The Way We Almost Were ✓

part two • 33| the ties that bind

• P A R T  T W O •

| Chapter 33 |

| the ties that bind |

The cast on Bree's hand was decorated in scribbles of purple and yellow, where her little sister had attempted to draw flowers and birds.

Melody had written a sweet little note of goodbye before informing the college that she was leaving and transferring somewhere else -- it had saddened Bree at first, but she eventually learnt to see it as not Mel running away but just starting afresh in a whole other state. Dale, too, had left a short reminder for Bree to recover soon on the hard material of the cast.

Nick and Claire had simply glared at her and stormed away, each of them to pissed off to see reason behind her actions.

Even now, sitting at one of the tables in the mall's foodcourt, Bree couldn't help but smile to herself at the realisation -- that although Nick and Claire couldn't see it, both of them were very much alike. Each of them protective of Bree on a very personal level, both armed with sharp tongues and blunt mouths, both with not easily likeable exteriors that they only took down for Bree, both who were unintentionally harsh and bitter in their conduct but had intentions that were inherently good.

No wonder they hadn't got along and instead got under each other's skin.

"I still can't believe what you did," Bree's mother muttered, eyes on her bandaged wrist, her eyebrows furrowed together.

Bree sighed inaudibly, feeling that wave of guilt wash over her again. "I tried to tell you about Chase sooner, mum, I promise," she told her with an apologetic smile and a wince. "But each time I tried to bring it up with you, you'd be dealing with something related to work. I don't know..." Bree shrugged, "...it felt like those cases you had to fight were more... grave, I guess. More serious. Held more weight... They just seemed more everything than me getting harassed by a bully in college."

Her mother let out a deep sigh and dropped the fork she was using to move the lasagne around, and reached across the table to rest her hand atop Bree's. "Helping you fight your hardships are just as important in my eyes as helping my clients fight for their rights," she told Bree gently, "don't ever forget that, Bree."

"I get that, I do," Bree offered her a small smile, "but, I don't know, at the time it just made me feel like maybe my problems weren't as serious, you know..." She let her voice trail off as she poked the inside of her cheek with her tongue, eyes losing focus.

"Hey, that's not fair," her mum reprimanded, squeezing Bree's hand gently, "everyone's got something bad going on for them in this world. Doesn't make yours any less significant."