-Sway's POV-
We pulled up to the house, and headed right over to my mom's house, Chris and Amy were already there. I kept close to Andy, because I could feel myself wanting to back out. But if I stayed by Andy I knew he wouldn't let me walk out of this. We were greeted as we made it to the front door.
"Hey, I'm Seth," he said holding out his hand for me to shake.
"Sway," I said. He shook my hand and smiled.
"Mandy's daughter," he said. I nodded, "She's told me about you," he added. Wish I could say the same, but I never heard about you until today. But I didn't say that, I kept my mouth shut and just smiled at him. Step-dad? Maybe. Unless I don't like him. It's hard to even think of him as a step-dad.... To really even think that these people are my family. "Food is out back," he said, "And you are?" he asked looking at Andy.
"I'm Andy... Chris and Amy's son," he said, and then he looked at me, "I'm also Sway's boyfriend," he said. I smiled, he's my boyfriend. I liked that.
"Well, it's nice to meet you Andy, your parents are good folks," he said. Andy gave him a smile, and we made our way to the back, for food. This is where the party was, thank god that I didn't see any alcohol, or Andy would have to hold me back. I looked around the back, and I could already spot the twins, who were fighting over a bag of chips. I'm guessing the oldest Cole was sitting with a girl, maybe his sister? But then again there was another young girl sitting in a chair looking at her phone. So maybe it was a girlfriend. That's when mom spotted me. She walked over towards me and Andy. Andy's parents were sitting across from the twins laughing at them, as they fought.
"Hey," she said.
"Hi," I said.
"Let me introduce you to the kids," she said, still holding Andy's hand we walked over to where the twins were. "Boys, this is my daughter Sway. Sway this is Mark and Marvin," she said, the two of the them looked up at me.
"You mean mommy has another kid?" I'm not sure which one is which....
"Yes Marvin I do... and her name is Sway," she said.
"Well hi! And who's that mommy?" the same kid asked, the other kid Mark seemed quiet, and went on eating his chips.
"This is Sway's boyfriend Andy," mom said, Andy smiled at the kid, and the kid smiled back.
"You got drawings on your arm," the kid said pointing. Andy laughed.
"Yep, I sure do," he said.
"Mommy can I have drawings on my arm too?" he asked, mom laughed but shook her head.
"Not now Marvin," she said.
"He really likes to talk," Amy said smiling.
"I sure do!" Marvin said with a big smile on his face. He had mom's smile, that's how I knew he was moms.
"Okay, let's go meet the other two, Cole decided to bring his girlfriend... So you'll meet her too." she said. I felt a little more better, that I didn't need to hold Andy's hand anymore, so I let go of it. I hope he gets that I'm good now, and can handle myself. We first walked up to the young girl... Daisy... Who was still looking at her phone? Now she didn't look like mom, she had blonde hair. She wore a white T-shirt and high waisted jeans, hell she looked better than I did when I was her age. Clearly she is given nice clothes. "Daisy," mom said, Daisy looked up from her phone, and she had some really blue eyes. Her face was caked up in makeup. "Daisy I want you to meet my daughter Sway," mom said.
"Hi," Daisy said, looking back down at her phone. I raised an eyebrow. Rude much.
"Sorry, she can be... Uh, what's a good word?" mom thought for a moment, I would say bitch... But, you know I don't want to be hated right now. Nor do I want to start anything. So like I did back at the door, I kept my mouth shut.
"A brat," Daisy said smiling.
"That's the word." mom said rolling her eyes.
"You love me." Daisy said grinning, and then gave me a grin. But I didn't smile back, I knew what she was saying.
"Of course I love you," mom said giving her a hug. Now I just felt sick. Mom let go and then turned to Cole. I looked to see if I could find Andy, but he had slipped away. Where did he go? I look around and see him with his parents and that Seth guy. The twins running around. Great, thanks Andy leave me. "Now this is Cole and his girlfriend Sarah," mom said.
"Hi," I was the first one to speak this time, now Cole he was built and kind of tall. He looked like he played football.
"Uh, Hi," he said giving me a head nod, "So your Mandy's daughter?" he asked, I nodded, "She hasn't talked about you before... Until tonight when we got home from school. Saying, 'oh my daughter who haven't seen in years is coming over for dinner,'" Cole said, "So, why pop up now? Where have you've been?" he asked me, wow it was questions with this guy. I liked the twins a whole more than I do with these two.
"Cole," mom snapped at him.
"Hey, I just want to know," he said, "Come on Sarah let's go get food, and eat inside, it's hot anyways," he said grabbing his girlfriend. Did I do something wrong? Am I dressed wrong for this event? Did I say something? What did I do?
"I'm sorry about that Sway," mom said. Now I wanted to leave, maybe this was a bad idea. I didn't think about this, I just jumped right to it. Agreed to it, I didn't think. I wish I thought about it, I felt so out of place.... This isn't my family. They will never be my family. The only person who is family is my mother. But she hardly knows me anymore. She's been gone for so long, she probably forgets my favorite color.
"What's my favorite color?" I didn't even realize I had even asked the question. Mom raised an eyebrow at me.
"What?" she asked.
"What is my favorite color?" I asked her again.
"I-Uh.... Wasn't it like... Blue or something?" she asked. I sighed, and shook my head.
"No, mom it was green... You should have known that. What color did I ask you to paint my walls when I was seven?" I asked her.
"I'm guessing green..." Mom questioned.
"You shouldn't have guessed, you have known..." I told her. I didn't want to be here anymore, I wanted to leave. This was a bad idea... I knew it was. This isn't my fucking family. I could already feel myself spin.
"Sway, I'm sorry it's been so long," mom said looking down at the ground. Just then that small voice next to us spoke.
"Mom what's my favorite color?" she asked. I don't think I've ever wanted to hit someone before... But damn was I close. She needs to go back to looking at her fucking phone.
"Pink," mom answers. Now I wanted to hit mom.... I needed to get the fuck out of here.
"Love you!" she said with a grin on her face, and she looked at me, with that she stood up from the seat. Like I said, I never wanted to hit someone so hard before until now. She then lightly bumped into me. Oh, now she pushed the wrong button. Yanking her back by her shirt, I pulled her to me.
"You think you are fucking cute or some shit," I asked her getting in her face. She tried to get out of my grip, but I held tighter onto her shirt.
"Sway let her go!" mom yelled. Just then I was being pulled back.
"Sway, baby let go," it was Andy.
"I'm going to fucking hit you!" I yelled in her face, "You think you can just sit there, and butt in when I'm talking to my damn mom!" I shouted.
"Sway." his voice was full of warning, I either back off now, or face him. It was a choice I had to make.
"Just like your father." that wasn't his voice, that was her voice, and the words stung, "Just like your father! You take your hands off my daughter right now!" she yelled. And just like that I let go. My heart beating against my chest fast, and my body shaking. Feeling regret already.
"I'm your daughter.... I'm your fucking daughter!" I yelled at her, fighting back every tear that I wanted to fall. I removed Andy's hand from my shoulder. This went from the best trip, to the worst. Just like that.
"Let's take this, where no one else is..." Mom said, I breathed in and out, trying to calm myself down. Andy placed his hands on my shoulder, which helped a little.
"Go, stay calm," he said, and pushed me along mom followed behind, and we walked out towards the front. And sat down on the front porch.
"Fireflies," mom said.
"What?" I asked.
"Remember, when you were six and me and you went out one night. Since your father was off the walls. It was the summer, and we started catching fireflies. I remember the smile on your face, as you put them into jars. Later on your father came out to join us, finally calm. He sat down next to me, wrapped an arm around me. Said he loved me, he looked at you, and said the same thing. You brought us back a jar, there were three fireflies... You said they were us. You opened the jar, and said we were all free." mom said, she was now tearing up. I remember that. "That was the best, and most calmest night of my life. It was the one memory I've held onto, of you and of your father. Even to this day. If things were like that, I wouldn't have left..." she said.
"Why mom, why didn't you just take me?" I asked her.
"Damn it Sway I wanted to. I knew I should have. I knew leaving you behind was all on me. And I don't have an excuse, I was just a bad mother, that didn't step up. Didn't matter how old I was. You are my daughter, I should have taken you with me." she said.
"Did you cheat on him?" I asked her, she looked down at her feet.
"He said that," she asked. I nodded.
"I thought about it... But I knew what would have happened if I did, so I never cheated." she said.
"So, he lied?" I asked, mom nodded.
"He probably told you many lies about me," she said. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. Maybe mom did leave, and she really didn't want me. Or maybe she's the telling the truth. How would I know? Who is really playing me here? Mom or dad? "So, you haven't talk to dad?" I asked her.
"No, I haven't.... It's been years Sway, and I don't plan on talking to him anytime soon." she said.
"Why such bitter kids?" I asked.
"They just don't understand," she said with a shrug, "They never heard my past life." she said.
"What does Seth think of me?" I asked her.
"Well, after your little stunt... He probably doesn't think to highly of you anymore. Those are his kids, and he doesn't even know you." she said, I frowned, so I fucked up. Didn't I.
"I fucked it up, didn't I?" I asked. Mom sighed, but didn't say anything. She was thinking, I knew she was.
"Only for Seth and the kids.... Me.... I-I don't know yet Sway," mom said. She's my mother she should know! Please know mom! I want you back in my life. I so badly wanted to say those words, but they wouldn't come. I want you to be my mother, to love me... To hold me. To take me out for a mother and daughters day.... I want my mother back. But all of those words were sitting on the tip of my tongue, and the hopes and dreams of that ever happening were quick to go. "I'll stay in touch with you." she finally said.
"Really?" I asked her. There was that little spark.
"Yes, really." she said, but by the sound of her voice, I could already feel the spark being put out. Don't fuck with me mom, just don't. "We can try, and make this work." she said. And right there, I knew if I said yes, I would be walking through the flames, because in the end nothing but a burn would come out. But she my mother, and I wanted her back so badly I was willing to take a stroll through hell... Again.
"Okay," I said. She smiled. I already knew the outcome, but I pushed the thought away, and smiled back.