The Mistake [Completed]

Chapter Thirteen

By the second week in November the weather had turned bitter and as each day passed Leigh wrapped up warmer and warmer for her walk to work. The two pairs of socks that she wore didn't seem to keep her feet from freezing and turning numb and it took a good few hours for her to get the blood flowing again. Snow had begun to fall and although not enough to settle Leigh knew if it continued there might be a thin layer across the ground by the time she left work that evening. In the six weeks she'd been working at Donne Farm things had been carrying on smoothly and if anything it had been better since the incident. There were still moments of awkwardness but that was to be expected. As Leigh made her way into the shop she slipped out of her thick coat and hung it onto a peg out back. As she was about to hang up her bag and slip her phone inside it began to ring.

She answered the unknown number but not before checking the time to see how long she had to chat; "hello?"

"Hi honey," her Mom's high pitched voice squeaked on the end of the line and a shudden travelled down Leigh's spine.

Leigh rolled her eyes and busied herself setting up the shop knowing that it would be a good few minutes before she was able to decipher what her Mom wanted from the call and then tell her that it wasn't going to happen.

"What do you want, Mom?" She gave a curt answer.

"Why do you always think I want something? Can't I just call to see how you're doing in that little town of yours?"

Leigh took in a deep breath trying not to get worked up but it was difficult because her mother always had a way of bringing out the worst in her. "I'm fine."

"Are you not going to ask how I am?"

"I wasn't going to..."

"Well I'm absolutely fantastic all things considered. Toby's show is coming to an end in a months time which is unfortunate. But it's perfect because the network wants to revive my show!"

Leigh froze but muttered the next words nonetheless. "Congratulations."

"That's why I called. They want you..." She knew this conversation would come around eventually and she was always prepared with her answer but now that the time had come her mind was blank. "This is your chance to make a comeback in the industry. You have potential to make it as big as I did. We're shooting next month. Our first episode will be a Christmas special so I expect you to be here on the twenty-second. Bring Robert with you. The fans will love to see you two together."

"Robert and I aren't together." That was the first thing Leigh said to her Mom. "And I'm not coming back to LA."

"Excuse me? I am still your mother Leanne Danvers! You owe me."

"I'm twenty-nine, I don't owe you anything. I stopped needing you the moment you abandoned me."

"You're where you are today because of me! If it wasn't for me you never would have had the job at 'At The Top' and you certainly never would have had a music career!"

"Exactly Mother. I moved across the country just to get away from you so yeah maybe I should say thank you for that because I've never been happier than I am here."

"How dare you say I abandoned you!" The anger in her mother's voice was clear as day. "I rented an apartment for you! I supported you through thick and thin and I've supported your move to where ever the hell you are!"

"That's bullshit and you know it! You forced me to move out of the family home because you were scared I'd upstage you in your reality TV show. Do you know how pathetic that is? Anyone else would be happy for their child's success but you were terrified of it. You were terrified that you'd get forgotten, that you'd be left behind and do you wanna know what the saddest thing is? The saddest thing is that Dad and Toby are too easily manipulated to see you for who you really are."