Crimson Angels: Prequel to Cassie (Teen Fiction)

5. Fiddling with faith

The morning breeze was different when Rina stepped out of bed. The weather was bleak. The glommy wether and chilly wind bit at her skin painfully. She grimaced then glanced at the window beside their dresser and saw that it was left open. No wonder the blankets was sodden, she thought to herself. So she walked over and closed it. After, she pulled out a shawl from her drawer, wrapped it around her shoulders, and shivered. It was too chilly, she could only hope her daughter didn't make the same mistake of leaving her bedroom window open. Rina then proceeded to rid herself of her pajamas and tied her hair in a bun. When she felt she was ready, she looked back at Albert who was cocooned in a thick blanket. She smiled at the sight of his sleeping face. Slowly, she walked over to his side of the bed, leaned at his unconscious form, gave him a peck on the forehead then headed downstairs. She had always postponed acting like a wife to him, because for her, to act as such with her daughter still missing never felt right. But now that Cassie was back, her world of black and grey and everything that slowed it had taken color and momentum.

When she got to the kitchen, she decided to whip up a small breakfast tray for Cassandra. The events of the previous day scared her. She thought for sure that she'd once again lose her only child. Though she couldn't help but berate herself for not thinking properly. She is a woman, she should have known that the blood dripping down her daughter's leg was caused by her period. Cassandra was, after all, a teenager. As the thought washed over Rina's mind, she immediately felt remorse. Multiple questions popped into her head as she prepared her daughter's breakfast. When did Cassandra get her first period? Did her sister even brief Cassandra about why she had to bleed every month? Did Cassandra suffer such intense cramps since she started having her period?

Rina sighed as she grabbed a pot for her tea. A girl's first period was an important part of her life, and Rina missed that. She missed that milestone in Cassandra's life. Her daughter had to face that alone. She should have been there, Rina thought solemnly.

After a few minutes, she gathered the sandwich, scrambled eggs, and a cup of tea from the kitchen counter and then positioned them inside the tray. She was preparing to exit the kitchen when she heard a scuffle from outside the lone window of the kitchen. Leaving her task, she made her way toward the small aperture near the fridge. She drew the curtain open and peeked outside-there was nothing or no one there. Frowning, she left the window and went back to her task. After she placed a small vase with a single rose in it, she made her way to the second floor and knocked at her daughter's door.

Rina must have jabbed her knuckles on the wooden frame a couple of times before worry slowly crept and pinched at her heart. Sure, her daughter must still be asleep, but remembering the incident the day before, Rina bent down, placed the tray of food on the floor, and using both her fist, she banged on Cassandra's door. When it failed to give way, she turned the knob to let herself in, something which Cassandra previously warned her not to do. She wasn't surprised when she found the door locked. But that only increased her worry.

Again, she banged on the door with all her strength and accompanied it with a yell of her daughter's name. She almost cried out for Albert but was halted from doing so when finally, the door unlocked and her daughter's sleepy face came into view.

She knew Cassandra hated it, but Rina couldn't help herself. She wrapped her arms around her daughter's body and cried.

That relief to hold her in her arms didn't last long though, because, in an instant, Cassandra wriggled free of her embrace, took a step back, and yelled, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

The way Cassandra said those words with a deep frown on her forehead was a reminder to Rina that she crossed the line. Normally, a mother would have shouted and demanded that her child learned to speak properly. But Rina didn't have that luxury just yet, so she took a step back and said, "I knocked a few times and there was no answer. I got worried, hon."