All That We Are...

Chapter 28

"What did you say?" I heard what Max said clearly I'm just trying to wrap my head around it.

"She's home Henley. Dad just went outside he told me to get you down here and to stay put while he talks to her." He tells me as he peaks through the window. Turning around I head for the door I need to see this for myself.

"Maybe you should stay here, you know let your dad talk to her first." Carter stands in front of me keeping me in place by holding my shoulders. I glare up at him giving him my meanest face.

"Or we can go out there. Either ways find with me." Putting his hands up as if he's surrendering. I walk by him listening to his boots follow behind me with everyone else's as well.

Flinging the door open I see my parents embracing each other on the dirt driveway. In the past I would of been right beside them admiring the love they had for one another. I would of rushed down here to jump in her arms once she returned from a long trip. Envying the fact that my family was perfect. God I wish I would of opened my eyes sooner, asked more questions, not of been such a naive idiot. Letting one another go her head snaps up looking back and forth between me and my brother who is standing beside me now right at the top of the steps while everyone lingers on the porch behind us.

"My babies. Come here." She spreads her arms out waiting for us to walk into them. Neither of us move. Placing her hands to her mouth she lets out this awful sound and starts to cry. The face she is making is hideous. Her dull brown hair is breaded to one side, her forehead seems to have more wrinkles now, she looks older with a lot more stress resting in her eyes. The clothes that she is wearing though are new a black shirt showing to much cleavage, a nice expensive looking pair of jeans with black rider boots. A gun clipped to her hip with some sort of badge hanging around her neck. Who is this women that I thought I knew my whole life but as she stands in front of me now I realize I don't know this lady at all. That the past we had was a lie. Pinching my arm I squeeze the skin breaking it with my fingernails. Max hits my side making me stop. Looking at him he gives me a confused what the fuck look.

"I'm just making sure I'm not dreaming. Cause that lady down there sure as hell does not look like my mother." I say it loud enough to for everyone to hear including her.

"Henley Grace.." She sputters as I cut her off.

"Nope I'm going to stop you right there. Here's why because the mother that I knew wouldn't have left her family here for three months fending for themselves, watching people die, living without power and conserving the food that we had to eat. She wouldn't have told our dad to make sure we thought you where dead when really she was living the high life in some fancy secured facility. While we are living in a fenced in area that we built ourselves with people that are now dead. And another thing my mom sure as hell wouldn't be showing her tata's the way you are, cover yourself up women." I'm out of breathe once a finish and I hear Carter laughing behind me at the last part I said.

"I know what you think of me and I'm going to try my hardest to make you understand why I did what I had to. I'm not sure what you have been going through so I won't say I do. You need to know that my life has been anything but fancy, waking up everyday knowing that you three where living this way nearly killed me." She places her hands on her heart taking a shaky breathe looking up at me.

"Killed you? Did it really nearly kill you mom. Cause you know what actually almost killed me, this did right here, I was cut open bleeding everywhere and then it became infected because we didn't have the correct supplies." I'm now hollering down to her as I lift my shirt up showing my now pink scar that takes up half my side.

"Oh my goodness how did that happen?" She says as she jogs up the stairs to stand in front of me reaching her hand out she goes to touch me.

"Don't touch me. You weren't here when I needed you the most you don't get to play mom now." I snap as I back away from her.