she could definitely do. She had planned
on having some serious bonding time.
As it turned out, by the time she had made it
to the table, the only two available seats were directly opposite
one another. It had worked out just fine, though, because
the distance had almost felt – to her at least – like foreplay.
His stare was one of the sexiest things Amber
had ever been on the receiving end of. When he looked at her, it
felt as though she was all he could see. Several times, other
people would be talking to him and, although they continued to
speak, his eyes never wavered from hers. He definitely did not
suffer from the need to uphold social graces.
He was raw. He was real. He was hot .
She had made sure to say goodbye specifically to him when she left. If she wasn’t mistaken a
look of disappointment had flashed across his face when she had
told him she was taking off. Okay, that was probably just wishful
thinking on her part…but still.
Her phone rang. She pulled it out of her
sweats pocket.
Her mom. She took a deep breath and pressed
the answer icon.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Mom.” She figured might
as well remind her mother of the day in case she was so trashed she
had forgotten.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Sweetie.” Surprisingly,
her mom did not sound drunk or high. She sounded…sad.
“Where are you?” Amber felt a need to see her
mom, well up inside of her.
“Nowhere,” her mom’s voice sounded quiet,
reserved.
Okay, that was not an answer.
“Mom, are you okay?” Amber’s heart started
beating rapidly.
Her mom sounded subdued, distant. Amber did
not like this. The only other time she had heard her mom sound like
this was a month after they had lost Aaron, and that had ended with
her mom landing in the ER and then the psych ward after a suicide
attempt.
“I’m fine, Sweetie. I just miss you. And
Aaron.”
Tears filled Amber’s eyes. “I miss you too,
mom. And I miss Aaron so much.”
“Do you remember when you were probably
around twelve and we were in...oh, Iowa I think, and we burned the
turkey…”
“And ended up going to the grocery store and
getting TV dinners,” Amber interrupted, laughing at the memory.
“That was the best Thanksgiving ever.”
“It was, right?!” her mom agreed, her tone
sounding a little more upbeat. “I remember you standing in the
frozen food aisle in Fareway’s, hands on your hips, steaming mad at
Aaron because he didn’t want to get the turkey TV dinner. He
wanted…”
“Salisbury steak!” they both said loudly in
unison.
Her mom continued chuckling, “I have to admit
that I really wanted the fried chicken meal, but I was
scared I would scar you for life if I didn’t pick the turkey.”
“You’re right, it probably would have
traumatized me,” Amber laughed in agreement. “It was Thanksgiving
and I thought we should be eating turkey.”
There was a moment of silence on the line and
Amber continued, “Then we stayed up playing Monopoly and Clue and
we all fell asleep on the couch watching Fletch.”
“It was his favorite movie,” her mom’s voice
cracked.
“It was.” Amber felt tears falling down her
cheeks remembering her brother’s laugh as he watched Chevy Chase in
all of those ridiculous costumes and situations.
“I still watch it sometimes,” her mother
sounded so…broken, and alone.
Amber could barely get the words out, “So do
I.”
She heard her mom take a deep breath.
“Sweetie, I am so sorry I haven’t been there for you.”
She loved her mom so much. She knew that what
she was dealing with was an illness. She didn’t want her to feel
bad or guilty because of it.
“It’s fine, mom,” Amber said trying to hold
back the tears.
“It’s not fine. And I know that an apology
does not make everything better. But I just want you to know that I
love you so much, Sweetie. You are my princess.” Her mom sounded
stronger than Amber had heard her in a long time.
“I love you too, Mom.” Amber couldn’t stop
the
on having some serious bonding time.
As it turned out, by the time she had made it
to the table, the only two available seats were directly opposite
one another. It had worked out just fine, though, because
the distance had almost felt – to her at least – like foreplay.
His stare was one of the sexiest things Amber
had ever been on the receiving end of. When he looked at her, it
felt as though she was all he could see. Several times, other
people would be talking to him and, although they continued to
speak, his eyes never wavered from hers. He definitely did not
suffer from the need to uphold social graces.
He was raw. He was real. He was hot .
She had made sure to say goodbye specifically to him when she left. If she wasn’t mistaken a
look of disappointment had flashed across his face when she had
told him she was taking off. Okay, that was probably just wishful
thinking on her part…but still.
Her phone rang. She pulled it out of her
sweats pocket.
Her mom. She took a deep breath and pressed
the answer icon.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Mom.” She figured might
as well remind her mother of the day in case she was so trashed she
had forgotten.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Sweetie.” Surprisingly,
her mom did not sound drunk or high. She sounded…sad.
“Where are you?” Amber felt a need to see her
mom, well up inside of her.
“Nowhere,” her mom’s voice sounded quiet,
reserved.
Okay, that was not an answer.
“Mom, are you okay?” Amber’s heart started
beating rapidly.
Her mom sounded subdued, distant. Amber did
not like this. The only other time she had heard her mom sound like
this was a month after they had lost Aaron, and that had ended with
her mom landing in the ER and then the psych ward after a suicide
attempt.
“I’m fine, Sweetie. I just miss you. And
Aaron.”
Tears filled Amber’s eyes. “I miss you too,
mom. And I miss Aaron so much.”
“Do you remember when you were probably
around twelve and we were in...oh, Iowa I think, and we burned the
turkey…”
“And ended up going to the grocery store and
getting TV dinners,” Amber interrupted, laughing at the memory.
“That was the best Thanksgiving ever.”
“It was, right?!” her mom agreed, her tone
sounding a little more upbeat. “I remember you standing in the
frozen food aisle in Fareway’s, hands on your hips, steaming mad at
Aaron because he didn’t want to get the turkey TV dinner. He
wanted…”
“Salisbury steak!” they both said loudly in
unison.
Her mom continued chuckling, “I have to admit
that I really wanted the fried chicken meal, but I was
scared I would scar you for life if I didn’t pick the turkey.”
“You’re right, it probably would have
traumatized me,” Amber laughed in agreement. “It was Thanksgiving
and I thought we should be eating turkey.”
There was a moment of silence on the line and
Amber continued, “Then we stayed up playing Monopoly and Clue and
we all fell asleep on the couch watching Fletch.”
“It was his favorite movie,” her mom’s voice
cracked.
“It was.” Amber felt tears falling down her
cheeks remembering her brother’s laugh as he watched Chevy Chase in
all of those ridiculous costumes and situations.
“I still watch it sometimes,” her mother
sounded so…broken, and alone.
Amber could barely get the words out, “So do
I.”
She heard her mom take a deep breath.
“Sweetie, I am so sorry I haven’t been there for you.”
She loved her mom so much. She knew that what
she was dealing with was an illness. She didn’t want her to feel
bad or guilty because of it.
“It’s fine, mom,” Amber said trying to hold
back the tears.
“It’s not fine. And I know that an apology
does not make everything better. But I just want you to know that I
love you so much, Sweetie. You are my princess.” Her mom sounded
stronger than Amber had heard her in a long time.
“I love you too, Mom.” Amber couldn’t stop
the
Similar Books
