101 Reasons (A HUNDRED AND ONE REASONS NOW AVAILABLE IN BOOKSTORES)

Reason Number 16

Love means

Never having to say you're sorry.

-Love Story by Erich Segal

When we reached home, my Mom greeted me with her unusual interest on how I look.

"You look pretty," she almost whispered, though I get that a lot. Hearing it from my Mom made it different. Unlike every other Mom, my Mom isn't really vocal and expressive; pretty much like me, hence the usual mother-daughter clashes. So it kind of sends shivers down my spine when she told me I'm pretty.

"Thanks Mom. You never really say that often." I kidded. All of a sudden she hugs me and I saw James took a quick escape so that he won't notice any girly dramas.

"You are. I'm so happy you're my daughter though you have your flaws, but hell who is someone without a flaw." She said caressing my head.

I laughed, "Did you actually said hell?"

"I've heard it a lot from you, your brother and Stan."

I smiled and my Mom motioned me to sit by the sofa, I did. This is our first time to actually talk, before, it's all about yelling and arguing and you know the usual walkout stuff.

"Stan's been really supportive, huh? I was the one who told him about you, I see James spaced out a lot of times then and I figured that he needs a confidante, and you know your brother's only friend is Stan right? So I told him everything. And you know what, he didn't even cry, well I don't actually expect him to, but he was very composed after that. And then he asked me if he can stand by you too because he really, really likes you."

I can't believe what I'm hearing, my Mom is a tattle tale! Kidding! I've hated my Mom my whole life and I never knew that all she ever did is to protect me. Pretty much, when you thought that your Mom is the greatest villain in your almost perfect life you're wrong, the same way I realized about it now.

"I'm really sorry." I said and then hugged her.

"Love means never having to say you're sorry." I smiled, my Mom quoted from a book again, before it's mostly about psychology and analyzing your teen daughter quotes but now it's from Erich Segal's Love Story.

"I didn't know you read novels."

"Because you didn't actually want to get to know me then. Don't worry sweetie, we'll have the rest of our lives for catching up." I prayed that she is right. The next morning I called Aya, Lee and Stan to join me and my brother to sign up as volunteers in Young Hearts. They all agreed, but I really have to warn Aya about her bursting into tears when she sees the children thin and sickly, she promised to never shed a tear and I hope that she will. My brother told me that he'll be a little late and that he'll come with Stan as well.Aya and I met at the coffee shop nearby and waited for Lee.

"Maybe he's still asleep." She said as she dialled Lee's number about a gazillion times now.