Letters ➸ Michael Clifford

Reunion

|Kalila’s POV|

I ran up to mum as soon as I laid eyes on her. I pulled her into a tight hug.

“Hey, Lil.” She gasped. I was hugging her so tight she could hardly breath.

“Sorry.” I laugh as I pulled back. It felt like 60 years since I last saw mum. Sure we talked weekly but she was working herself to the bone. Probably deeper than the bone: the marrow. Mum looked stressed. Her eyes were basically screaming for rest and her hair was a nest. I could even see it in her poor posture.

“I know. I look like shit.” Mum laughed. I couldn’t help but laugh to. It was nice to hear her voice face to face rather than the static that buzzed through the phone.

“Hey, Mum.” Hudson said rather awkwardly.

“Hudson? What are you doing here?” Mum’s eyes widened.

“I’m a changed man.” Hudson shrugged. Mum just flashed Hudson a smile and pulled him into an awkward looking hug.

“Mum!” Mum smiled at Nan and pulled her into a hug.

“Where’s Luke?” Mum asked me after she finished talking to Nan.

“Oh, we, uh…” I stammered. Mum realized what was going on her face fell.

“Aw, my baby.” She pouted and hugged me tightly, giving me a pity pat on the back.

“Yeah. It’s fine.” I mumbled.

“It’s not fine. You guys were friends for so long. You guys were a couple for 3 years. You can’t lose that and say you’re fine.” Mum frowned.

*    *   *   *

The four of us sat around the table, enjoying Nan’s lasagne. We had all been sharing our stories from the past month.  Hudson was talking about how much of a ‘changed man’ he was, Nan was talking about her thinking of moving here. I talked about meeting Michael and my break-up with Luke.

“I ship you and Michael.” Nan said.

“How do you know what ‘shipping’ is?” I asked with a little laughter in my tone.

“Michael showed me all the Tumbly slang.” Nan laughed.

“Where is this Michael guy?” Mum asked after a few seconds of silence.

I didn’t notice his absence. Normally he’d come running at the smell of Nan’s cooking. Looks like Hudson isn’t the only changed man in this house.

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him all day.” I shrugged.

“Anyway, Lil, I bought you some really nice clothes.” Mum smiled, changing the topic completely.

“Oh my God! I love the shops there.” I smiled.

“Yeah. When I unpack I’ll show you everything!” Mum beamed.

“I’m there.” I laughed and ate a forkful of lasagne.

We continued eating, mum and Nan were talking about something I really didn’t care about. I was disturbed from my thoughts by my phone buzzing in my pocket.

From- CLIFFOCONDA:

Come to the Park.

I rolled my eyes. Did he just expect me to drop everything, my reunion, and run to him? I was meant to be mad at him.