IMPOSSIBLE

59 - Work It Out

Jennifer's POV

„Mom!", Emme screamed when I got inside our house. She came running and hugged me so tight.
„Lulu, oh I've missed you!"
„I missed you too."

Then I saw Max walking towards us.
„Hi mom.", he said.
„Hi mom?", I repeated. „What you're grown now? Come on and give your momma a hug. Pleasee?", I begged.
„Okayy.", he said and we hugged, while Leah and Emme hugged beside us.

I opened one of my arms again and waved with my hand, to signal Emme and Leah to come from a group hug.
„Come here, please.", I said, they came and we all hugged.
I breathed in deeply.
„Mom?", Max asked and I knew he had enough. I let everyone go.
„Are you crying?", Emme asked.
I dabbed my cheek and it was damp. I haven't really notice I was crying.

Leah hugged me again and rubbed my back.
„I'm okay.", I said to Emme. „Just happy."

„Mi hija!", my mom came almost running, with her arms wide open.
Leah let go of me so I could hug my mom. We hugged and rocked from one side to the other.

It felt good to be held by her. I always enjoy being held in my moms arms.

„How were the kids? Was it alright?", I asked and broke the hug.
„They're fine. They're so grown and do everything on their own, I'm not sure they really need me.", she joked.
„They'll always need you. I still need you."
„I know, you're my baby. Leah, hermosa!"
She took Leah into her embrace and I loved seeing them both hug.
„Hi Lupe.", Leah replied a little unsure.

„Are you going to stay for dinner?", I asked my
mom.
„Yes, I'll be flying back tomorrow. I wanna spend time with you, honey."

We talked a little and she updated me on the kids who had disappeared into their rooms again.
After dinner we had a game night, playing sharades, and me and my mom teamed up, while the kids wanted to have Leah on their team.

„What's that supposed to be?", I asked my mom who's making funny faces and rolling movements with her arm.
The kids were laughing their asses off.
„Do it better, do something else!", I demanded, yelling at her. I'm not in this to lose. She changed her moves.
„A car? A big car? A truck?"
She pointed at me and nodded and made those weird faces again.

„Errr, time's up!", Leah said.
„A monster truck!", my mom said while rolling her eyes.
I rolled my eyes to. „What kinda monster truck was that?", I asked.
„You just didn't get it!"
„No it was lousy!"
„Shut up!"

„Hey hey hey, easy.", Leah chipped in. „Team LEM scores five while team J.Lu scores four. Ha."

I rolled my eyes again and flickered my eyelids. „That's because of your whack monster truck impression."
My mom threw a cushion right at my face
and I threw it right back at her. Even though she sucked and we lost, we had such a fun night. Next time, I'll team up with Leah though.

My mom left after breakfast the next morning. The kids were in school and it was just Leah and me and a bunch of people cleaning, preparing food.. The usual.
It was just now that it occurred to me that I haven't thought about Alex and what happened inside this house. But now it somehow hit me and I started freezing. Leah was upstairs and I was sitting in the couch.
I was consumed by dark thoughts when I felt hands on my shoulders and heard a soft „Hi.."
It made me jump off the couch and scream a little. I turned and saw Leah.

„Baby I'm sorry, I didn't meant to scare you!"
I put my palm to my heart and breathed heavily.
Leah walked over and took me into her arms where I wrapped my arms around her, inhaled her scent and calmed down.
„What was it?", she asked.
In terms of not leaving her out, I told her.
„I haven't thought about what happened in this house since we've arrived. It just came to me now and it scared me, I guess. I was deep in my thoughts and didn't hear you come at all."