I look at the woman standing in front of me. She looks older. I can see the gray starting to take over her blonde locks. She has gained more wrinkles around the corners of her eyes. Her eyes don't hold that ocean blue color they once had. It's now replaced with a gray cloud. I can see the bags that have formed under her eyes due to lack of sleep. She looks skinnier. She looks sick. She doesn't look like the mom I have gotten used to over the years.

In front of me stands the lady that abandoned me in a time when I was low. She threw me out like the piece of trash my father called me. The once loving mother was long gone, replaced with awful memories. She stopped stepping up for me. She stopped asking me how my day was. She stopped smiling, even laughing. She just stopped caring. I mostly blamed my dad for her change but she could've stopped him from becoming the monster he is today. He wasn't always that abusive parent. He once had a heart of gold. His hazel eyes spoke a thounds words but now, now they stay quiet and let his mind do the talking.

In front of me stands a woman, too scared to fight for her rights and in the process she lost both her daughters. Alexa gave up on her years ago but still tries to treat her like the mother she is. I on the other hand gave up on her the day she started packing my bags after dad kicked me out. It was like the last stream of sunlight that just disappeared in her eyes. Now it's empty and replaced with hurt.

The woman standing in front of me used to be my mother. Now? Now she's just a mear memory.

" E-Everly." My mom chokes on my name. Her eyes immediately swells up and she pulls me into a tight embrace.

Even through her thick layer of clothes I can feel her bony figure. Poor mom. She doesn't deserve this. No one does. But it doesn't change her actions.

I don't hug back. I stand frozen in place. My eyes zoom past the faces. Most of the people I don't recognize but here and there are a few familiar faces. My eyes land on Alexa.

Alexa. I haven't seen her in months. After Liam's uncle blew up their house I haven't seen much. The last time I saw her we had a huge argument because I told her I was leaving the country. We didn't talk after that.

Alexa catches my glance and looks at me nervously. She then proceeds to walk over. She's gained weight. I can instantly tell. She looks healthy. The exact opposite of mom. Her light brown locks hop from side to side as she approaches me. I step away from my mother and wrap Alexa in a bone crushing hug. She's still my sister.

" God I missed you." I whisper to her and I feel a tear slip down my cheek. Alexa moves away and wipes the tear away with her thumb, trying to hold back her own set of tears.

Her presence makes me feel at ease. She's my comfort zone. I can be whoever I want to be when I'm with her. No need to act like everything is okay when clearly nothing is okay. She's my big sister.

I look back at my mother as she stares at the two of us. I have nothing to say to this woman. Nothing. Why is she even here? Before I can ask her I hear Stella awkwardly clear her throat.

" So uhm not to be rude but... LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!" she yells and everyone yells along as she pulls me into the crowd.

The whole babyshower went by so quickly. I recognized a lot of the women from the gang who I briefly met. I still didn't know half the people but Stella explained that a lot of them are people she knows from the gang and just overall family friends.

Don't really know who they are but they brought a lot of presents. Presents that I don't get to open. That's Jasmine's job. Speaking of Jasmine, she was also there. She was the one who decided to throw me this babyshower in the first place and helped Stella fly all these people out. Definitely sounds like an expensive situation. I was kind of shocked when I found out it was all Jasmine's idea but I appreciated it a lot.

We played all sorts of games. Like Guess the Baby, Baby Items In A Bag, Baby Sketch Artist, Dirty Diapers and Guess The Baby food. It was fun and it got my mind off a lot of things.

Near the end of the babyshower my mother pulled me to the side. She told me that she wants to meet me for coffee tomorrow morning. She gave me the address of a diner nearby and quickly disappeared before I could reject her offer.

Touchè.

All in all it was a nice way to celebrate Chicka, even though I don't get to be her mother. Thank the good Lord above that Stella had hired people to come clean the room so that we don't have to.

I got home just after 8 pm and I was surprised to see Blake's car in the driveway. I bid Stella goodbye and quickly unlocked the front door to escape the freezing weather.

" Where have you been? " I hear a stern voice ask.

I look over to Blake sitting on a couch in the living room, looking all fatherly.

" Sorry dad." I laugh and walk over to him.

" Everly I'm serious. Where have you been." He seems pissed.

It was just a joke.

I take a seat on the nearest couch.

" I was at my babyshower." I shrug.

Blake gets up from his seat and walks over to me.

" Why didn't you let me know?" he groans.

Someone's in a mood.

" First of all, I can go where I feel the need to go. Secondly I'm mature enough to stay out until eight for God's sake. " I snap.

" You could've told me where you were!" Blake yells. I stand up facing him.

" Don't raise your voice when you are taking to me. " I warn him.

Blake rests his hands on his hips. I can see a deep frown forming. He inhales and exhales loudly.

" Just let me know where you are next time. " he orders and walks off.

Oh hell no. He just spoiled my mood. He's not getting away with it that easy.

" Blake what the hell is up with you? You are never home and when you are home you don't talk much. Then I come back at eight in the evening and you freak out. This isn't you Blake. " I press for the answers I so desperately seek.

" How was the babyshower? " he asks changing the topic.

He always does this. I'm sick of it.

" Don't change the topic. Answer me. " I groan.

Blake takes a second to look at me. I take the the second to look at his tired figure. He has dark bags making its appearance under his eyes, just like my mother.

" Dinner is in the microwave." he says and starts to make his way up the stairs.

I sit down on the couch. I really don't know how to talk to him anymore. We used to talk about all sorts of things and now, now I don't even know how to approach him. I know something is bothering him but I can't understand why he doesn't talk to me about it.

I turn on the big screen and open Netflix. I haven't watched Netflix in a while so now is the perfect time to catch up on some series.

Hopefully that will get my mind off of Blake.

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