A hopeless kind of love

Chapter 10: Mother

Chapter 10

Elle

We're driving down to see my mother. It's not the longest ride, but it takes at least four hours for us because we stop a few times to buy drinks or just need a restroom. And I don’t really look forward to seeing my mother, and that makes the trip even longer.

The twins are very tense. They say that mom is going to be really mad. I feel sad that the twins are so scared and tens, but that’s also the reason why we are doing this right now.

I don't care if mom is going to be angry, the twins have told me everything. She says that mom can go on for hours how worthless and careless I am. How I took care of the girls the wrong way. That I don't care for anybody but myself and that I'm selfish.

Cody was about to explode out of anger, but I calmed him down by kissing him. The twins didn't want me to calm him down though. They say that it's not more than right to be mad. That she has yelled at mom for saying those things about me. They said that mom slapped Lila in the face that time. And that made me go off, it took Cody and the twins maybe half an hour to calm me down.

I decided that we're just getting their stuff and then we're out of there. Mom doesn't have so much to say about this. I'm gonna drag her to court so I can get custody over the girls these few years until they’re of legal age. And that's only a few years. She's not going near them ever again. She's never touching them again. I'm serious. She hit my little Lila, and I'm never forgiving her for that. She can rot in hell, for all I care.

Suddenly Cody stops the car and I look out the window. I don't recognize it here, I've never been here. But it does say 'Olsen' on the mailbox, and Liv says in a bitter voice that was in the right place. Cody and the girls must have been talking while I wandered off in my thoughts.

I haven't met mom in three years, going into four. I'm not nervous or anything but I just need to prevent myself from lashing out at her. I'm so mad at her, I can't even explain in words how mad I am.

We get out of the car. I instantly grab Cody’s hand and squeezes it hard. He looks at me and gives me a calming smile and I just nod to him.

The girl walks ahead of us towards the house and opens the door. They don’t say anything, but when Cody and I are inside, I hear steps coming towards us, and my mom appears.

What the hell? She has changed so much. I get sick just by looking at her.

"What do you think you are doing here?" She says angrily. "Lila and Liv come here, this was the last time you saw her!"

"We made her come, and no it was not actually, because we’re moving in with Elle and Cody!" Lila says angrily.

It's scary how much alike they are, but yet so different.

"That was the stupidest thing I've ever heard", mom yells.

"So listen to yourself for once!" Liv yells.

I'm surprised by my sister's strong voice. I didn't even know they could yell at anyone.

Mom raises her hand and slaps Liv hard on the cheek. I see nothing but red before my eyes.

"You don't talk to me that way Liv!" Mom yells.

But I push her aside and stand between them. Cody pulls Liv and Lila away and wraps his arms protectively around them, with one of his hands on Liv’s cheek.

It calms me to know that Cody here with us. He can protect the twins in a way that I can't.

"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HER?!" I roar at mom. "I'M TAKING THEM WITH ME AND I'M TAKING YOU TO COURT SO I CAN GET CUSTODY OVER THEM YOU'RE HORRIBLE".

Mom seems taken aback. I turn to Cody and the twins.

"Cody, help them get their things, we're leaving right now!" I say trying not to yell at them because I'm not mad at them. They nod and hurry up the stairs.

"You can't do this!" Mom shouts.

"Oh yes I can, who do you think a judge is gonna believe? The mother who got depressed, left her children and the eldest to take care of everything and then recover, blaming the daughter for stuff she didn't even do, and hitting her youngest daughters. Or the eldest child, who had to take care of everything, loves her sisters more than anything and with a photo of the bruise that's going to show on Liv’s cheek?" I shout. "I think it's pretty obvious, besides, I'm old enough to take over custody, I have finished college and I have two jobs, I think that the odds are in mine and the twins favor this time!"

Mom only looks at me. Cody and the girls come running down the stairs.

Liv has her cat with her and Cody is carrying four bags. Lila grabs my wrist when she passes me and drags me out.

All three of us run back to Cody’s car. Cody shoves the bags in the trunk, the girls and I jump into the car, they in the back and me in the front.

Cody jumps into the car and starts the engine.

He pulls off the driveway.

"Liv I'm gonna take a picture of your cheek later", I say.

"Okay", she says. "It stings, ow Starlight, stop licking my cheek, it hurts, I'm sorry girl".

I didn’t even know that Starlight was still alive. We are not on the best of terms and sometimes it feels like she doesn’t like me at all. I don’t know why, but that has made me dislike her a bit.

"I know what you think Elle, Starlight isn't very happy with you either, but you two just have to try to get along", Liv says. “You two and Lila are the only ones I have”.

I seriously don’t know what Starlight has against me. I have been kind and fed her, but she is still giving me death glares, she hisses at me. I don’t understand.

"Hey what about me?" Cody asks, sounding fake offended.

I smile and roll my eyes. Cody can be such a drama queen sometimes.

"Yeah, you too of course Cody", Liv says and leans over the seat to kiss Cody’s cheek.

Lila and I laugh. It feels like a stone has left from my chest now that I know the girls aren’t with our mother. It feels like we can start our life again, together and that feels so good.