Ms. Tilly

Chapter 17

***WARNING: FOUL LANGUAGE IS USED, READER DISCRETION ADVISED***

"There's more," A raspy woman ordered her other workers while carrying cardboard boxes. She wore a red visor and a red polo shirt that had a moving company logo on it.

I can't believe Helen's too careless to help her own children pack their things. She barely spoke to Gary too, I wonder what's up with her.

I sat on a window ledge, watching the workers drag away boxes. It was sort of sad to see the girls' and Ivan's stuff go. But not that sad, it's actually a relief!

"Ms. Tilly?" A familiar voice rang beside me, I turned to see who that squeaky voice was. Without a surprise, it was Theodore. He had poked his head through the open window, his head following each worker as they left with more boxes to carry out.

"Oh hey, what's up?" I focused my attention back to the busy workers.

"Not much, but, what's going on?" Theodore asked, confused.

I sighed deeply. I hate explaining this stuff. It makes my mouth dry and my eyes watery. "The kids are moving," I finally said.

Theodore's eyes widened as his face went white. He learned more inside the house, "what? Why? Are you moving too? I don't know what I'll do if you're gone too, Ms. Tilly!"

I was about to answer him that I wasn't moving either, but then he caught me off guard when he mentioned 'too'. "Too? Who else has left?"

Theodore gazed down, looking glum, "Majesty, remember?" His voice was softer than usual but more squeaky. It donned upon to me that he and Majesty were sort of close. After all, they were very close to the same age, I think. 

Following the awkward silence, he looked up, smiled at me, tears glimmering his eyes, "don't worry, Ms. Tilly. She's in a better place now, she'll get all the attention, as much as she wants!" He said, trying to cheer himself up. The poor kid, now that I think about it, on some level, Theodore might have been seeking to cheer me up as well.

"Anyway, Ms. Tilly, why is your family moving?"

"It's just the little ones, and they're not my family! They just happen to live with me," I denied.

"Like roommates?"

"Yeah, I suppose, like roommates,"

"Ms. Tilly?" Theodore popped another question. Luckily for him, I was feeling a bit poppy today.

"Hm?"

"I know that they're not your family and all, but don't you think that they're sort of like one? I mean, they feed you, they support you, they love you, just like a family does!" Theodore suggested, his squeakiness reminded me of how he is so simple-minded and innocent.

"They don't love me, they tolerate me, just like I do for them," I denied once more.

Theodore's face twisted in more confusion, "then what about that time a few days ago when Taylor said she loved you?"

"Just because someone says 'I love you' to you, it doesn't mean they really do," I answered back, coldly.

"How do you know?" Theodore challenged me while he whined.

"I just do."

"No, there must be a reason," Theodore quickly added.

"No, there isn't," I replied sharply.

"Yes there is,"

"Theodore, stop it," anger was filling my body, I was starting to see red.

"Please tell me, Ms. Tilly," Theodore continued.

"I said knock it off," the fury remained growing, climbing up my spine.

"Come on, talk about it with me,"

"Theodore, for the last time,"

"You know you want to," he muttered under his breath, causing me to snap.

"WANT TO KNOW WHY, THEODORE? DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW HOW I KNOW? HELEN SAID I LOVE YOU TO GARY EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND NOT ONCE DID SHE MEAN IT. WHY? BECAUSE IN SECONDS, SHE LEFT HIM AND OUR FAMILY IN THE DUST!" I finally burst out with anger, screeching at him like it was his fault.

Theodore coiled up, nodding along to what I had to say.

"THEODORE, I DON'T THINK YOU UNDERSTAND HOW IT FEELS FOR SOMEONE TO LEAVE YOU WITHOUT EXPECTING IT," I said without thinking. I wish I didn't say that, because I knew, oh I knew that I was completely wrong.

He faced the ground, disappointed in me. "I got to go," he said, leaving without another word.

I hate myself for saying what I said. Of course, he knows the feeling, just a few days ago he lost somebody important to him, Majesty. Even though I hated her guts, Theodore admired her as well. Why would he admire someone like me anyway?

I guess in a way, Majesty is sort of similar to Helen. I both hate them. But they were both important to people that I'm surrounded with. How could I be so cruel? Just like Helen.

"Well, I think we're done here," the same raspy-voiced woman said to Gary. Gary nodded, Petra was next to him. They were both sad looking, but I knew Gary was deeply genuinely depressed.

As the raspy-voiced woman and her workers exited, there was a recognizable figure standing in the doorway, leaning on the frame. My eyes panned up slowly, once reaching to the face, the devil herself had entered.

"This house is smaller than I remembered," once a sweet voice before shaped into a stern one. Almost monotone.

"You are not welcome here," Petra said, her English cleaner.

"Oh hush, Dutch girl. Mind your business, will you?" Helen snapped at Petra. Gary looked at his shoes, ashamed. Not ashamed of what Petra had said, but what had Helen become.

"You've changed, Helen," Gary grumbled.

"Tch, so have you, well, physically anyway. I remember there was more hair on your head," she said rudely.

"I recall you weren't such a bitch either," Gary fired back.

Helen's eyes widened, her hand placed on top of her chest, looking offended. "So you got a new girlfriend and some new language too, huh?"

"I could say the same for you, Helen,"

Helen snickered, "well, my girlfriend isn't a girl,"

"I beg to differ," Petra cut back in, being snarky, I was slightly proud of her.

"Why you-"

Taylor and Mackenzie stood in the hallway, staring at their parents' rivalry. "Stop it," Taylor said with hostility. "Let's just go." They all power walked to the front door, but Mackenzie, Taylor, and Ivan hugged Gary and Petra, saying their goodbyes first.

Helen tsked and then left to go start the car.

The children followed, but Taylor stopped at the doorframe, and turned her head, looking back at us with tears in her eyes. She abruptly ran towards me and hugged me as she sobbed quietly.

"I'm really going to miss you," her voice staggered from the crying, "I will, I love you so much, Ms. Tilly, I'll never forget you, I swear."

Hearing those words from Taylor, the eldest child, the most stubborn one, made me think of what Theodore had said.

"I know that they're not your family and all, but don't you think that they're sort of like one? I mean, they feed you, they support you, they love you, just like a family does!"

And at the worst timing ever, I realized...

I have a family.

Well, had.

***A/N***

New chapter next Saturday 1/19/19 or 19/1/19