My Life Upside Down

Chapter Twenty

To my surprise, my mom was actually excited about the dance. She even came with me the Saturday I decided to buy a dress.

My mom's brows furrowed as she looked at the sparkly, strapless brown dress I had on. "I don't know Aurora."

I felt my shoulders drop. "Let me guess. Too much skin."

Mom shook her head. "No, it's not that. It's the colour."

"The colour?"

"I think you'd look better in this." Mom walked over to a rack and pulled a red dress out. "I might even have some lipstick that would go well with it."

I took the dress. I figured it was unlikely I would actually choose it as my mom wasn't exactly known for her fashion choice. Today she wore mom jeans with a marching cardigan and shirt set. I didn't know what kind of monstrosity she had been looking at while I was in the changeroom but Dad had asked me to try with her and a part of me knew that he was right.

I slipped on the dress and looked at myself in the mirror. My jaw nearly fell off my face when I saw myself. Mom had picked a Chinese inspired dress with intricate gold detail. I ran my finger along the various textures the dress offered and smiled. I pulled the curtain back of the dressing room and my mom gave an audible gasp as I stepped out.

"Aurora."

I stood in front of the mirror unable to stop looking at myself. Mom came up behind me and put her hands on my shoulder. She smiled at me through the mirror.

"I really like this one."

"Yeah?" Mom looked surprised.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"You don't have to get it." Mom turned me so that I was facing her. "I want you to feel beautiful at your dance."

"Mom." I felt the question that had been building in me for months coming to the surface. "Why are you letting me go to this? Why are you letting me be a teenager finally?"

Mom's face grew serious. "I suppose because guarding you didn't really protect you."

Her answer was simple. While not the apology or admittance I was looking for, it was a start.

"What were you trying to protect me from?"

"Not having a life you could look back on a be proud of." Her eyes met mine. "My mother taught me that hard work and discipline would get me wherever I wanted to go. I thought if I did the same for you, you'd build a beautiful life the way I did."

"Didn't it ever bother you?"

"My life was different to yours, Aurora."

"Now what do you want for me?"

Mom reached out and touched my cheek. "Happiness."