Torn 🤎 (Completed)

Chapter 22: Family Is Everything

Mia 💛
It's been almost a week since I've talked to Joshua and I was beginning to get worried. All of my phone calls and text messages went unanswered. And as much as Joshua was probably mad at me, it was unlike him to go this long without contacting me back.

My nerves were getting the best of me and eventually, I got so worried that I decided to call my parents to check if they'd heard from him.

I was home alone and so I didn't think twice about grabbing my cellphone and plopping down on the couch in the living room. I unlocked my screen and dialed my moms number so that we could FaceTime.

The phone rang a few times. By the 3rd ring, my moms familiar face eventually came into view. I gave her a genuine smile because without my mom I was convinced I wouldn't be able to pull through any of the dark times I've experienced in my life. My mother was my rock.

However, once I took my moms appearance in, my smile waned. She looked more tired and stressed out than usual. I scrunched my brows together as I observed the dark circles under her eyes and the exhaustion evident on her face. My mother smiled at me but it seemed she was trying her best to hide whatever was bothering her. My mom had a habit of being strong for others and not looking after herself. And so I worried about her, especially whenever she looked this exhausted and drained. People said I was this same way. Apparently, when it came to looking after my loved ones, I had a one tracked mind which made me forget all about myself. But I couldn't help that. After Mike died, I became a firm believer in looking after my family's wellbeing and making sure they were first in my life.

My moms voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Hey Mia, how are you today?" My mom greeted me with the forced smile still pasted onto her face. I eyeballed her for a moment before responding.

"I'm good- Mom, are you okay?" I asked skeptically. There was no way something wasn't wrong. My mother tilted her head to the side and furrowed her eyebrows as if she were confused that I'd asked that question.

"Mia, you're always worrying about something. But to answer your question, I'm fine, missy." She shook her head as if to brush my concerns off. I eyed her for a few more moments to make sure she was telling me the truth. I wasn't completely satisfied but I decided to drop the subject for now. Instead, I segued into talking about Joshua.

"Anyway, have you heard from Josh lately? I haven't spoken to him since last Saturday and I'm getting worried. He's not answering any of my phone calls or text messages soooo... I'm kind of thinking the worst right about now." My mother sighed.

"Mia, you really need to stop worrying so much. Yes, Joshua is fine. He told me about your argument the other day." My mother shook her head. "Right now, Josh just needs some space. I just spoke to him so no worries, okay?" It was a relief hearing my mom confirm that Josh was okay. I exhaled a deep breath before responding.

"I know that I worry alot but, you have to understand, he's my younger brother and I feel obligated to protect him. Especially because I couldn't protect-" I trailed off. I didn't want to bring up talking about Mike right now. My mom sighed again while shaking her head; for some reason she seemed disappointed in herself.

"I feel like I've failed you Mia. You put too much pressure on yourself instead of being the college student you should be. I understand that you love your brother and will do anything for him but, Joshua isn't your responsibility. You've literally neglected yourself because of how much you worry about others." I rolled my eyes at my mother's observation. Me, caring for my family, shouldn't be such a big deal.

"I don't neglect myself mom." I stated defensively. My mother pressed her lips together and scrunched her brows forward as if she didn't believe me.

"Mhmm... Tell me something Mia...when was the last time you dated? Or when was the last time you had fun without worrying about other people." Ha! I nearly laughed. My mom had no idea how eventful my life had been lately.