy come from him after reading that journal? It doesn't make sense." I jabbed my spoon at my laptop as I spoke.
"I get that everyone deals with things on their own time, but are you dealing with things at all, Olivia?" Avery asked in concern.
"I'm fine, Avery." I rolled my eyes. I knew she was trying to help me. Deep down, I knew that. But the messenger always gets shot.
"Don't snap at me because you can't deal with your other issues." She replied in a cautioning tone.
"I just don't want to talk about it," I said bitterly. Why couldn't she take a hint?
"Fine. You don't want to talk about it. So sit here and sulk and do absolutely nothing to take your life into your own hands. You know why I liked Alexander? Because he didn't change you into what suited him. When you were with Aaron, you turned into a stepford wife, Olivia!"
"What does that mean?" I asked quizzically.
"It means, you did whatever he wanted you to do. You attended all the events he needed to go to, wore all the outfits you were required to, and impressed who you were meant to impress. Finally, finally, for once in your life, you let other people's opinions fly to the wind. It didn't matter what anyone else said. You were finally you. Alexander brought out a good side in you."
I stayed silent, staring at my laptop, but not seeing the screen at all.
"You want to sit here and have a pity fest? Fine. But I'm not going to join in with you. Because these decisions are yours to make." She huffed before getting off the bed and walking out, but not before throwing in, "And throw out these goddamn food containers! We're going to get ants!"
I glared at the door as she slammed it behind her and pulled the blankets a little higher.
I must have dozed off because I awoke to the sound of a firm knock at my door. I sat up and looked around me, seeing that the sun had set from the window in my bedroom. I scratched my head, yawning before the incessant knock banged again.
"Just come in, Avery," I stated firmly.
The door creaked open, but a familiar blonde head peaked in slowly.
"Mom?" I asked in utter shock. I sat up a little straighter and tried to smooth out my hair that must have looked like a bird's nest sitting on top of my head.
She looked around my room for a moment and I took this chance to throw the takeout food boxes onto the floor next to my bed where she hopefully wouldn't see them. She strolled to the desk at the foot of my bed and pulled out the chair before gracefully sitting down.
"I've been trying to call you," My mom said taking in my predicament.
My cheeks flushed at what she must have thought about me, "I turned my phone off, sorry."
She nodded, using her hand to smooth her already perfectly ironed black dress pants, "How are you doing?" She asked looking up at me.
"What are you doing here, mom?" I questioned in disbelief.
She sighed heavily, "I had nothing to do with last night, Olivia. I swear to you. I'm not a fan of," her hands gestured to the dirty room she was sitting in, "well, this. But I wouldn't go behind your back to orchestrate a public proposal."
I glanced away from her. Deep down I knew she didn't. It ran too high a risk of me publicly embarrassing her if I turned Aaron down. Or in this case, running out like I was having a nervous breakdown. "I know."
"I came to see how you were doing."
I sighed. For once in my life, I just wanted to be honest with her. I wanted to tell her what I actually thought. What I actually felt, "I'm not doing great, mom. Aaron just publicly proposed to me and his dad is blackmailing Alexander with his architectural firm. I feel a little lost right now."
She nodded, "That's your motorcycle man?"
I smiled, "Yeah. But I'm not so sure he's mine anymore." The smile fell from my face at the thought of not having Alexander in my life anymore. I couldn't stand the idea.
"To hell with Aaron," She stated firmly.
"I'm sorry, what?" I asked in bewilderment. I don't think I'd ever heard her say hell before.
"If you don't love him, don't marry him," She ran a hand through her perfectly styled hair, "Olivia, I spent much of my childhood stuck in a house I wanted desperately to flee from. My parents were not kind people. They took advantage of an innocent, naïve girl that couldn't defend herself. Perhaps the reason I've been pushing this relationship with Aaron was to make sure that you were financially comfortable for the rest of your life. But, we all know that there's more to happiness than money. If you are vehemently against this, don't do it. The decision is yours and so will the consequences be."
"But... you love Aaron!" My mouth was incapable of closing at the moment. Where did this attitude come from?
"I don't love that obnoxious frat boy," She raised an eyebrow at me, "He treats you well enough, I gather. He doesn't degrade you or beat you. I've only ever wanted your safety and well-being. I don't pretend to be a good mother. I was never shown how to be a mother. When you were young, I decided that I couldn't do it and chose to run away to business trips or vacations to avoid dealing with it. This may have been foolish, but I convinced myself that if I wasn't doing what my parents did to me, I was a much better parent than they were. Perhaps I overlooked other damages that this caused you. I'm sorry that I couldn't be what you needed me to be."
I was just staring at her. I couldn't look away. My mother always gave the appearance of perfection and seemed to expect it from me. Yet, here she stood, held down by baggage just like I was - more so even. It didn't take away from the hurtful things she had spent years saying to me, but at least I could understand her now. I could forgive her.
She stood up, smoothing her blouse and her pants as she did so, "I think you should clean those takeout boxes before you get ants," She nodded to my bedside and my cheeks flushed.
She moved to the door, "Wait!" I called and she turned her head to look at me, "Who told you to come over?"
A small smile tugged at her lips, "Avery. She thought you may have needed a different perspective."
"I thought you hated each other?" I asked in disbelief. Avery and my mother haven't spoken in years.
"Perhaps there may have been a little jealousy at the family's loving nature and the bond they so quickly formed with my daughter. One that I haven't been able to secure, no matter how many trips I offer to take her on." A sad twinkle glimmered in her eyes.
"Mom," I trailed unsure of what to say. Avery's parents did fill a lot of the parental gaps that she had left in my life and I would forever love them for that. But, my mother had a difficult life. Maybe she really was doing the best she could with the cards she had been dealt.
She waved her hand at me, "Never mind me."
"Do you think you could do something for me before you go?" I asked tucking my legs under me.
"Of course," She replied instantly and for the first time in my life, I knew that I could count on her.