Yesterday

Chapter Eight: It all starts in the end

Jim (as Richie) was having fun with his comics and posters, he didn't realized it is nighttime already until he saw the sky getting dark outside. He got really tired. He made sure his room was safe and went to the hallway.

In the little light, he looked at his mom's door. He felt like he needed to say something. He bent down and kissed her head gently. He couldn't help but cry.

Just when he was about to leave, he heard his mom moving in her bed. She held onto his hand, gripping it tight.

Beatrice: (softly) I'm sorry, my son. I should've been there for you. Can you forgive me? I've lost myself I am ashamed, and I'm so sorry. (She cried softly)

Jim (as Richie) was surprised, but he sat beside her. They hugged each other tightly. She said his aunt would come tomorrow to take care of him and that he'd be safe from now on.

She said, "I love you, my son."

He felt both sad and loved but managed to say, "I love you too, Mom."

Before Jim (as Richie) stepped out of the room, Beatrice handed him a letter, asking him to read it after he had gone to his aunt's house. She gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead, whispered goodbye, and told him to take care. With that, Jim (as Richie) left the room and headed to his own.

Morning arrived. Jim's aunt was in the house. Jim woke up, left his room, and saw his aunt talking to his mom. When they saw him, Beatrice told him to pack his things because they were getting ready to leave.

Jim (as Richie) followed his mom and noticed something odd - her room's door was locked. This puzzled him, as his mom never locked her room before.

After everything was ready, Beatrice embraced Jim (as Richie) outside their house. There were no words, just a touch on his face and tears in her eyes.

Her aunt is waiting on the car, Jim (as richie) said to her mom "I'll be fine I will visit you don't worry, I forgive you mom, you should not be ashame of yourself I love you still."

They held onto each other in a tight hug, and then he got into the car. As they drove away, Jim (as Richie) looked out of the window wave goodbye, feeling a mix of emotions.

Inside the car, he sorted his things and found the letter his mom had given him. He opened it and his eyes widened in surprise as he read the words on the paper.

Glancing back at their house, he realized his mom wasn't outside anymore. The letter's contents sank in, leaving him stunned and unsure about what to expect next.

Dear Richie,

I am writing to you with a heavy heart, burdened by the weight the regrets that have consumed me.

I am sorry, Richie. I am sorry for the pain I have caused since our family broken after your dad and your brother's death, the mistakes I have made, I have tried to fight these demons, but the darkness within me has proven too overwhelming.

I am not asking for your understanding, I am not asking for your sympathy, for I am undeserving. What I am asking for, Richie, is your forgiveness. I am about to embark on a journey from which I cannot return, a journey that will hopefully bring me the peace I have been unable to find in life.

I am deeply ashamed of myself, of the life I have led, of the choices I have made. I have failed you as a mother, failed myself as a woman, I am haunted by the guilt, by the regret that has become my only truth.

I want you to remember our family, I want you to remember the love I had for you, the dreams I had for us, and the hope that once lived in my heart. I want you to remember the good times, the laughter, the joy, and the love we had as a family. I want you to remember me as your mother.