Crashing Into Blue

Chapter 42

I tell Indigo that I'll meet her outside our house once I finish making myself a presentable human being again. After a scorching hot shower, a thorough teeth brushing, and downing the cup of bitter black coffee, I make my way down the stairs, ready to face my consequences. As I reach the first floor, I see our mom leaning against our kitchen counter, facing the staircase, waiting for me I realize. She quirks an eyebrow at me and summons me with a bend of her finger. This is one consequence I totally forgot about facing. I walk towards her, dreading what's to come; my metaphorical tail is between my legs right now.

"So, how are we feeling this morning?" she asks me coolly. I try to swallow and find that my throat is a dry as the desert.

"Ugh, not bad," I say to her without making eye contact. I scratch the back of my neck nervously, bouncing from foot to foot. She leans into the counter, closing some of the distance between us, forcing me to look at her. I flinch at the steel I see in her eyes.

"As long as you're living under my roof, you don't get to come home drunk, understood?" she says slowly and clearly.

With a flush on my neck, feeling abashed, I nod. "It won't happen ever again. And I mean never; not here, not there, not anywhere."

A smile breaks through her tough mom armour. "Not so fun, is it?"

"Definitely overrated," I say back to her.

"Good, I hope you never forget that feeling, because I won't ever forget helping your sister carry you up to your bed," she says to me while looking me over. I visibly cringe at her words.

"So are we going to talk about what made you drink so much last night? Because I know there had to be something, and I'm guessing it had to do with a certain boy."

I let out a sigh and slump into a stool at our breakfast bar. My mom walks around to sit next to me.

"It's all such a mess, mom; you were right when you said everything was going to come to the surface. But it didn't float up gently; it was more of a tsunami, throwing up everything from the deepest depths and flinging it at the nearest objects."

I drop my head onto the cool counter, which helps chase away the remnants of my hangover headache. My mom starts rubbing soothing circle on my back like when I was little, and the motion breaks me down even further. I squint my eyes shut tightly.

"Oh Lia, you have so much ahead of you, so much growing to do. You know that they call it growing pains for a reason; pain, because it can hurt. But you're usually left mended at the end, stronger than before, and that's the growing part. That's what it's all about in the end; that you don't break from the pain, but that you grow from the change. That's really the key at the end of it all."

I lift my head off the counter and blink at my mom, her words striking a cord within me.

"When did Yoda start living with me?"

Her shoulders shake with laughter and she reaches over to give me a side hug, kissing me on the cheek. I feel myself melt into her.

"It's years of falling down and getting back up, Lia. You can't turn away when things get tough; that's usually when you have to start pushing forward with all you've got. I think it's time you started pushing a little harder."

She pulls away from me and starts for the back door. I call out to her.

"Hey mom; have you finally finished the piece for your show yet?"

She looks out towards her shed. "I think I have, and I can't wait for you and your sister to see it on Thursday night."