Step-Brother

CHAPTER 2

"Good afternoon mother. Why did you want me back home?", I say emotionless.

"Sit down baby, I will explain to you."she says pointing at the chair. We seat down and Dave does the same.

I keep on waiting for some explanation but she just looks nervous over to Dave.

Dave begins speaking nervously:  "Well you already know my name. This my house and now it is yours too."

"H- o -o-w??"I stutter. Oh no, I think I know what he is trying to say. 

"Sweetie, Dave is your new stepfather." , "This is our home now, I'm sorry for not telling you sooner." my mother adds.

"You two are married, when did this happen?" I ask surprised. But inside me I am fuming. How could she not tell me that she got married. Was she afraid I would ruin everything. Thousands thoughts run in my head simultaneously and I couldn't bring myself to say anything else.

"We got married 2 weeks ago. I'm sorry sweetie, I didn't want to put pressure on you while you were in college." my mother says while taking my hand.

2 weeks ago? What is the meaning of this.

She doesn't seem to be the same woman I saw for the last time 5 years ago. She is so much kinder..

Or is she only pretending.. Argh..Thanks mother for giving me a headache, I'm here for 15 minutes now..

This is going to be a fun summer, I think to myself.. 

"Can you please show me my room?" I ask holding my head, I'm not in the mood anymore to ask questions.

"Of course Sweetie, I think it is for the best. I don't want you to have a headache." My mother laughs warmly.

A bit too late for that...

As my mother is taking me to my new bedroom, we pass by a lot of empty rooms. I just realized that the mansion is 10 times bigger than what it seems to be from outside. My mother is trying to make conversation with me but I am not paying much attention until she begins to tell me that her and Dave's bedroom is at the complete opposite in the mansion. I will be living in this side of the mansion all alone.

"Maybe this isn't going to be as bad as I supposed", I thought to myself.

We came to an halt. She says she would leave me now to unpack my things and so I could be a bit alone to process everything I was told about. She will call me when dinner is ready. With those last words she leaves me standing in front of a door.

I turn the knob and enter my new bedroom. Hmm, so this is where I will be staying for the summer? I am in complete awe. It is really nice. The room is modern, with modern decoration. It has a large king sized bed in the middle of it with nice silky sheets. Walking further in the room I can also see a walk in closet. The color of the walls are light purple, which is absolutely adorable color. There is a door on the left side of the bed. My curiosity gets the best of me, I peek inside and I am shocked.. It is a bathroom with the hole package, bathtube, shower and OMG a jacuzzi. It is enormous.

This is absurd, how rich is this guy?, my train of thoughts is stopped when I see a second door in the bathroom accross from the first one I opened. I went to open it but it is locked."What could be behind it", I thought, surpised that the door is actually locked. I decide to go inside my bedroom to unpack. There isn't much , I am quite simple. Materialistic things don't do it for me. I appreciate the beauty of simplicity. Don't get me wrong the mansion is beautiful and the luxury of this place is amazing, but was it really needed?! Half of the rooms are empty.

"Ahh finally, the last thing to unpack", I say out loud. 

.. My books.. I love to read, to escape from reality and get away from this mad world. After all the unpacking I seat down on the bed. "Oh wow the bed is really comfy, maybe I should lay down for a bit. I'm still having a headache." And as soon as I lay myself down I fall asleep with those purple silky sheets all over me.

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"M-o-t-h-e-r?" I say still sleepy. I began rubbing my eyes..

"Sorry for coming in, I called you on multiple times but you never answered. Dinner is ready sweetie." my mother said calmly. She had tears in her eyes.

"Are you alright mom?, I ask confused. I couldn't understand why she is acting like this all of a sudden. It broke my heart to see her like this. She has been nothing but sweet and caring since I arrived. She is acting so much like when dad was still alive. It reminds me of the good old days. We used to have such a beautiful and strong relationship.

"I am since you came back. I wasn't sure you would come. I know what I did was very wrong. Beeing mother is putting your child first whatever happens, to be present.. That's everything I couldn't do. I was  in so much pain after your dad died that I choose to close my heart. Everytime I looked at you, I could see him in your smile, you have his crazy curly raven black hair.. at that moment it was to much to handle. I'm so sorry.. I know I can't ask for your forgiveness but I will do it anyway. Please forgive.", by the time my mother said all those things I was dying to hear for years, she was crying. 

My heart ached for her. She may have lost her husband but I lost my dad that day too.. I could have helped her and she could have helped me, but still she perfered to go throught the pain of losing a loved one alone. I wanted to understand, I know in how much pain she was after that day. Still it doesn't make it any better.