New Beginnings: A Hessa Story (2)

Chapter 66: Hardin

"You all packed?" Tessa asks as I finish shoving a handful of shirts into my suitcase. I hear her click her tongue in disgust.

"Here, let me." She sighs before grabbing the shirts out of my hands and folding them.

"How long are we staying anyway?" I ask.

"Well, I figured we could fly to England for a couple days to see how your mother is, then once we know she's okay, we can take a train to France."

"So we're still going to France?"

"Yeah, if things go well with Trish. We'll play it by ear."

I exaggerate a surprised expression. "Did Tessa Young just say she'll play it by ear!?"

"I'll allow you to get away with that because of the circumstances." She laughs as she places another neatly folded shirt into my suitcase.

"Are you all packed?"

She looks at me with a funny expression on her face. "Of course I am."

"Just making sure."

"Okay, now that your clothes are all folded, do you have all your toiletries?"

"I think so..." I answer hesitantly because I always seem to forget shit when packing. With my mind on my mum, it's fucking inevitable at this point.

"Do you have your toothbrush?"

"Yep."

"Toothpaste?"

"Yes."

"Deodorant?"

"Yes."

"Hair comb?"

"A huh."

She giggles. "Shampoo, conditioner, body wash..."

"Check, check and check."

"Razor, shaving cream?"

"Both yes. I'm ready to go."

Her mouth falls open, and her hand goes to her chest the way mine did before when I was mocking her. "Did Hardin Scott just say he's ready to go..." She glares at her watch. "five whole minutes before we are supposed to leave?"

"Yes he did." I grab her waist, and fall onto the bed with her on top of me. "And what are we going to do with these five extra minutes?"

"Well, Mr. Scott, I can think of a few things..." She smiles brightly. I need Tessa to take my mind off my mum right now. I can't stop thinking about how she's in critical condition. I never thought I would ever be in a situation where I could potentially lose a parent, not this young anyways. Different from Ken, who I figured would've died from alcohol poisoning before I turned sixteen, my mum was always super healthy. She exercised, drank a million gallons of water, never smoked, and rarely drank alcohol...

It's crazy how something can happen in a split second that can set the course for the rest of your life.

It has happened to me a few times over the course of my life. It happened when I witnessed my mother's brutal assault all those years ago. It happened the day Theresa Young entered her dorm room on her first day of college. All of these things have led me to being the man I am right now. One thing could have easily thrown everything off. If my father wasn't such a fuck up and my mother wasn't assaulted, I would have never come to the States. I would never have went to WCU. I would have never met Zed, Steph, Jace or Molly. I never would have met Landon, and I never would have met Tessa. Something awful led me to something beautiful, even though there were multiple bumps on the way. I would like to think the same thing will happen to my mum.