Two Vines Entwined

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The rest of my week was hectic…in my head. I was just at home either reading, eating or napping with Jake. It was a lazy day, but in my mind everything was blurry. I didn’t feel hungry and I didn’t feel happy either. I was just...numb.

Things had happened that I thought never would. Jake had nearly been hit by a car, while my ex was struggling for life in hospital. I hadn’t heard from Christian in a while, making it an even more miserable day for me.

I hadn’t told anyone about what happened with Jake, I thought it would be too alarming after what happened with Tim. I was still in a state of shock so every moment I had spare, I would spend with him making him giggle and smile. He cheered me up and I was so thankful for that. If he didn’t then I don’t know what would happen to me. I would never recover.

It was late evening, a week after the accident with Tim. I was sitting on the lounge room floor with Jake, tickling him until he screamed in laughter. Mum came in and my mood was instantly changed. Man, I need to work on that…

“How you feeling?” She asked and her critical voice sounded though my ears. I tensed my hands and clenched my jaw.

“Fine.” I stated stubbornly before and leaving to my room and bringing Jake with me. Just as I was about to close the door, she appeared behind it.

“Nora stop.” She ordered.

“Stop what?” I snapped.

“Stop being so…numb.” I frowned.

“Numb?! How am I being ‘numb’?” I asked, except I knew exactly how, but she cut over the top of me.

“You’re being numb, you’re not letting yourself enjoy anything anymore. You act like the world has just turned on you.”

“Turned on me?!” I half shouted as I placed Jake in his cot. He stood up and was holding onto the railing, watching as I returned to the doorway.

“Yes! You act like we, as your family and closest friends, don’t know that you are sad about Tim’s accident and that you do in fact care.” She said as I shook my head. “Why wont you just own up to it?”

“Because-”

“Because you have Christian now? Is that it?!” She interrupted once again.

“What?! No! Why are you all of a sudden so interested in my social life, let alone my feelings?!” I asked, this was not like her to just barge right in. I mean, she had always been the mother who would respect the fact that if I wanted to talk to her about something, I would, and if I didn’t then I wouldn’t. Either she thought that I was fading away from her too far, or she had too much gin and tonic…

“I’m not all of a sudden interested, Nora.” She said, emphasising my name as if I was a small child again. “I just want to know why you have been treating me like dirt this past week! I’ve been asking if you wanted to go to the park or go for a coffee, but all you ever said was no. Seeing as you usually say yes to those types of things unless you’re busy, and I being your mother, is very concerning.” 

“Maybe you shouldn’t be so concerned then.” I snapped. There was silence before my mother took a deep breath.

“Listen Nora, you better buck up your attitude. Remember that we, as your parents are going through a hard enough time as it is!” There she goes. On about the salon closing again… like she had for the past week, slowly making me feel like I had the blame. Like she was shoving it upon my shoulders to take the weight off her own. “You have a son now so stop being so reckless! He doesn’t need this type of influence on him!” I saw Ashley appear from behind my mother, her concerned expression paste on her face as she lingered in the kitchen. I flicked my eyes back to my shouting mum.

Stop.

“You’re very lucky to be living here Nora! You wouldn’t have anywhere to stay if we were horrible parents now would you! You don’t have to pay the rent! Your job hardly even covers the groceries for god sake!” Erne appeared beside Ash and they exchanged confused looks. I saw through the loop that my mother had created with her hand on her hip that they tangled their hands together. I heard Jake start crying from behind me in his cot.

Stop, Mum.

“And that’s not even the slightest bit of it!” She yelled, ignoring me once again. “Do you have any idea how much we have spent on you!? Not to mention Jake!”

Stop.  

 “We don’t want to be the parents for him as well Nora-”

“-Well then don’t be! Leave me to be the parent. Leave me to teach my child the things that are important, like happiness and love! Not money and wealth!” I slammed the door in her face, and man did it feel good.

Hell, I’m not going to let this old hag tell me that she is the one acting like the parent and that she is the one telling me that my job – which I had worked hard to achieve – was useless or in her words ‘could hardly cover the groceries”. I mean, who does she think she is?

Yes she is my mother but that doesn’t change the fact that she controlling my life and telling me it’s my fault when all I’m doing is trying to bring my son up the way I want him to be, the way he would be happiest.

That was the night I left.

I packed a small suitcase that I had stored in the top of my wardrobe. It was the one I used when we had meetings and conferences across the state. It didn’t fit much, but I didn’t need much. I would come back and collect everything else. Plus if I move out, there would finally be enough room so Terry wouldn’t have to sleep on the couch anymore, which he had been doing since the night after they arrived – the night they arrived, they tried sleeping in the same single sized bed…yeah let’s just say Lacey is one who tossers a lot and Terry ended up with a slap in the face – by accident of course.

It was all good, I had everything planned out. Except for one thing. 

I wasn’t sure if Christian would agree…

 Ooh! Intense...again... hehe!

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