Stranger

Nora

I liked Wales, but I really missed my mom. I hated that she had relapsed and was obviously struggling, but I was thousands of miles away. Why had dad dragged me across the ocean? Why did I have to put my life on hold just because of his job? It wasn't fair to expect a 13 year old to put her life on hold, was it? This had to be child cruelty.

I knew I was starting to be a pain. I just wasn't happy. I'd never admit it to dad, but I kind of missed school and I missed the city. Wales was so...rural. I didn't like how quiet it was. There was hardly any traffic noise and it was pitch black at night.

My grandparents were sticking around for the first two weeks. I wondered if dad would let me go back with them. Everyone was gung-ho about doing all the touristy stuff. Seeing castles and really old stuff. It rained constantly. One day, after being dragged to yet another castle, I hung back from the group, kicking at the gravel. The hood on my rain coat was pulled over my head and it felt nice to be hidden from the world. Finally, it was time for lunch.

As we ate, I just felt miserable. "Dad, can I just go back home after this?"

"We're, like, almost an hour from our house," he told me. "I'm not driving you back."

"But I'm so bored!"

"It's history. Soak it in."

"We've seen, like, half a dozen castles. They're all the same. Really old stones with grass growing everywhere. Whooppeeee..."

"What's with the attitude?" He asked me.

"I don't have an attitude," I countered. "I'm just bored."

"Well, find a way to turn your mood around," he said. "No one wants to be around a sour puss."

"Sour puss? What's a sour puss?"

"You."

I rolled my eyes and finished off my sandwich. As the day wore on, I just hung back and thought about my mom. We hadn't FaceTimed in several days and I was dying to talk to her. It couldn't really happen until the evenings because we were out all day and there was a 5 hour time difference.

Finally, we drove back to our house. I immediately disappeared into my room and collapsed onto my bed. The sounds of the rest of the family, happy and in good spirits, travelled through the doors. They didn't have anyone to worry about. No one they loved was alcoholic and in danger of relapsing.

I knew dad wasn't happy with me. I'd been grumpy all day, not really participating. He was loving everything. Predictably, there was a knock at my door and he came inside, closing the door.

"Hi," he said, pulling up a chair.

"Hi," I mumbled, my chin resting on my hands.

"What's going on with you? You seem miserable."

"I don't want to be here," I said through gritted teeth.

"Nora, you don't have a choice right now, I'm sorry. I have to be here for my job."

"But I want to be with mom! Why can't I just catch a plane back to New York?"

"I'm not sending you across the ocean on your own," he told me.

"Then can I go back with Abuelo and Abuela?" I asked hopefully.

He sighed. "Do you really miss your mom that much?"

"Yes," I said. "I'm worried about her."

"But it's not your job to worry about her," he said, like it was easy. "There are adults there taking care of her."