Chapter six

After a long day, I finally arrived at my mom’s house. I stepped onto the familiar porch of my childhood home. Walking through the front door revived forgotten moments of my past. I had convinced myself I had left this chapter of my life behind,but here I was, back at the beginning. Standing in this very spot, I realized life had come full circle and I wasn't prepared. A surprise return to familiar grounds.

The door swung open and my mom's pinched face greeted me, I dropped my bags and gave my mom a big hug.

“What happened, why are you here?” she asked, her eyes blazed with intensity.

I hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

“I am talking to you”, her voice rose.

“Mom please, at least not now”,my voice cracked with emotion.

“Emily…. Emily”, Nora came running.

She reached just in time to rescue me from the interrogation.

Nora is my childhood friend who has always been on my side no matter the circumstances. I can say she understands me even more than my mom does. She was the only person who was against me getting married to Harrison. I wish I listened to her!.

“Emily…..”, Her eyes welled with tears as she hugged me.

“Tell me, did that man do anything to you”, she lashed out.

“How did you know I was going to be here”, "I didn't call you up”.

“Mother did”, she replied.

I turned and looked at my mother with a disapproving face.

“Why are you looking at me like that, did I do anything wrong”, she said, her tone cold.

Growing up with my mum was like walking on eggshells,never knowing when she would lash out. My mum's toxic behavior was a coping mechanism, a way to mask her own vulnerabilities.She was trapped in her own web of insecurities, and I was the unwitting fly, her constant belittling me left me small, insignificant and unworthy.

I have always struggled to form a healthy relationship, always expecting criticism and rejection from her. Her behavior was a reflection of her own pain,a pain she refused to acknowledge.

“Now tell me why are you here”, her gaze lingered and she noticed the suitcases that stood packed, “and why have you come with all this stuff”, she asked pointing out to where the suitcases were.

“Mom please……”, my voice cracked with emotion as I replied, “I don't want to talk about anything now”.

Her eyes locked onto mine, filled with unspoken disappointment, before she turned away.

Nora looked at me, her face crumbling as she sobbed uncontrollably.

“Please Nora, not now”, my voice was low and serious.

she proceeded to cry, her sobs shook the foundation.

“Please stop”, the tone of my voice dropped to a whisper.

“Emily………….!”She cried like a baby, her face scrunched up and her mouth open in a silent scream.

I shot her a look and walked away, she followed closely behind me,her footsteps quickening to match my pace.

As soon as we walked into what was going to be my room, she looked me straight in the eye. Her gaze communicated more than words could.

I looked her straight in the eyes and said. “I know you have a lot of questions but I won't answer any of them, so don't bother asking anything”.

“Okay I won't ask anything”, she replied.

The room fell silent.

“But tell me what Harrison did to you”, she asked with a furrowed brow and tightened jaw.

“Isn't that considered a question”, I replied with amusement.

“ Is it?”. she asked

“Yes it is”, I replied.

There was a prolonged period of silence.

Nora has always had doubts on Harrison from the very start. She was the only person who objected to our marriage. She always told me she doubted Harrison's intentions, but I never listened to her, because I was so in love. I wish I did!.

As I gazed upon the walls, the boundaries between past and present began to blur, and I was transported back to a bygone era. The past, like a ghost, whispered secrets in my ear, reminding me of what I had thought was forgotten.

I couldn't believe I was back in the room I once bid farewell to. I really thought my marriage was to last forever, Never had I ever imagined I would be back once again.

“Emily! where is Mia?”, Nora asked.

The sound of my name being called was like a lifeline pulling me back from the depths of my own mind.

“She is at school, I am going to get her later”, I replied.

“Does she know!”, Nora asked with a concerned tone.

I froze for a second.*********

“No…..”, and I won't let her know anything, I don't want Mia getting affected by all this”, the tone of my voice dropped to a whisper.

“It's okay, I understand if you don't want her to get hurt, but how long will you keep it from her, she will certainly ask questions, you know how Mia is!”.

“I will try my best to protect Mia from our breakout”, I replied.

“But what about your mother, you know she's a loud mouth, Mia will certainly know as long as she's around her”.

“I won't let that happen”, my tone took on a sharper edge. “I will do whatever it takes”.

**********

As the hours went by, it was time to get Mia from school. I decided to let Nora go with me because I needed someone to help me distract Mia from asking alot of questions.

As we stepped into the school compounds, Mia was seated at the school's waiting area ready to be taken home.

“Hey Mia”, Nora called out.

As soon as she caught sight of us, a bright , genuine smile broke out across her face, lighting up her eyes with warmth and affection.

“Auntie Nora”, Mia came running.

“I missed you baby”,

“I missed you too auntie”,

“Uhmm , so Mia , you missed me, and I missed you, and tomorrow is a weekend. Why don't we spend some time together”. Nora implored, trying to distract Mia.

“Yes auntie”, Mia replied eagerly.

“Something like a girls night” what do you say”, she continued.

“Yeeee”, Mia jumped up and down out of excitement.

“We can go to grandma, only if mummy can allow us”, Nora turned and looked at me.

“Mummy please say yes”, Mia pleaded.

I lifted my gaze and looked at Nora, and smiled in disguise, it was a silent acknowledgement , a secretive communication between the two of us that spoke volumes without a single word being uttered. The smile in disguise conveyed a sense of appreciation for the moment.

“It's okay Mia, anything for my baby”, I replied as though it wasn’t my intention.

“ Thanks Mummy”, Mia jumped out of excitement.

“Yeee, let's go Mia”, Nora held Mia’s hand ready to leave.