Never the Same

Chapter 33

"Mum, it's fine." I bat her hands away from my head where she's been brushing my hair to put it up in a ponytail for the past ten minutes. "I can do this myself, you know."

"Are you sure it's high enough?" She moves to look at my face before returning to fix my hair once again. "It doesn't look tight enough. Is it tight enough?"

"Mum, it's fine. Just sit down and talk to me like you're supposed to be doing."

"It doesn't look to be centred. Where's that other bauble I had?" She moves to the wash bag sitting on the window sill and rummages through it. "I had it a couple of minutes ago. Where did I put it?"

"Mum, please sit down. My hair is fine."

"I know it's in here somewhere. I just can't find it."

"Mum."

"Where is it?"

"Mum!"

"Ah, found it!" She moves to me and I quickly grip her wrists before she has a chance to go back to my hair.

"Mum, I love you and all, but you're turning into a crazy person."

"I'm only trying to help after you," she says softly.

"I know you are and I know you mean well by doing so, but you don't have to go overboard."

She presses her lips together and nods. "I know and I'm sorry." I let her wrists go and she sits down. "It's just . . . with everything that happened to your dad . . . the mere thought of losing you after all of that . . . it scares me and I can't help but go into the caring mode that I've developed since your dad's first heart attack."

"I know but you don't need to do that with me," I assure. "I have Luca to do that for me."

"And I know he'd do anything for you that you ask him to but I'm your mother. It's been built into my bones to take care of my kids regardless of their age. I know you're all growing up and living the lives you want but you can't stop me from wanting to take care you of you when you're not well."

"And I'm not asking you to. All I'm saying is that fussing over me isn't going to help either of us. You could help me by bringing me in some decent pyjamas to wear because Luca's taste is shite when it comes to this kind of thing." I pull at the bright pink nightdress that most definitely isn't my taste whatsoever. "I love him and all but these nightdresses are doing my head in. I could be doing with a shorts and t-shirt set or loose pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt."

She smiles. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you."

She slips her coat and scarf on. "Is there anything else you're needing? I could bring you in those cakes you like or I could get your gran to bake your favourite."

"Either will be fine."

"I'll bring them by tomorrow when I come back with your dad." She leans down and kisses my forehead. "Bye, darling."

"Bye, mum."

She leaves the room in silence and I pick up the iPad from the bed that Luca brought in for me. I open the Netflix app and start to catch up on the shows I haven't watched for a while to pass the time until Luca makes his reappearance.

The rhythmic knocking on the room door draws my attention away from the iPad and to the head peeking into the room. Even with the cuts and fading bruises over her face, I can still make my best friend out a mile away with her hair that's tied back into a ponytail that sways from side to side as she looks at me with a smile.