Unexpected Move

On the first day of winter break, I woke up and did my normal morning routine. As I started making breakfast, my mom came into the kitchen.

"Honey, I have some great news," she said.

I continued cooking but looked up at her with a smile. "What is it, Mom?"

She clapped her hands together once in excitement and said, "We’re moving into Rick's house!"

Rick was Mom's boyfriend for the past six months. He was a wealthy man with a busy schedule. Meanwhile, I was a junior in high school, on the dean’s list, and heavily involved in clubs and school activities. Because of this, I never had a chance to meet him.

But I never thought Mom would suddenly decide to move in with a man I’d never even met.

"What the hell?!" I yelled in shock.

We had lived in this house for seven years, and now we were moving? What about my friends and my school, where I worked so hard to excel?

"Bre, it's okay," Mom reassured me gently. "We’re moving into a house closer to your school, so nothing will change there. Rick will only be home on the weekends and late nights. When he has to work overnight, he wants me to go to the office with him so we can be together. But you won’t have to see much of him."

I sighed, realizing my outburst wasn’t helping. "I’m not worried about him at all, Mom. I’m just worried about school. I’ve worked so hard all these years to get on the dean’s list because I want a good recommendation for college. I’m sorry for my outburst."

Mom quickly hugged me. "Honey, I know how important school is to you. I would never do anything so selfish as to throw all your hard work away."

After a long pause, she spoke again, her voice low and gentle. "That reminds me—Rick opened an account at Ikea and said we can buy whatever we need for the new house. Don’t you want a new bed? You’ve always hated your twin bed, and your desk is too small. You can set up your room however you like."

Mom looked so happy and excited as she spoke. I hadn’t seen her like that in years.

"Let’s go after we finish eating, then," I said.

Mom’s face lit up with excitement. "Okay! But I have to get ready. I take longer since I’m old now. I’m not beautiful like you—you can just shower, throw on clothes, and look gorgeous."

I laughed. "Mom, really? Everyone says I’m your twin. The only difference is my hair is blonde."

Mom was beautiful and smart. She had long, dark brown hair that shone in the sunlight, a petite waist, and a confident but humble presence. Her sharp mind and charm made her a successful lawyer—she passed the bar at 22 while pregnant with me. Now at 39, she looked like she was in her early 20s. It was no wonder a rich guy like Rick wanted her.

"You’re right," Mom laughed. "Let me get ready really quick. I love you, my baby girl." She placed a kiss on my forehead and went to her room.

I ate quickly while Mom got ready. Then I jumped in the shower, washed my hair, and got dressed. I didn’t feel like doing much, so I put my hair in a bun and applied a little mascara. Even if I wasn’t thrilled about this whole moving situation, I wanted Mom to be happy. We hadn’t shopped together in a long time. I decided to pretend to be excited so she wouldn’t feel sad.

"Mom, are you ready? Let’s go," I yelled as I walked into her room.

"Yes! Let’s go," she replied, running out of the room and nearly crashing into me.

"Mom, you look beautiful as always. Let’s go have some fun," I said with a grin.

The store was a huge warehouse. We hadn’t bought anything in a long time because Mom’s focus had always been on paying the mortgage and settling Dad’s hospital bills. It felt nice to do something fun, like shopping for my new room.

"Bre, how big of a bed do you want? Maybe a queen or even a king size?" Mom asked as we browsed the mattresses.

"Mom, no, a full will be fine. Plus, I don’t even know how big my room will be."

Mom smiled. "Your room has its own bathroom—it’s almost like a master bedroom, maybe even bigger. The house has five bedrooms, and all of them are like masters."

I paused, confused. "Why are there five rooms?"