I woke up the next morning with an insane back pain. I don't know what it was but it was slowly taking all my energy away from me. I should probably have it checked out.

After taking a long hot shower to ease some of the pain I quickly got dressed and walked down the flight of stairs.

" Blake!" I yell looking for him.

No answer.

" He already left babe." Stella enters my view.

I'm not even surprised by her just showing up here. But what surprises me is that she is here this early. This isn't like Stella. Stella likes to sleep in late.

" You better get going. You are going to be late. " Stella says munching on a bran muffin. Yum. I don't think seeds on a muffin has ever looked this good before.

" Where to?" confusion fills my mind.

Stella rolls her eyes.

" You are meeting your mom at 9." she continues to eat the muffin.

Before I can argue another bolt of pain shoots down my lower back making me lean backwards to calm the pain down.

" Mother of Theresa this fucking hurts." I groan in pain.

Within a heartbeat Stella is next to my side. Worry written over her features.

" You always look like crap but today you look like crap mixed with two week old barf." Stella says.

Gee thanks.

I take slow breaths until the pain eases again.

" I'm fine." I sigh as the pain eases a bit.

Just before I can make an escape Stella grabs my wrist.

" My car is this way babe."

She basicly drags me over to her car and forces me to sit in the passenger seat.

She climbs into the driver's seat and pulls out a can of beer. What the heck. Where did that even come from?

" Stella it's 8:30 am and you are already drinking a beer? " I look at her wide eyed.

She shrugs and starts the engine. Guess I'm meeting up with my mom then.

" I'll be back in an hour to pick you up again. And like just hear her out. She has a lot to say." Stella says before she drives off, leaving me in the parking lot of a diner utterly confused. Why all the sudden care in my relationship with my mom?

Mom better not ditch me.

I struggle to walk into the empty diner with my back ache. Once I open the door a middle - aged woman gives me a friendly smile. I give her a polite smile back.

" Welcome to Ben's Diner. Table for one?" she asks taking out a menu.

" Oh uhm no, I'm actually meeting someone here."

She points to a booth in the corner. There she sat. Mom. I turn back to the waitress and give her another smile before walking towards my mother.

" Hey honey. " Mom says standing up. She gives me a light hug and helps me sit down. I don't say anything. Mom takes her seat again.

" Thanks for coming." she gives me a half smile.

" Not like I had much of I choice." I mumble under my breath, not sure if she heard it.

She doesn't say anything about my rude remark though. She takes a sip from her coffee and slightly gestures to the orange juice in front of me.

" Your favorite." she smiles.

I look down at the glass filled with freshly squeezed orange juice. She's right. It was my favorite. Was as in past tense. Chicka doesn't like it that much though.

" I get nauseous drinking it now." I reply.

" Oh that's okay. We can get you something else. A smoothie, perhaps a milk-"

I sigh.

" Mom just stop. This is ridiculous." I can't take the awkward tension drowning the two of us.

" I divorced your father. " she blurts out.

I choke on absolute nothing. Shocked by the bombshell she just threw at me.

I look up to her and see her glossy eyes. They look so broken. Gosh if I wasn't this pissed at her I would just hold her the whole day.

" Good for you. " I swallow the words.

I see her hands start to shake.

" Everly you have no idea what's it been like without you. He's gotten worse. He used me like his own personal punching bag when he was upset and he was upset m-most of the time. I couldn't b-breath properly because I knew that if I say one wrong thing I have to take the h-hit. I took the hit for years for you and your s-sister. He hurt the both of you. I always tried to step in but he would end up hitting me until I could no longer s-stand. I couldn't stand up for my own children. Over the years I accepted his behavior. I thought that this is what I d-deserve. This is what I deserve for not being able to give him a son to carry on the f-family name. I blamed M-myself. " by this time she was crying.

" After you left he had no one else to put out his frustration on. I was t-terrified. There were so many days I could not even go work because of the b-bruses. I-I cried for you to come B-back because you were the only one not afraid of him. You aren't a c-coward. You stand your ground. That is something I admire so much about you because I couldn't do that. When I heard him k-kick you out I completely zoned out. I was being mind controlled by his wicked games. When I saw you in the store a few weeks later it was like I snapped out of the trance. The next day I stepped up to your father. He h-hit me so h-hard Everly. I had to run away. I was s-so scared sweetie. I ran to your grandmother's and she talked some sense into me. I filed for a divorce and had a restraining order against him. He wasn't allowed near me. It took him long to finally sign the papers. Once he finally did I left without a word. I needed to get away. That's how I ended up running into Stella and she flew me over here. I know my pathetic excuse of an apology will never fix things between us but I just want you to know that I'm really trying to be a better person. Not for anyone else but for myself. " mom finishes.

It was a lot to register. I knew I had an abusive father but I have never seen him this way mom just described. All the abuse because she couldn't give him a son to carry out a stupid family name? What kind of phsyco is he? I'm ashamed of my family name that's why I'll never live up to it. As soon as I'm married I'll immediately take another surname. The hell with this Adams family name.

I feel a tear slip down my cheek.

I look up again at my mother. She didn't deserve any of this. Sure she was a coward and all but she didn't deserve it. At least she stood up for herself after 20 years and divorced the monster. I have to give her the credit for that one. She has such a fragile heart and I can't bear seeing her cry.

" Oh mom." I sniffle as I wipe away my tear.

Mom looks up at me and wipes away her own tears.

" I am truly so so so sorry Everly. You didn't deserve the childhood we gave you." she chokes on her words.

" It had its perks. Look at me now. I'm strong and I'm an independent woman. Dad was rough on me and it made me realize that I'm my own person and that the world isn't filled with rainbows and sunshines. " I reply

Mom smiles. " You truly have that pregnancy glow. "

I can't help but smile. This pregnancy has taught me a lot about taking responsibility for my actions. I'm more mature than I ever thought I would be. I never had things handed to me on a silver plate and I'm grateful for that because in all honesty, we live in a cruel world. I got a glimpse of it growing up.

Before I can reply another bolt of pain shoots through to my lower back. I jump from the shock. A loud whimper escapes my mouth from the pain.

Dear God.

Mom jumps up immediately. " Whats wrong?!"

I look down at my gray sweatpants. Sure enough it was wet.

" Everly what's going on?!" mom is freaking out by now as the third whimper comes out of my mouth.

I look up at my mom.

" My water just broke."

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