trying not to make eye contact with the ghastly pale, fuzzy pink robe wearing woman looking at him like he was evil incarnate. I flushed well beyond mortification and right into ‘please shoot me’ red.
Finally I managed to say, “Thanks for walking me home, Raf.”
Saying his name gave him an out and he grunted something that sounded like, “No problem,”as he ran past me out the door.
I stood at the bottom of the stairs trying to calm down before confronting my mom. She was worried and, yeah, I hadn’t called, but she had just embarrassed me in front of sweet, sexy, Raf. Ideally my future boyfriend but, if nothing else, at least my friend.
About to say something full of snark, I looked up at her. She was suddenly taller, wider. Her entire presence grew and radiated pure power, as though she could shatter the universe merely by throwing her arms wide and shouting a command. Then, she spoke. I swear the words spread out into the air and flowed toward me like ripples in a pond. “Come inside. Now,” said demon mom.
I didn’t even give a millisecond of thought to refusing.
Birthday Present
Once inside, she seemed to return to normal mom. Which was good, because demon mom was really, really scary.
She slammed the door and I jumped. “Mom?”
She sat down hard in the crusty lazy-boy and put her face down into her hands.
“Mom?” I asked again.
When she looked up at me she seemed defeated. The exact opposite of the growling woman who had just ordered me inside. “Harper, you just have no idea how much danger you’re in. Please don’t do this to me again. I can’t deal with the fear that you’re gone forever.”
I felt like a small fleck of crap on an an elephant’s ass. No, even elephant poop had more dignity than I did in that moment. I hadn’t even thought to call her. To be honest, I really expected her to be mad not terrified, but it was fear I saw on her face now.
“Mom I’m really sorry.” I went and knelt next to her, taking her hands into mine. They were like ice. Her lips looked blue. “Mom, you need a blanket. Hang on.”
I ran, grabbed the patchy quilt off the bed and put it gently over her.
“Mom, I’m sorry. I didn’t think…” I just hadn’t thought about her at all.
She licked her dry lips and looked at me with eyes shining with tears. I sort of wished she would yell at me because then I might not have felt like the absolute worst human being alive. Anger would have made me nice and righteous, but she was so scared and that just made me feel like a terrible daughter.
“Harper, you just don’t understand.”
“Then tell me mom. If there is really someone after us, I need to know.”
She nodded in the faint lamp light. A curl of hair fell across her face making her look much younger. “I can see it’s time.”
Despite the guilt pulling on every atom of my being, I felt a flash of excitement. Of course I had always wondered. Why did we run to Belize? Why did dad leave us? Why did we come to the most noxious place in the known universe, Great Fall, Virginia? I’d pestered her a lot when I was young, but eventually just gave up.
“Your birthday isn’t for a few days, but consider this your birthday present from me. The truth.”
I didn’t say anything, afraid she might change her mind.
She took a long breath in and rubbed her hands over her face as though working up to something.
“Some of what I say is going to sound crazy, Harper.”
I laughed. “Mom, I’m pretty used to you sounding crazy.”
I meant it as a joke but mom winced. Way to go, Harper.
“I am sorry about that, little Wren. I hate the thought that my own daughter wonders if I’ve lost my mind.”
“Most of the time I don’t…I mean, I don’t mom. I mean, there are…”
“Just let me talk.” She put her hands over mine. They still felt chilled but at least her face didn’t look blue any more.
“To be honest I don’t know much, but I know the basics. And I know
Finally I managed to say, “Thanks for walking me home, Raf.”
Saying his name gave him an out and he grunted something that sounded like, “No problem,”as he ran past me out the door.
I stood at the bottom of the stairs trying to calm down before confronting my mom. She was worried and, yeah, I hadn’t called, but she had just embarrassed me in front of sweet, sexy, Raf. Ideally my future boyfriend but, if nothing else, at least my friend.
About to say something full of snark, I looked up at her. She was suddenly taller, wider. Her entire presence grew and radiated pure power, as though she could shatter the universe merely by throwing her arms wide and shouting a command. Then, she spoke. I swear the words spread out into the air and flowed toward me like ripples in a pond. “Come inside. Now,” said demon mom.
I didn’t even give a millisecond of thought to refusing.
Birthday Present
Once inside, she seemed to return to normal mom. Which was good, because demon mom was really, really scary.
She slammed the door and I jumped. “Mom?”
She sat down hard in the crusty lazy-boy and put her face down into her hands.
“Mom?” I asked again.
When she looked up at me she seemed defeated. The exact opposite of the growling woman who had just ordered me inside. “Harper, you just have no idea how much danger you’re in. Please don’t do this to me again. I can’t deal with the fear that you’re gone forever.”
I felt like a small fleck of crap on an an elephant’s ass. No, even elephant poop had more dignity than I did in that moment. I hadn’t even thought to call her. To be honest, I really expected her to be mad not terrified, but it was fear I saw on her face now.
“Mom I’m really sorry.” I went and knelt next to her, taking her hands into mine. They were like ice. Her lips looked blue. “Mom, you need a blanket. Hang on.”
I ran, grabbed the patchy quilt off the bed and put it gently over her.
“Mom, I’m sorry. I didn’t think…” I just hadn’t thought about her at all.
She licked her dry lips and looked at me with eyes shining with tears. I sort of wished she would yell at me because then I might not have felt like the absolute worst human being alive. Anger would have made me nice and righteous, but she was so scared and that just made me feel like a terrible daughter.
“Harper, you just don’t understand.”
“Then tell me mom. If there is really someone after us, I need to know.”
She nodded in the faint lamp light. A curl of hair fell across her face making her look much younger. “I can see it’s time.”
Despite the guilt pulling on every atom of my being, I felt a flash of excitement. Of course I had always wondered. Why did we run to Belize? Why did dad leave us? Why did we come to the most noxious place in the known universe, Great Fall, Virginia? I’d pestered her a lot when I was young, but eventually just gave up.
“Your birthday isn’t for a few days, but consider this your birthday present from me. The truth.”
I didn’t say anything, afraid she might change her mind.
She took a long breath in and rubbed her hands over her face as though working up to something.
“Some of what I say is going to sound crazy, Harper.”
I laughed. “Mom, I’m pretty used to you sounding crazy.”
I meant it as a joke but mom winced. Way to go, Harper.
“I am sorry about that, little Wren. I hate the thought that my own daughter wonders if I’ve lost my mind.”
“Most of the time I don’t…I mean, I don’t mom. I mean, there are…”
“Just let me talk.” She put her hands over mine. They still felt chilled but at least her face didn’t look blue any more.
“To be honest I don’t know much, but I know the basics. And I know
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