Life's Not A Doughnut

Chapter 19 ~ After

Mum was on the phone to relatives again.

Listening to the calls was excruciating, I couldn't bear it. You could just tell what the other person was saying by Mum's facial expressions.

"It's lovely here in the summer, you know that......Nora would love to see you and her cousins.......ok, I understand......maybe next year......ok, bye."

She sighs and drops onto the couch beside me.

"Just us again this year, Sweetie."

"That's ok, Mum, I like it just us." I comfort.

If I passed any of my relatives down the street, I wouldn't have a clue it was them. They'd be another stranger's face to me. Mum's parents both died quite a while ago, who we did actually see sometimes. But her siblings all live away in the city and ever since Mum decided to raise me on her own, they basically disowned her.

The only time we ever hear from them is in the occasional birthday card or if someone in the family has died or been born. I don't even remember what my cousins names are anymore.

Mum tries to keep in contact, I think she feels lonely. Even though we have each other, it isn't the same as knowing your extended family. They are her siblings after all.

"Will you be going to the O'Brien's house on Christmas?"

"What? Are you kidding?"

She raises her eyebrows at me, "Do you take me for a fool, Nora? Your energy has been off for a while and I can tell it's because of those kids."

"You and your aura energy crap, Mum."

"It is not crap! I think you should be more open minded. So, are you?"

"Well I kind of got dragged into this whole Secret Santa thing-"

"And you got someone you didn't want, right?"

"Yeah....you are creepily psychic."

"Just perceptive. So who'd you get?"

"Chloe."

"Oh no, not that bitch," Mum cringes.

"I know! I didn't even know the others had become friends with her!"

"That sucks. What are you going to get her?"

"Bleach and a straw."

Mum giggles, "No seriously."

"Oh I don't know. Some crappy $2 jewellery, not that she even deserves that much."

"But if you didn't get her something, you'd look like the bitch."

"True."

"Wonder who has you."

"Good question."

I lift up my phone as the screen lights with a text from Rose.

'Need a girls night with Annie, there's a party in the city we can go 2'

Mum pretends not to be curious as to who I'm texting.

'I'm in, we can get ready @ mine if u like'

"Hey Mum," I begin, "Can Rose and stuff come over and get ready to go out tonight?"

"Where are you all going out to?"

"Just having a girls night. Rose said there's a party we can go to."

"Ok, but don't be too loud, I have meditation tonight."