pizzaface | ✓

30.

"MOM? Are you getting married?"

It was Tuesday and Ron and Kim were back a day early from their lovers trip that Noel had no prior knowledge of. Ron had gone to the grocery store to stock up on beer and Cheryl had disappeared to wherever it is she went to on Tuesdays.

His mom had a strange glow in her eye, a spring to her step. "Mom, are you-"

"I heard you the first time Noel." They were both bustling around the kitchen, Kim making herself an elaborate herbal tea while Noel stood by the fridge, rocking back and forth on his heels absentmindedly.

"Well? Are you?"

"Suppose there's no point in surprising you." Then Kim held out her hand to Noel's twisted face, a bland dull silver ring encased around her finger. "I am getting married...isn't that exciting?"

Cheryl's words were dancing around Noel's brain, stark and harsh and terrifying real. It wasn't exciting, it made him feel sick to the stomach. "Mom are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! Ron is an amazing man...don't you think so?"

All the times Ron had touched him came searing uncomfortably into Noel's head, he took a look at his Mom who's face was glowing, she had a small smile on, as if she was trying to contain herself from bursting out into a large grin. Noel couldn't spoil that, all his mom ever wanted was to be happy and if Ron made her happy, then so be it.

"Yeah."

"Don't worry Noel." Kim had began to take a sip of her tea, the liquid was piping hot, causing her to retract her pursed lips quickly. "When you meet someone, you'll understand what it's like."

"You mean to love someone?"

"Yes! You get it! Remember that boy Cheryl used to bring to our house all the time?"

"Myron." Myron.

"Yes him! I suspect Cheryl was very much in love with him... whatever happened to him anyways?"

"They broke up. Cheryl's dating someone else now."

"What a shame." Kim went to take another sip of her tea, hoping that it wasn't scalding hot this time, yet the fruity liquid still burned in her throat, she could feel her tongue begin to smart and ache. "I'm not doing this just for me you know? It's for you too. You need a fatherly figure."

"I have a father." 

Kim's expression automatically changed, her mouth curdling into a grimace. "That waste of space?"

Noel only shrugged, he was debating on whether to tell his mom that he met his father on the previous weekend and had ran like a coward, he debated telling her that he missed him, he missed him so much that it hurt to see him living in a picturesque cottage in the woods with a British lady with rose red hair and a cute kid with oodles of freckles and a gap tooth. He debated on telling her that he felt like crying and screaming at once, that this wedding was a total nightmare and Myron, the football oaf, Cheryl's ex, the enigma - he of all people had kissed him, had made him forget everything for just a millisecond until reality came tumbling down in crap quality.

But he couldn't. Because he just couldn't be the reason for his mom's unhappiness.

"You're right Mom, this is good for both of us." Noel couldn't stand being in that kitchen any longer and so had teetered out, refusing the urge to look back, refusing the urge to breakdown into uncontrollable tears.

His mom however stood in the kitchen by herself, her cup of herbal tea still warm in her hands, it was bitter though, despite the fact the sugar had collected at the bottom in an unsatisfying heap. Kim went over to the sink and turned the tap on, she watched the water gush down silently before tipping her remains of herbal tea down the sink, the brown liquid slathered into the drain, a loud gurgle sound sparked into the air.

The kitchen cupboard was left open leaving on display a box of powder hot cocoa. Kim was about to make Noel hot chocolate but stopped herself from taking the box.

Getting married was good news and hot chocolate wasn't for good news.