Insufferable

Part 1

Alex

"Be good! Enjoy each moment and don't worry about me. I'll manage." Ellen winked at her son before she sending him off on his flight to his new life. Alex stares at his mum trying to hide away her pain in those fake smile and he can't help himself before pulling her for a hug. "I will be fine Alex. Trust me." She whispered in his ear feeling their hug tightened and Alex knew she will, he had June making sure of it. The truth is after the divorce, Ellen is not the same person she was before. She is not the same Ellen that always cheering in everyone's decision. She is not the same Ellen that Alex knew all his life considering that the source of her unhappiness was actually his own father.

Their marriage is already doom to fail and it was like a glass crack waiting for shatter in pieces and the more she hold on to her marriage the more it will broke her. After endless night of crying and bottles of wine later, she managed to pick herself up and go on with her lives like she was supposed to. It took her three years to finally be herself again but Alex can see sometimes she is still struggling in her own mind. She never fails to blame herself for what happened and although endless time Alex and June have told her it wasn't, she felt their family break apart because of her.

"Mum, don't make me regret this. I can take another year off and stay with you. We can go traveling like you planned?" He tried to coax his way out of this but she smiled weakly at him. "I will not let you waste anymore time of your youth Alex. You are twenty one and the world is out there for you. Embrace it." She pressed her knuckled over Alex chest and he smiled at her.

"I'll be home for Thanksgiving, I promise." He says and she smiled nodding at him. "I'll count every house I sell before you are home again." Alex smiled at her reference being a real estate agent and one of the best one in Texas. He brushed her hair behind her ear cupping her cheek with his palm and she leaned at his touch.

Alex remembers the letter he got when he got home that day that lead him to his journey here. His mother is waiting for him by the porch back home in Austin Texas and it was almost dawn. The sky is orange amber and he just got home from his swimming down at the lake. The way his mother smiled painfully in tears knowing how thick the letter in her hand that made Alex wonder if this is the right decision for him.

But the moment he tore the letter opened, his eyes widen at the words accepted and congratulations over the top head paragraphs that made him jumped in excitement. That was few months back and the memory is still freshly embedded in his mind.

"Go on, I don't want you to miss your flight." She says pushing him by his chest and he had his bag on the ground before he lifted it above his shoulder with a smile on his face. "Promise me you call if anything." He says and Ellen smiled nodding at him. She puts her three fingers over her chest and he smiled, it's always the gesture they had in their family signing that one - everything will be alright, two - I promise to take care of myself, and three - I love you. It's the reassurance they all had with each other and sadly that June is not here at the moment due to her stuck at work but she had send her own picture signing the same thing to Alex.

Alex smiled as he returned the gesture to his mother signing himself and she smiled wider with her trembling lips. As he dragged his long feet over the escalator running down towards his gates, his eyes kept at his mother waving him goodbyes and his eyes blurred in tears. He returned the waves softly and soon when his mother is gone from his view, he blinked letting the tears fall from his eyes down on his cheek. He wiped his tears with his fingers knowing well he had to be strong for himself and his family.

Henry

"Two months. You are given two months to prepare yourself on going and yet you still undecided. No more delaying Henry, you are going." Phillip annoyed voice broke Henry's from his daydreaming. He was staring at the tea cup in between his fingers when Phillip decides to disturb him in his morning tea. He rolled his eyes at him knowing well he hated it. "I don't feel like it. You can't make me." Henry replied and he knew he was wrong for saying it but going for further studies in America was the last thing he wanted to do and if given the choice, he would rather joined his friend Percy working as bartender here in London. But given at their situation right now, he had no choice but to obey Phillip's order.