Grey slammed the door on his way out.
I thought I'd give him a few minutes to cool off. But when an hour passed by, it occurred to me that he might not bother coming back home tonight.
I brought my knees up to my chest and curled into a ball on the couch. I let the tears come from the frustration of this whole situation.
I knew this could've been prevented. But the other stuff, we said to each other, I felt like that was something we'd both been bottling up for some time.
I didn't think either of us was wrong, but I knew it would take some time to let those words sink in.
Meanwhile, I needed to vent.
I marched down to Freya's apartment in my fuzzy socks and Hello Kitty pajamas and lightly knocked on the door.
She opened it, took a good look at my state, and pulled me inside.
"OHMYGOSH! What happened, Mia?" She asked with concern, dragging me over to the couch.
I hung my head, focusing on my chipped fingernails. "Grey and I got into a fight, and he stormed out," I sniffled.
"I didn't know you guys fought. You guys may bicker at times, but you two are so close. I can't imagine the two of you having such a huge blowout."
We've never argued this before.
"It's kind of my fault." I went on to explain the whole story.
Freya listened, only nodding her head between my pauses and inserting a few comments here and there. "I can see where you're coming from. I can see where you're both coming from, and I think you two just need a little space to think and cool off."
"You think he'll come back?" I asked her.
"Of course, honey! There's no way he can stay away from you. That boy loves you!" she exclaimed.
My jaw dropped. "What?" My eyes widened with shock.
Freya smiled sweetly and reached for my hand. "You mean to tell me that you have no idea Greyson loves you?" She quirked a brow. "Anybody, literally anybody with eyes, could see that. He's absolutely crazy about you, and that's not going to change." She gave my hand a comforting squeeze. "So, don't worry about it. Couples fight all the time. Completely normal." She flitted her hand in the air.
"Okay." I nodded slowly, feeling slightly relieved.
"Trust me," she added.
I smiled weakly. "Alright."
Freya jumped to the next issue. "Now about the Mom situation,"
I grumbled, rolling my eyes.
"Nope. None of that. Go straight to your mother's and stop stalling. Tell her how you feel."
I sucked in my bottom lip.
"Do you want me to go with you for moral support?" Freya wrapped one arm around my shoulder, hugging me to her.
I shook my head, then rested it on her shoulder.
"No, I need to do this on my own, but I appreciate the offer. Thank you," I told her.
"No problem. I'm always here if you need me." She brought me into a hug, and I leaned into her embrace, soaking in all the warmth and support I needed.
A few seconds later, I gathered all the motivation I could muster and stood up.
"I'm going to do it!" I told Freya. "And I should do it now before all the motivation goes out the window."
Freya cackled. "In that case." She jumped to her feet and shooed me. "Go, go, go!" She walked me to the front door and gave me another hug. "Let me know how everything goes, okay."
"You got it." I winked.
Freya watched me walk down the hall to my apartment, and we both waved at each other before going inside.
I ran to my room to change into some sweats and a hoodie. Next, I grabbed my phone, wallet, and keys as I rushed out the door once more.
Time to talk to my mother.
#
Thirty minutes later, I glanced at the clock on the radio. It said 10:30 pm. I knew that wasn't super late to some people, but I thought it was late enough to be an inconsiderate time to storm into someone's house.
Then again, that someone was my mother, so shouldn't I get like a pass or something. At least this once?
I brought my forehead down on the steering wheel, weighing my option. If I tried to come back again tomorrow, I might not have the nerve. And how could I possibly sleep with all of this on my mind? Plus, I was already here.
And Mom did say I could stop by anytime.
I started tapping my head against the steering wheel, annoyed with myself. My thought process was getting me nowhere.
I blindly fished out my phone from my pocket when I felt it vibrate.
Ella: Are you outside? Is that you in the truck?
I saw one of the lights on the second-floor flick on, setting the window a glow.
My cover was blown. I should get out and face the music.
Opening the car door, I hopped out, waving to Ella, who had her head sticking out of the window with a massive grin.
I heard something like a squeal before she ran back inside.
Before I could make it up the three little steps in front of the door, Ella swung it open excitedly, banging it against the wall inside.
"MIA!!!" she screamed, loud enough to wake any of the sleeping neighbors.
"Hey, sis." I pulled her into a giant bear hug, kissing the top of her head.
She pulled away slightly. "What are you doing here?" she asked, craning her head up to look at me.
"I wanted to talk to Mom. Is she still awake?" I asked, smoothing down her hair.
She nodded.
"Mia?" Mom stepped into the doorway, and I saw a man standing behind her. He was a tall, slender man with black wavy hair and mossy green eyes. His face looked warm and friendly.
Ella spun around. "Dad, this is Mia, my big sister." She politely introduced us.
He nodded with his lips curving into a smile. He stepped around Mom, holding his hand out. "Hi, I'm Matthias, but you can call me Matt. It's nice to meet you." We shook hands.
"Likewise," I told him. I looked from him to my mother, who was still frozen where she stood. She was probably unsure of what to say or do. Maybe she was waiting to follow my lead. "I'm sorry to stop by so late. I..." I started.
Matt cut me off. "Nonsense, you're family. You can stop by anytime you like. Now, please come in." He waved me in, and Ella tugged me inside after her.
I heard the door close behind me as I stood frozen in the middle of the foyer.
"Wow," I mumbled under my breath, but I didn't think anyone heard me.
This house was even more beautiful on the inside. It was a modern architectural masterpiece.
As soon as you walked in, there was an L-shaped charcoal grey, and white staircase with stainless railings and glass to the leftâthe color of the stairs and the wood floors were the same throughout the house. The chandelier and light fixtures are steel and with a unique geometric design that I have never seen before. There's photography everywhere with a few art pieces. Most of them were black and white, but a few were in color.
I took my shoes off at the door, and Ella, so kindly, put them in the coat closet before leading me into what could be described as the formal living room. This area was just as impressive as the front of the house. There wasn't much furniture, only two white love seats facing each other with a marble table in the middle.
"Is everything alright? What brings you over tonight?" Matt asked, pulling my attention away from the furniture.
"I was hoping to talk to Mom." I sat down.
Mom's steps faltered like she couldn't believe it. She was acting as if she wasn't just at my house, begging me to open up to her. She took a seat across from Ella and me.
Matt looked over at Mom with a smile on his face. "Okay. Can I get you something to drink?" he asked.
Ella jumped up and said, "I know what she likes." She headed into what was probably the direction of the kitchen.
Matt chuckled. "Alright, then. I'll leave everything to her," he said, walking in the same direction.
I heard Ella mumble something in Korean, and her father replied.
"Would you believe me if I told you that her first language was Korean?" Mom said, drawing my attention to her.
I shook my head. "What? Really?" I never knew that.
She nodded with a smile. "She was living in Seoul with her grandparents. It was all she knew in the beginning. While her father's family speaks English and Japanese, Korean is their first language, so it was natural for them to speak it around Ella. I was the only person who spoke to her in English most of the time. She's such a smart girl. She soaked up the language like a sponge. Which was great because my Korean sucks." Mom laughed lightly. "It's a bit better now. I think. Matt and Ella tell me that it is, but I think they're lying to me," she whispered the last bit.
It was my turn to laugh.
Mom stared at me with a tilt of her head. "I missed that sound," she said out of nowhere, effectively killing my laughter. I could see her eyes doing that thing where they glazed over all my features. "Mom," I said. "I meant what I said earlier. I want to talk, and I want to explore the possibility of us rebuilding our relationship."
Mom nodded as she processed my words.
"I would like to hear your story, and then maybe you can listen to mine," I suggested.
"Of course." Mom got up, walking over to me. She reached for my hand, and I was almost hesitant to have her hold it. I thought it would be awkward, but I felt oddly comforted by this. Maybe it was because I was choosing to be open with her. I was choosing to let her in with the hopes of something good coming from this.
I looked down at our hands.
I remembered when Mom's hands used to cover my own entirely. Now they're practically the same size. "Before I tell you everything, I need you to know that I never stopped loving you. Even when you said you hated me and didn't want me to come back."
My head whipped up, and my eyes met her gloomy gaze. "Dad told you that," I asked in disbelief.
"No." she smiled sadly. "I was on the phone, hoping to talk to you, and I overheard you say that to your father. After that, I decided to give you some space."
I tore my eyes away from hers, slipping my hands out of her grip.
I saw the hurt flash through her eyes in my peripheral. She probably thought I was pushing her away again when she's finally gotten so close.
"You know when you say things like you're giving someone space, they expect you to come back, but you didn't." I felt my heart clench painfully at the memory.
"I'm so sorry, Mia."
I shut my eyes. I was trying my very best to accept the apology without staying bitter about the past.
So I took a deep breath. "It's fine," I mumbled. It all felt far from fine, but I didn't want to stop our progress. "Tell me what happened."
Mom took a few seconds to put herself together calmly. It was evident that she was wrecked with every kind of emotion.
She began to tell me that she and Dad had briefly separated when I was four years old. She was unhappy, and she thought about being with another man. She had met Matt through a mutual friend at the museum. They worked closely together on a few projects that involved South Korean international Art students. But she swore nothing happened because she remained faithful to Dad.
When she had told Dad everything, he told her it was okay and that he just wanted her to be happy. Then she left to see where that other relationship could go. I remember at that age, Mom went on a lot of "business trips." Obviously, those weren't business trips.
That was her flying to and from South Korea to visit Matt.
Long story short, she quit her job, moved to South Korea, and had Ella. But when things started to fall apart with Matt, she left Ella with her Dad and returned with us. She went to therapy with Dad to work out their problems. Dad knew about Ella from the beginning, and they made a deal to tell me about her when I was old enough to understand.
Mom visited Ella as often as she could, but everything changed when she got the news that she was sick.
Matt reached out to her and asked her if she wanted to be there for Ella throughout her surgeries. The doctors weren't sure if they would help with her condition or draw out the inevitable.
Mom broke down one night and told dad everything. Dad being Dad, he put his feelings aside and encouraged her to go to South Korea and be with Ella.
Mom mentioned that Dad had been dying to tell me the truth, but he didn't feel like it was his secret to share, and Mom had begged him to keep quiet.
"So, you see, I've made some stupid decisions, and I know I can't use all these excuses. The minute I felt like I failed you as a mother, I was terrified to go back. I wanted to beg for your forgiveness; I wanted to hold you in my arms so you'd know that you were still very much loved. But then months turned into years, and like a coward, I couldn't face you. Your dad gave me updates. It took him a while to forgive me, especially after I showed up on the doorstep asking to see you."
"He told me that he chased you away. He was still healing. We both were," I told Mom.
"When he finally cooled off. He said that he knew you'd eventually forgive me, but I couldn't forgive myself." She swiped a tear from under her eye. "I let you down, and I didn't want to own up to that." Mom shook her head.
She continued, "Once your dad told me that you were happy again and smiling, I thought that you'd be fine without me. He was doing such a good job raising you while I was across the world. He never complained. He never thought any less of me, even after finding out about Ella or when I told him I felt like I was developing feelings for Matt again. Gosh, he deserved better than me. You both did. And I can't say I'm sorry enough." She buried her face in her hands and started sobbing.
A part of me was fuming mad at her past decisions, while the other was just tired of holding a grudge.
Nothing would change how she practically abandoned me back then, but she was here now, and I didn't think I could walk away from this.
Not when Ella was involved and not when I knew Mom desperately wanted to fix everything.
I sighed. Taking one arm, I wrapped it around Mom's shoulders. "I forgive you," I said in a whisper. I never thought I would utter those three words to her, and what shocked me the most was that I knew in my heart that I meant them.
Mom removed her hands from her face. Her cheeks were burning red, and her eyes were glistening. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
"This doesn't mean everything will be perfect between us. It just means that I'm willing to put in the effort."
"Mia," she croaked, and suddenly, I was wrapped up in her arms. She kissed my cheek. "I'm never going to forget this, and I swear I will never let you down again."
And I believed her.
We spent minutes just holding onto the other for dear life before she pulled away and asked if I would tell her more about my life. She wanted to know anything that Dad might have missed.
I cracked a smile and started from the beginning.
#
I yawned as I felt my eyes slowly closing.
"Why don't you spend the night? I don't want you to drive home so late," Mom told me.
"I'm not sleeping," I mumbled.
"Silly girl, you can barely keep your eyes open." I felt Mom's fingers run through my hair.
"You should let Grey knows so he doesn't worry."
"He doesn't like me very much right now." I think I gave her the cliff notes version of what happened between us. I didn't know if it made sense because I felt like I was muttering gibberish in my sleepy haze.
"Oh, no, honey. It's my fault."
I shook my head against the couch cushion. "Don't worry," yawn. "About it." yawn.
"We'll talk about this more in the morning. I need to set up the guest room for you."
I felt myself nod.
"Or she can sleep with me?" I heard Ella say from somewhere off in the distance.
"That's fine, too," I mumbled.
I heard a pitter-patter of footsteps, and then a finger poked my cheek. I slapped it away.
"Are you gonna get up or what?" I heard Ella say.
I grumbled in response.
"She's always been a cranky sleeper," Mom muttered, causing them both to giggle.
"Not true." I pointed in the direction of where I heard her voice.
"Yeah yeah. Come on, Aurora." Ella pulled on my hoodie sleeve.
"Fine, fine." I sat up, opening one eyeball before slowly getting to my feet.
I stuffed my hands in my pockets. "Lead the way, El," I told her with a nod of my head.
She skipped by me, way too chipper for whatever time of night it was.
I dragged my feet behind her and Mom and walked carefully behind them.
I wanted to take in more of the house, but I would have to do that in the morning. My brain couldn't register anything more at the moment.
When we finally made it to Ella's room, I sighed. That walk was longer than I would have liked.
Mom stood in the doorway, "Good night. See you two in the morning!" She blew us a kiss and closed the door behind her.
Ella dived onto the bed excitedly. "Do you want some PJs to change into? I have some oversized T-shirts and stuff that will fit you."
I shook my head, giving her a small smile. "Nope. I sort of came prepared." I slipped off my hoodie and my joggers, revealing my PJs underneath.
Ella busted out with laughter while I neatly folded my clothes and placed them on the edge of her dresser.
"Hello, kitty, though?" she asked with her eyes flickering to my shirt.
"Says the girl in Transformers PJs." She glanced down at herself, then back at me. "Touché." She playfully rolled her eyes, and I cracked a smile.
I pulled the sheet back and climbed under the covers, getting myself snuggly and cozy.
"MIA!" Ella whisper-yelled.
"Hmm?"
"This is our first sleepover!" I peeked over at her and saw her mouth form an "O."
I grinned. "Yeah, I guess it is."
"AWESOME!" she whisper-yelled again while fist-pumping the air.
I officially have the cutest little sister on the planet.
It was silent for a few minutes, and my eyes fluttered shut.
"Mia?" I heard Ella say again.
"Ella?"
"Are you and Greyson gonna break up?" she asked me softly. I opened my eyes and saw that she was lying on her side, facing me.
I reached to caress her cheek, smoothing my thumbs across her freckles. "I don't know. He seems pretty mad at me earlier. Truth be told, we were only supposed to date until the end of summer."
"What!" Her cinnamon eyes expanded.
"Yeah, it's a long story. I'll tell you about it in the morning, Okay."
I pulled my hand away, tucking it underneath the pillow.
Ella nodded before adding one final thing. "I don't think you see it. But you guys are like soul mates. So that means, no matter what problems you two have, you're supposed to be able to work them out," she spoke with such confidence in us.
"You're amazing. You know that?" I told her.
She grinned, and those dimples that I adored made an appearance. "I've been told that a time or two."
"Because it's true." I yawned. "I love you, Ella," I told her, shutting my eyes.
"I love you too."