"Mia..." Elizabeth trembled.
"Mum....... Hi...." Mia trembled back.
"What are you..." Before Elizabeth could finish her question Mia slapped her across the face.
"What the hell was that for Mia!" Elizabeth shuttered.
"That was for breaking my heart." Then Mia slapped her again.
"Mia! Stop it!"
"And that was for Dad." Mia stood there feeling proud of herself.
"Please! Don't hit me again. What are you doing here? Why aren't you at camp?"
"I was! But I am.... Uhh...." Mia realised what the situation was. She realised the danger she was in in terms of being screamed at.
"Mia... Whats going on... You can trust me...."
"Can I? Really? Because last time I did that you stabbed me in the cheek!"
"The cheek? Whah? Why the cheek...?" She was confused.
"Well I'd imagine it would hurt a shit load if someone stabbed you in the... Getting away from the point! Muh... Elizabeth. If I could trust you why did you do this to us... To me! To James! Your husband!! Remember him?" Elizabeth took Mia's hand and walked over to a bench on the side of the car park, then they both sat down.
"Mia listen, please."
"No. No! You listen! Do you have any idea ANY IDEA WHAT YOU PUT US THROUGH?! Mum you ripped out hearts out and let us watch as you set them on fire! Jheeze! You have absolutely no fucking idea how I'm feeling, do you? DO YOU?! DID YOU EVER EVEN CONSIDER HOW WE WOULD FEEL! I MEAN HAVE YOU EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT US SINCE YOU LEFT US WITH BROKEN HEARTS LAST YEAR?!" Mia was screaming this with tears streaming down her face like Niagara Falls.
"Yes. Mia I think about you two every single day. I think about you and what you're up to; what James is up to; if he has found someone; if you have found someone! I am always thinking about you. Always."
"Then why did you do it? Why did you leave us Mum?" Mia began rubbing her eyes.
"You wanna know why?" Mia nodded.
"Because I was scared honey. I went to a dinner party for work and I got really drunk, and I kept thinking I wish James was with me, but he wasn't, and Simon the guy I work with was there... I don't really remember much of that night. But I remember taking a test a few days later and realising I was going to have a baby! And I thought that I could convince James that the baby was his and it would all be alright and everything, but when I found out I was having twins which ended up as triplets I know I was stretching too far. And I got scared Mia.... I got really scared. So I did the worst thing possible... I ran. And I hate myself every single day because of it..."
Mia sat there and took it all in. As she watched the familiar face, she noticed the creases in her smile and around her eyes were still there, and Mia noticed a million new things she had never seen before. Mia never thought her mother could even feel fear. That scared her.
"Mia from the bottom of my heart I am sorry." Elizabeth sobbed.
Mia didn't want to forgive her, but she knew that she needed to be there for her mother.
"So where did you go?" Mia asked.
"Simon, the three kids and I all live twenty minutes away from here. I'm just picking up a prescription for my son, he has chickenpox. Now will you please explain to me what you're doing here?"
How was Mia going to explain?
"I'm pregnant."
"What the fuck Mia?"
"I know.... I don't even know why! I mean I know why! But I don't know WHY!"
Elizabeth didn't know whether to slap or hug her daughter.
"So where is the guy?"
"At camp I imagine...."
"What? Why is he not here with you?!"
"Because I caught him making out with this slutty girl yesterday and I'm mad at him. I'm so fucking scared mum..."
"Did he appologise?"
"He tried to explain, but I didn't hear him out. I couldn't get myself to do it."
"Mia sweety. This guy is the father to.... It.... And you need him! Believe me. I don't know this guy at all obviously, but I know that if he cares even the tiniest amount he will want you to hear him out... I know how he must feel right now, because all I want is to be able to tell James just how much I love him and miss and care about him, and I always will. But its too late. I can't do it now. And if you are seriously having a.... A ..... Baby.... Then you need him. He needs to be there to support you. So you will need to hear him out."
"I guess...." Mia looked down at her watch and realised she needed to go in for her appointment.
"I need to go now. I have my ultra-sound."
Elizabeth stood up and helped Mia to her feet.
"Do you mind if I come with you?"
Mia smiled and her entire body felt as light as a feather as she walked into the doctor's practice with her mother.
"Hi Mia. Come through. Is this your mother?" Dr Mary Jenkins looked very confused as she knew both people but never made the connection.
"I'm her aunt." They all smiled.
"You have her eyes Mia. Lucky girl."
They stepped into this pale pink painted room with a bed and a machine and screen near it. Mia was given a gown, got dressed then laid down on the bed as Mary put the cream on her belly. It felt cold to the touch and made Mia squirm a little, so Elizabeth took her hand and comforted her. A few minutes went by as the doctor did something which Mia was unsure about.
"Oh..."
"Wow..."
"What? What is it? What is happening? Mary where is the bay...."
They all looked at the screen. It was blank. Mia was not pregnant.
"What?" Mia was so lost.
"You had a phantom pregnancy darling!" Elizabeth said giving Mia a huge smile.
"What does that mean?" Mia was still lost.
"It means you thought you were pregnant, but it was all psychological. You showed all symptoms of a pregnancy, but you're not having a baby." Mary explained with a smile.
'What? Shit. Wow. Shit. I don't have to deal with Aaron anymore. Shit. My poor dad would kill himself if he were here. Shit. Mum. Thank you. Shit. Aaron I will kill you one day. Shit. I'm not pregnant. SHIT. YES!!'
"Mia? You okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah I am actually." She smiled.
Elizabeth and Mary stepped into the waiting room and Elizabeth picked up her medicine while Mia changed.
Mia got dressed then met the other two in the waiting room.
"Thanks Mary."
"Hey no worries kid. Just be more careful next time." She smiled. Mia smiled back.
Elizabeth took Mia's hand and they walked outside.
Elizabeth drove Mia to the station. They sat in the car thinking about how they may never see each other again.
"Thank you."
"You are always welcome. I love you Mia, and even though I won't be in sight, you know where I am. You know I love you. Right?"
Mia smiled and nodded.
"Yeah. Thank you so much. I love you too. Say hi to the triplets from their big sister." They smiled. They hugged, and for the first time, they were coming to terms with the fact that wouldn't be in each other's lives anymore, and they weren't crying. They knew the other was alright now.
They had the answers they needed. Even though it had been really tough, they were alive and well. Both of them.
Mia pulled away from the hug and got out of the car. She walked into the station and watched the car pull away.
Mia stood there smiling to herself, thinking the moment couldn't get any better. But it did.
"Hey goof-ball. What are you doing here? How did you find me?"
"I remember what time you booked your return ticket for and where. So I came to get you. Hope thats alright. You okay?"
She looked into his big eyes, and thanked whoever it was up there in outer space for that moment. She felt amazing.
"I really appreciate it. Thanks Lou. Thank you, really." He hugged her like a bear holding a fairy. Then they walked to the train and headed back to camp.