Apricity

Devil's Advocate

My motto for today is to forget yesterday, and look towards the future. I don't need to question what relationship my mother had with the women in the Hale family. I don't need to think about how Jason's demeanor isn't all what I thought it was. I don't need to think about yesterday. Let alone a relationship that happened years ago. Still, I can't stop thinking about it.

Why did Juliette give them the same gift?

Perhaps she just got the same gift for the both of them out laziness. But why do I feel like it's more than that? Why do I feel like it's something special? Like a promise or a vow or a symbol?

Why would Juliette give Ashur's mother, Clarice, the same thing she gave my mother?

I've never heard of Clarice personally. I don't really know of her, I just know her name because mom called her on the phone once. I remember that night vividly.

I was supposed to be a sleep, but I had one of my nightmares again, so I woke up to hear my mom on the phone.

And both mom and Clarice were crying.

Mom was apologizing, while Clarice was vehemently denying her husband's affair. I wonder if she also told her of my existence. Of how I'm living proof of what her husband 'wouldn't do'.

If she was still alive, would she hate me as much as my mother?

Whatever. I shouldn't think of this more than I already have.

I'm up particularly early on a Saturday morning, none of the brothers had awoken yet. Back at my old house, I was the person who did all the chores. Who cooked breakfast, who cleaned, who made sure the house wasn't cluttered.

But there were other things I did as well. Whenever mom was sick and I had to take care of her, I made her tea and cooked something hot.

Whenever mom was stressed, I would encourage her do to some yoga, or I would massage her back.

I made cookies and tea whenever she was in a good mood. And once, for David's birthday, I made apple pie for the both of them.Sometimes, I would secretly buy good luck charms at the start of every year.

And occasionally, when mom wasn't looking, I would put rice in her wallet. Hoping that we would make more money.

So naturally, I got good at domestic things like that. And I thought to myself at three in morning, why don't I bring those things back? Robert always cooked for me, and the service always cleaned, and right now, all I need is something to distract me from last night's conversation, and the stress that seems to have built up because of Xavier, and the reminder that Ashur and I haven't spoken a word to each other since we met.

...So I made some apple pie.

At around five in the morning.

And while waiting for said apple pie to bake in the oven, I got a map of the city from one of the security, and started mapping out a route I can use to go to school, because I don't think I want the brothers to pick me up anymore, and I don't want to bother Robert.

Arguably, I can request someone else to pick me up. But I don't trust them either, and I should know the city for myself, anyway. It's not good to rely on people to the point that your defenseless without them. Mom told me that once.

I could basically smell the pie baking, and the sweet aroma tempted me to open the oven. I had also decided to bake cookies, and thankfully, Robert has tea leaves, so I decided to make some tea as well.

Then, while I'm waiting for my cookies to bake, I decided to organize my room, and put up some of my paintings on the wall. I draw when I'm stressed. But sometimes I clean as well.

After the pie and cookies finished, I let them out to cool. And then I made some Oolong tea, because thankfully, Robert had the tea leaves.