Lesson Learned {Student Teacher Romance}

Chapter 19

It takes everything in me (and then some) not to shake my mother awake as soon as I got home. The anger and betrayal coursing through my blood is setting my whole body on fire. 

How could I have been so stupid? How did I miss the signs of her slipping? 

The tears tumble down my cheeks as I pace angry lines in my tiny bedroom. 

I keep asking questions to which there are no logical explanations. You can't ask an addict for an answer. 

There is no magic cure to undo the damage that addiction does to people, either. Sobriety is a choice, but as I've come to understand it, you have to commit to it every day.  

Deep, deep down, I don't want this to be my life. 

I don't want to spend the rest of my days in this trailer watching my mom like a hawk, but I'm all she has.

I don't even bother to wash the makeup off my face or change out of my clothes before crawling under my covers. All I can do is cry.

In the morning my eyelids are crusted shut and my head hurts like I've got a hangover. 

The sun is peeking around the edges of my curtains and cutting a line right down the side of my face. 

My mom is moving around in the kitchen and a sickening feeling creeps into my gut. 

I have to talk to her, but about what? Mrs. Gotlieb thought she saw my mom coming out of The Blue Dart.

"Tom!" I mumble and roll out of bed.

My mom claims that she's been going to see her counselor, Tom, so I'll check in with him. 

Maybe Mrs. Gotlieb was mistaken. If I talk to Tom and he confirms my mom's story, then everything is fine.

When I'm ready for work, I head toward the kitchen and the smell of burnt toast. 

My mom's on the couch watching the news with a plate on her lap. 

She seems to be acting like her normal self.

"Morning," my mom's smile drops a few crumbs on her bathrobe. "Do you have school tonight?" 

"Nope," I grab a slice of bread for myself and push it into the toaster. "I'm hanging out with my mom tonight."

I thought I saw a flash of fear in her eyes when I looked up, but just as quickly, it was gone.

"Yeah, you up for a movie marathon?" I bounce my brows.

"Sure," she smiles.

A feeling of dread settles in my stomach while we finish our breakfast and I gather my things up for work. 

My shift at the diner goes terribly because I'm only half paying attention. I dropped plates, I mixed up orders, and I spilled cold water on someone. 

Mike is an old family friend, so he usually cuts me some slack, but by my third broken plate, he sent me home and told me to get my head on straight.

So, I left Tom a brief voicemail on the bus ride home.  

"Hey Tom, it's Moira Stavros, I'm just calling in to check and see if my mom's been coming in for her appointments. Could you just give me a call back on Monday when you get this? Thanks, bye."

As soon as I hang up, my phone dings with a text from Rory.

I'd completely forgotten about Rory and Bianca's behavior at the charity event because ultimately their drama didn't matter. He's a jerk and She's a piece of work, but my mom's health mattered way more.