THE LAST THING I expected was to be woken up by the sound of a throat clearing. It felt like a terrifying nightmare when I woke up to the sight of my mother looking at James and I in bed...again. I immediately sat up and James let out a sigh from my sudden movements. When he opened his eyes and saw the horror-stricken look on my face he instantly got up.
"Well," she spoke, breaking the silence. "I can't say I'm surprised."
James didn't say a word as he got out of my bed. "I'll see you later," he said to me before bolting out of the room. I didn't really blame him, I would have left too if my leg wasn't injured.
"The hospital's discharging you today," Mom said. "But before we go I want you to know that I know what happened, and we already spoke to the police."
I raised my eyebrows. "We?"
"James." I didn't miss the grimace on her face. "The cover story is that you were mugged at gunpoint and James saved you."
"I thought you wanted me to have nothing to do with him." I was shocked she included him in the fake story at all. If anything she would have omitted him completely or accused him of being the alleged mugger.
She ran a hand through her sleek, straightened hair. "I suppose there's nothing I can do about you two since it seems like you'll be sneaking off behind my back anyway. Plus, after our talk yesterday it seems like he's an intelligent boy who's a decent influence on you."
I blinked in surprise. "You're not mad?"
"No." She paused. "I'm furious. But I have too much on my plate right now to deal with the mess you've been creating as of late."
As much as I didn't want to confront the fight between us, I knew if I didn't do it now we'd never resolve it. I could think of a million other things to say that would only add fuel to the fire, so I had to carefully reflect on my words before uttering them. Sucking up my pride, I spoke. "I shouldn't have said all the stuff I said."
She raised an eyebrow. "What, that I neglect my children and don't care for them?" I looked down in shame so she took that as a sign to continue to berate me. "I know I'm busy working all the time, but it's only so that I can give you kids a future. Regardless of that, I do care. I know I haven't been to your brother's lacrosse games, but how do you think a Birch Mount scout came to see him? I did a case for the head of admissions a few years back and I called in a favour he owed me."
My jaw slacked, completely taken aback by this newfound information. Birch Mount was Brenton's dream school and all this time he thought Mom never cared for his lacrosse games but she was helping him in ways we didn't even know.
"I knew about Monica as well."
I gawked at her. "You knew?"
"I needed Niko to find out on his own. In exchange for staying out of my kids' business, I told Peter I'd stay out of his."
Although that was both, mortifying and disgusting that she knew, I was surprised. All this time when I thought Mom was in the dark she knew about almost everything, yet she chose to keep quiet about it. I felt an overwhelming amount of guilt for all of the hurtful things I had said to her.
"I didn't tell you about your father because I knew you idolized him and I didn't want to ruin your image of him," she continued, as if the guilt I was filled with wasn't enough. "You don't think I know how much you prefer him over me? When I found out you visited him I was so scared you were going to leave."
When I heard the slightest falter in her voice it broke my heart. I felt like the shittiest daughter as she sprung this information on me. Had I known how she felt I wouldn't have reacted in such a way, but regardless I was out of line.
"Mom." I sighed. "God, I'm so sorry for everything I said. I was being stupid and immature, and I didn't mean any of it."
"Don't," Mom warned when she saw the tears welling up in my eyes. "Parker women are tough, we don't cry."
"Not even just this once?" I asked, my voice getting heavy from the sob I was holding back. I looked up at Mom to see a single tear slide down her face. Without a second thought I wrapped my arms around her, freezing when I felt her stiffness in response. Slowly, Mom hugged me back, stroking my hair soothingly.
"Daniella." Her voice cracked as she spoke. "I really am sorry. For everything."
I shook my head, my snot staining her expensive blouse as the tears flowed freely from my eyes. "I'm sorry too, Mom. I was out of line with you and I shouldn't have said any of those things. You've done so much for us I don't even know where to start." I took in a deep breath, my throat getting heavy and my palms growing clammy. "I love you."
The silent tension was so thick I could cut through it with a steak knife. Finally, after a moment she uttered the words I'd been yearning to hear for far too long. "I love you too, Dani."
~*~
After our much needed heart to heart, Mom went to do some last minute campaigning before the mayor polls closed tonight. It was crazy how fast time flew. The elections that felt like they would never come were finally here. Today was voting day, and the results were supposed to be revealed later tonight. Mom had managed to use my incident to host a press conference about the importance of policies and bylaws to reduce violence and theft in Stone Creek. I hated to admit it, but it was a damn smart campaigning tactic to secure last minute votes. While she was off doing that, my brothers came to pick me up.
"Here we are, Daniella." The perky nurse from yesterday stopped my wheelchair in front of Niko's car.
"I got her."
Brenton threw me over his shoulder like a sac of potatoes and plopped my body in the backseat. Niko thanked the nurse as Brenton strapped me in and took his place in the passenger seat. Thankfully Mom brought me a change of clothes before she left so I was able to take off the hospital gown, though the shimmery dress she brought wasn't exactly my top five preferences for post-hospital outfits. I couldn't say I was surprised considering my brothers were dressed in suits which had to have been Mom's doing. If she won tonight there would be countless photos being taken and I doubted she'd want any of us getting snapped in our normal Mom-disapproved attire.
"How'd it go with Mom?" Niko asked, breaking the silence as he drove.
A small smile tugged at my lips. "It went well."
Brenton snorted. "That's a first."
"Shut up." Niko peered at me through the rearview mirror. "We got what you asked for."
Brenton handed me an envelope. "You're welcome."
I grinned at them. "Have I ever told you two how much I love you?"
Brenton jokingly groaned. "What do you want now?"
I rolled my eyes. "Never mind."
The rest of the drive was filled with lighthearted conversations and Niko and I making fun of Brenton until we arrived home. Niko parked on the driveway and Brenton helped me out. They managed to find Brenton's old crutches from the last time he broke his leg so they gave them to me to use. My brothers went inside and I limped over to James' house. He was in his garage working on Tate's car when I got there.
"Hey," I called out though I didn't want to interrupt. Seeing James working in a fitted tank top was exactly just what I needed after being trapped in a children's hospital.
He paused his music, grabbed a towel, and walked out of his garage to greet me. He wiped the grease off his hands with the towel before pulling me in for a kiss. "How does it feel to be back?"
"I can't wait to eat real food," I admitted, making him chuckle.
We sat on his porch and chatted for a bit before I handed him the envelope. James raised his eyebrows skeptically. "What's this?"
"Open it," I urged.
James' eyes widened and he cursed when he saw what was inside. "Dani, what the hell?"
"You deserve it," I said before he could try to give it back.
"You said you wouldn't go back."
"Technically I didn't go," I said. I explained to James how after he slept I texted Niko to check the back pocket of the jeans I was wearing on the night of the incident and to contact the number to retrieve the money. He went with Brenton this morning before they picked me up, and the two of them got the fifty thousand dollars.
James looked at me with disbelief. "I can't take this."
"You can and you will," I ordered. "You need the money for school, and I wasn't going to do all that work in vain just for you to not get anything out of it."
He placed the envelope beside him and wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. "You never listen to me and that's why I love you."
I looked at him with widened eyes as we pulled away, my heart thumping inside of my chest so violently I was sure all of Stone Creek could hear it. "I thought you weren't ready to say it."
"Honestly I don't know what love is," he admitted embarrassedly, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "But if it's how I feel about you then I'm definitely in love."
A widespread smile blossomed on my face and I kissed him again. Words couldn't express just how elated this boy made me.
~*~
The time was finally here. With the last stretch of the day left, we were at the Stone Creek Town Hall with Mom as the candidates gave their final speeches. My brothers, alongside Holden, Amber, and even James came out to support my mom. I didn't know what kind of talk Mom and James had last night to make their views of each other change so drastically, but I didn't care. I was just relieved she didn't hate him anymore.
"Can we get food?" Alex huffed for the third time in the past fifteen minutes.
"Yeah, can we?" Brenton whined, acting younger than the ten-year-old child.
Niko rolled his eyes at both of them. "Patience, idiots. Be like Dani and wait quietly." I stuck my tongue out at the other two like the mature sibling I was.
I turned to James. "Have you casted in your vote yet?"
He shook his head. "I'll go do that right now."
Niko clapped his shoulder. "I'll join you."
"Count me in," Amber added.
"Same here," Holden piped in, waving his driver's licence.
Niko raised his eyebrows at Brenton and me. "Aren't you going to come?" I was about to respond but he beat me to it. "Oh, yeah, you're both still minors."
"We turn eighteen in four months," Brenton grumbled, clearly not pleased that the rest of our friends were eligible to vote and we weren't."
Amber pinched his cheek. "It's okay, babe, next election."
"Can't wait to come back here in four years just to vote for the goddamn mayor," he scoffed.
I slung my arm over my twin's shoulder. "It's okay, Brent. Knowing you, you'll be back here working at the local McDonald's anyway."
"Hilarious." He roughly jabbed his finger in my side, earning a yelp from me.
James chuckled. "Can you not hurt my girlfriend?" Hearing him refer to me as his girlfriend made my heart soar, and my grin didn't go unnoticed by my brothers who all groaned in disgust.
"Is she going to smile like that every time?" Alex said as he made gagging noises.
While the four of them went to go cast their ballots, I stayed behind with Brenton and Alex, the three of us sitting in some empty chairs near the stage. The candidates were about to give closing speeches as soon as the polls closed, which were in a few short minutes.
"I'm glad you and Mom hatched things out," Brenton said as we took our seats.
I smiled. "Me too." By no means were my mom and I the mother and daughter duo of the year, but this was a first step in the right direction for us. We still had a lot of learning and growing to do, but things were looking up for our relationship. I was still anticipating a lot more fights with her, but now that the biggest barrier between us was addressed I had high hopes for the rest of our relationship. In this moment, as I watched her on the stage, I knew she'd make a damn good mayor for this crappy town.
Everyone returned back from voting and sat in the chairs we had saved for them. I was sandwiched between Brenton and Niko, the two of them squishing me from both sides as they tried to get comfy in their chairs.
"Stop moving," I hissed.
"Shut up," they both replied at the same time.
"Thank you so much for gathering here today," a voice echoed across the auditorium. I looked ahead to see the current mayor of Stone Creek standing on the stage. "The polls have officially closed, so now we will commence closing speeches from our candidates. We'll begin with Melinda Parker."
"Whoo! Go Mom!" Brenton exclaimed as he clapped his hands, earning an elbow from me.
He scowled at me and rubbed his arm. "What was that for?"
"You're supposed to applaud after," Niko said with a shake of his head.
"I'm surrounded by idiots," Alex muttered from the other side of Brenton.
My twin folded his arms across his chest and sunk in his seat. "I knew I should have just stayed home."
Alex patted his knee sympathetically. "Maybe you'll stop being a dumb ass when you start college."
"Alex!" I whisper shouted, but he just gave me an innocent look in return.
"Mom's talking, shut up," Niko said to us.
I turned to the front to watch Mom. She stepped in front of the microphone and flashed the crowd her signature moneymaking grin whenever she was about to secure a deal. "I would like to begin by thanking everyone who has come out to vote. You are the reason this town has thrived and will continue to thrive." This was my cue to mentally clock out. I've heard Mom's we're all in this together but I'm better than you speech so many times I could probably recite it from beginning to end no problem. Niko suddenly nudged me, making me shoot him a questioning look. He jutted his chin in Mom's direction, hinting I should pay attention. I tried to hide my contempt and faced the front. "These last few months have been a roller coaster of emotions and learning experiences, but the most important lesson I gained through this all was how to be a better mother." She paused. "As parents we think our purpose is to teach our kids how to become better people, but it goes both ways. We learn from them just as much as we teach them. Being a single mother, it hasn't been the easiest raising four kids but I've learned so much from each and every one of them, I wouldn't trade this experience for the world." Her eyes locked on mine as she uttered her next words. "My sons but most importantly, my daughter, have given me valuable knowledge on how to not only be a better mother, but a better person too. They are my inspiration, and because of them I want to make Stone Creek a better place and hope to be your next mayor. Thank you."
"Can I clap now?" Brenton asked Niko.
He smiled fondly at Mom as he nodded his head. "Go for it."
The auditorium was dead silent as Brenton rose to his feet and cheered for Mom. When everyone froze, I instantly stood and cheered her on as well. It was like a chain reaction as Niko, Alex, Amber, Holden and James all got up and applauded, which prompted the whole auditorium to give Mom a standing ovation. She smiled at everyone before her eyes landed back on mine, and I couldn't help but notice the slight twinkle in them. Although we didn't see eye to eye on most things, I was moved by Mom's speech. I always thought she viewed me as a nuisance but seeing her genuine love for me made my heart full, closing up a void that had been left untouched for five long years.
~*~
After the speeches were done, we went to the Stone Creek Café to fill Brenton and Alex's bottomless stomachs. Mr. Rollins gave us the best booth in the diner — the one that got the best view of the flat screen TV — and we all sat and ate as we awaited the results.
"So this is where you kids eat all the time?" Mom prodded at her greasy burger, a grimace on her face.
Niko rolled his eyes. "Try it before you bash it, Mom."
"I'll take it!" Brenton offered like the gluttonous pig he was.
"I called dibs first," Alex whined, prompting the two of them to start arguing while Niko tried to break up with fight. I looked at my brothers with amusement, a smile on my face as I watched the idiots bicker. I was really going to miss moments like these when I went off to college in the fall.
"Why are you so quiet?" Amber suddenly asked, bringing all attention to me.
James smirked at me. "A silent Dani is a dangerous Dani."
I shrugged my shoulders, my grin expanding as I looked at all of them. "I just really love you guys."
Brenton, Holden and Alex faked gagging sounds. "Save us the mushy sh—"
"You shouldn't swear in a lady's presence, Holden," Mom warned.
"—shenanigans," he quickly filled in, an embarrassing smile on his face. We all snickered at how flushed his face got, and I swore I saw Mom holding back a laugh of her own.
"Guys, they're announcing results!" Niko said as he pointed at the TV. Excitedly, we all got out of our seats and huddled around the TV as we awaited the announcement of the new mayor.
All of our laughter ceased and we focused on the TV screen as the current mayor filled the frame. "This year has been the most competitive in Stone Creek electoral history, and it was an extremely close race. We had the highest voter turnout ever, so thank you very much to each and every citizen who voted. Now, without further ado, I am pleased to announce the new mayor of this wonderful town is..." He took an overdramatic pause, making us all groan in annoyance. "Jude Morrison!"
Silence fell upon us for a minute as everyone processed the results before that soon turned into shouting.
"I demand a recount," Niko shouted.
"What the hell is this bullshit?" Brenton demanded, throwing a French fry at the TV.
Holden groaned. "Dude, my dad's going to make me clean that..."
"Who even is Jude Morrison?" James muttered beside me.
"His son's in my class," Alex piped in. "Does this mean I get to beat him up?"
"Only if I get to beat up his dad," Niko grumbled.
"That's enough," Mom intervened. "There will be no beating up anyone, understood?"
"Understood," Niko and Alex muttered, displeased looks on their faces.
Instead of being upset or disappointed, Mom simply smiled at us. "Regardless of the results this was a good learning experience, and I'll try again in four years. Besides, not being mayor will give me more time to focus on what matters."
"Your job?" Brenton asked stupidly.
She shook her head at my idiot of a twin. "No, honey, my family."
"I think that's a good idea," I spoke up.
Mom smiled at me, and Niko slung his arms over both of our shoulders. "Aren't we just the cutest little family?"
"Parker pileup?" Alex asked, a wicked grin on his face.
Mom shook her head. "Honey, no..."
Her words were cut off when Brenton and Alex pulled us all in for one bone breaking bear hug. Mom sighed, but instead of yelling at them like I would've presumed, she laughed and gave in to the hug. It was beyond strange to see her in such uplifted spirits but I was beyond happy. For the first time in a very long while, it felt like things were slowly going back to normal.
~*~
After the eventful day I had, I was craving the warmth and comfort of my bed. Things were finally falling into place and I wished I could have stayed in this moment forever. Shortly after our time at the café Mom left to go thank her staff, and while the rest of the group stayed behind, I wanted to go home so James offered to take me. I didn't know how James and Niko created such a bond, but my brother actually offered to let James drive his precious car. He wouldn't even let Brenton and I look at that piece of crap for longer than a minute but when it came to James he somehow turned the other cheek. Once we were home we parted ways so I could go rest. My nap had only lasted what felt like a few short minutes when I heard something tapping my window. I stumbled out of bed and opened my window to see James in his bedroom, a huge grin on his face.
"What is it?" I groaned as I rubbed my eyes. He didn't have to answer my question when I saw the letter in his hand. "Is that an acceptance letter?" I asked, suddenly very awake.
He nodded, his grin not disappearing anytime soon. "I got into my top choice."
I gasped in surprise. "Penbrooke?"
His dimple appeared as his smile broadened. "I got into their pre-med program!"
"Guess you being my biology tutor enhanced your application," I joked.
"You were the reason I almost dropped out of biology," he teased.
I rolled my eyes but I couldn't stop myself from smiling back at him. "I'm so proud of you, I knew you could do it."
"What about you?" he asked.
I awkwardly rubbed my arm, averting my gaze. "I haven't received anything yet." While I was ecstatic for James, I felt a small pang in my chest at the realization that I didn't hear back from any school yet. No news was good news I supposed, but I was beginning to get a little worried. While I was too busy pushing James to apply to schools what if I didn't push myself enough, and now there was a possibility I didn't get in?
"Shit."
I raised my eyebrows. "What?"
He ran his hand through his hair. "I didn't put them back, did I?"
"What are you talking about?"
James gave me a sheepish smile. "I may have snooped through your mailbox." When I gawked at him he continued talking. "I was just curious to see where you got accepted." He stepped back as he rummaged through his room, returning with three envelopes in his hand. My idiot of a boyfriend tried to toss them into my window but they fell straight down, landing in the space between our houses.
"Thanks," I scoffed.
"If it counts for anything, you got into all three."
My eyes widened. "Shut up."
He chuckled. "I'm not lying. Go outside and check for yourself."
I couldn't believe it. I got into Penbrooke, Cortland and North State! This felt like a dream that was too good to be true and I was just waiting for someone to pinch me and wake me up. The cherry on top was the other two schools weren't too far from Penbrooke meaning I'd get to see James frequently — and Niko too, I supposed.
"This is perfect," I said with a relieved sigh, feeling a weight lifted off my shoulders. "I got you an early graduation present by the way."
James arched an eyebrow questioningly. "You didn't have to get me anything."
I shrugged my shoulders. "I know but I wanted to." I grabbed the small paper bag from my closet before returning back to the window. I carefully extended my arm out, and James leaned forward to retrieve the bag, a tactic that should have been used when he was trying to give me my letters.
"When did you get this?" he inquired as he opened the bag.
"A while ago," I admitted. I had gotten this gift months ago, but after the momentary breakup I was ready to smash it and forget all about it, though thankfully that wasn't the case. When I heard James chuckle I snapped back to reality and grinned at him. In his hands was the closest replica I could find of the snow globe he had smashed against my window all those months ago.
He shook his head at me as the most dazzling smile appeared on his face. "I love you, neighbour."
I rolled my eyes at the nickname that seemed like it would be pinned to me for a long, long time. "I love you too, neighbour."