❛ AFTERGLOW ❜ - 𝖼𝗆𝖻 ✓

021; you need therapy

third person.

mollie and monica arrived at the woman's apartment just before five that evening, the pair had already picked up their meal from a drive thru and had now only entered the complex that monica's apartment was located in, both ready to have a relaxing night.

"your room is down the hall by the way," monica spoke up, bringing the girl's back as she turned to her confused.

"my room?"

"well, the spare." she shrugged, "yours for the weekend."

"okay," mollie slowly nodded, turning back around and grabbing her phone from the counter she had previously placed it on, reading through the multiple notifications and missed calls she had missed and needed to get back to.

just as she began to open the message app and reply to her friends, who were all waiting for a text to let them know she arrived safely, monica quickly came into the room with a can of soda for the two of them.

"why don't we have a weekend without our phones," she suggested, looking over at mollie as the girl nodded once, "we can watch a film."

"yeah i just need to reply to-"

"can't they wait?" monica interrupted her daughter as she turned to look at her mom.

"i mean... yeah but i said i'd let them know i got here," mollie shrugged as monica shook her head, taking the phone out of the girl's hand and placing it face down on the table.

"they'll know your safe when i drop you back on sunday," she told her, grabbing her remote and turning on the tv as mollie glanced back at her phone.

"okay," mollie nodded, leaning back on the couch before opening up the can she was handed, waiting for her mom to start up a more in-depth conversation to ease the slight awkwardness in the air.

"so," monica said, turning to look at the girl, "you didn't eat much in the car."

"i don't usually," she shrugged slightly.

"why?"

"uh, it's um," mollie began, letting out a sigh as she looked over at monica, "it's an eating disorder."

"oh." she paused, "what do you have that treats it?"

"nothing..?"

monica slowly nodded, glancing over at her tv before she tilted her head slightly, "and you also said about anxiety and depression."

"uh, yeah."

"maybe you need therapy, that wound help." she suggested as mollie's face immediately fell, watching her reach for her phone, "i don't mind paying for it."

"it's expensive maybe we shouldn't-"

"no, no i want to help." monica interrupted the girl, "i can come with, it can be like a small group therapy."

"no really it's fine." mollie replied as her mom didn't reply to her, "monica."

"twice a week would be good?" she looked at her daughter, "we could go out for something to eat after the sessions."

in slight disbelief, mollie gave the woman a small stare, slowly shaking her head as the nails on her fingertips dug into the palm of her hands while monica gave her a small smile.

"does that sound good?"

"sure," the girl shrugged, returning the small smile before she went to grab her phone.

"no phones." monica quickly said, taking it from the table the girl had placed it on and putting it inside one of her empty drawers, doing the same with her phone.

"but you were just-"

"it was only to look at therapy suggestions," monica quickly defended herself as mollie let out a sigh, "why don't we watch a film?"

"yeah," she nodded, "what film?"

"peter pan?" she suggested, "you said you liked it the other day."

"okay, yeah we can watch that." mollie gave her a smile, pulling the hood of the hoodie she was wearing before she pulled the sleeves over her hands.

"i think tomorrow after ice skating we should go for a walk through this park i live close to," the woman also suggested as mollie looked at her, "it's nice and i think you'll like it, and it's supposed to be hotter than usual."

"straight after?"

"well, we could get a drink from somewhere if you don't feel like eating," monica shrugged, "any suggestions of where?"

"do you like dunkin?" mollie asked her as monica nodded, "we could get a drink from dunkin."

"sounds good," she smiled, "there's a dunkin around the corner from the park so we can stop by there and maybe take a picnic blanket and go sit somewhere for an hour."

"that sounds fun." the girl replied, "okay."

as monica replied with one short nod, she soon put on peter pan and the two fell into a silence while the movie played. the silence was more awkward than comfortable and as the two still hadn't adjusted to being alone with just the two of them, it felt weird.

and mollie couldn't help but worry about the few people that were waiting for a text from her, knowing she wouldn't reply until near sunday afternoon but accepting the fact that her mom only wanted to spend time with her.

and so although she was worried, she didn't mind it too much and was content with her mom actually trying to put in effort, a smile stuck on her face.

♡

a/n

what y'all thinking 😳🤭

a LOT of foreshadowing was in this chapter