The Heart Of Solitude ✔

Chapter 34

Leighton's POV

Mom walked through the door with paper bags filled with groceries in one hand and in the other tonights dinner. I rushed over taking the bags from her hands.

She slid her coat down her arms, hanging it on the rack next to the door. She walked around the island leaning over to me, giving me a small peck of the cheek as she began to unload the groceries.

" How was you day?" She asked. I shrugged my shoulders. " As good as it could be I guess. I slept until I heard dad and Mason come home, then after that whole situation I ate some ice cream." My mom sighed. " Where is Mason?"

I nodded my head towards the stairs. " His room." I answered shortly. She looked towards the stairs contemplating whether on not she wanted to tackle the situation yet. She shook her head. " I'll deal with him later." She said returning to stuffing the fridge.

" What's going on with him anyway?"

She shut the fridge, leaning against it. She rubbed a hand over her tired eyes. " Coach benched him." My eyes widened. " What! Why?"

" Because his been slipping. His grades, his behavior, everything. He won't talk to your father or I so we have no insight on what's going on. At first we thought it was the stress of trying to impress college recruiters, but now we're just not sure." She said sadly.

My parents pressured us alot to be perfect, but they truly did love and care for us. If we were hurting they were hurting.

So I know them not knowing what's going on with my brother is killing them, or at least killing my mom.

The counselor in her comes out and she stays up late to figure out way to fix her kids problems, but some of them just can't be fixed and she doesn't understand that.

I walked over to her, pulling her into my embrace. " It's okay mom, I'm sure he'll come to you guys when he's ready. You just have to give him time."

My mom wrapped her arms tighter around me. " I know."

After a couple of minutes I pulled away, backing myself against the edge of the counter.

" So how was your day?" I asked. She smiled. " It was good. Rebekah and I worked on decorating this beautiful house for the open house, then we grabbed lunch and talked about somethings."

I raised a brow. " What things?" I asked curiously. She shrugged. " Just about the market, and how the whole selling and buying a house thing worked."

" Wait, are you guys planning on selling and buying a new house?"

My mom nodded. " Yeah, eventually me and your father had planned on it. You guys are going off to college, and we're going to be here all alone. We were thinking around traveling around the world, getting in an adventure."

" But what about all the memories? If you sell this house we won't have them anymore." I said slightly worried.

My mom chuckled. " Leighton, the memories will always be here, we just won't and that's okay."

I sighed. My mom walked past me grabbing plates out from the cabinets. I looked around my childhood home, memories of my brother and I running through the kitchen chasing after one another, along with memories from each stage of my life with the girls popped into my head.

It saddened me considering the possibility of selling my childhood home, and leaving all the memories behind.

But yet again, memories are a way to remember your past, but they aren't something that should dictate your future.

~~~

After an awkwardly silent dinner and my refreshing shower I had just finished, I cuddled up in my bed grabbing my phone from my night stand.

Scrolling through all social media platforms for the first time in a while I seen pictures of my group friends, or who used to be my friends, enjoying their time together. After scrolling for a little my screen lit up with a text message from Mason.

I furrowed my eyebrows, confused on why he was texting me when we're in the same house.

' You awake?' It read.

I texted a quick reply of 'yes'. Minutes later my door opened and Mason shuffled in, closing the door behind him.

He turned showing his hands in the pockets of him sweatpants. " Can we talk?" He asked quietly. I sighed, patting the portion of open space on my bed. " Sit."

He complied, sitting next to me. " What's going on?" I asked my big brother. He sighed. " My mom texted me." He said looking at his hands.

My eyes widened, nearly popping out of my head.

Mason's mom was never spoken of in this house. Not because of my parents, but just because Mason doesn't consider her his mom so he never really cares to talk about her. Especially since she was a drug addicted bitch who chose drugs over family.

" Your bio mom?" He nodded.

" What the hell does she want?" I exclaimed. He quickly shushed me. " Keep your voice down." He demanded. " She wanted to meet up."

I shook my head. " Hell no. No, absolutely not."

" I said she 'did'. She texted me awhile ago, and I went to meet her." I swear if my eyes could pop out of my eyes even farther they would. " Why would you do that?" I hissed.

He shrugged his shoulders dramatically. " I don't know! I thought maybe she had changed." I took a deep breath calming myself down. " Has she?" I asked. He shook his head sadly. " She told me she was in between jobs, and need some money to help you get by. I believed her. Then after I handed over the money she blocked me."

I shook my head. " Mason I am so sorry.' I said sincerely.

He eyes rimmed with tears. " I just thought this time was different. That she was better." He cried. I quickly pulled him into my embrace, holding him in my arms.

" That's the messed up thing about life, it's nothing but a bunch of illusions."

XOXO ParisBesties