Fall Out Girl

I looked around at my childhood neighborhood. Nothing had really changed on the surface. The lawns were still manicured, the houses were still kept up and neat looking, but I could tell a lot of things had changed. I could sense the change in the air. And it was with a sad heart that I said “this isn’t my home anymore.” I looked over at Mrs. Whittaker’s house to see two dark kids running around the yard and stomping around in the garden that she had taken care of for the past fifty years.

I shook my head, remembering the call that had sent me into a brief panic attack. I was still in undergrad school, studying for a chem test with Roxie and Lexi. Pat was crying his eyes out and I just stopped breathing. It was horrible. The sad thing is is that I didn’t cry. I don’t know why, she was like a grandmother to me and I loved her with all my heart. I don’t think I can really cope with death. It’s just one of my many flaws. Hell, I’m still not over my first goldfish that died when I was four, let alone a person that died five years previously.

Sighing, I turned back to my house and walked up the steps. It didn’t feel the same. I suddenly felt like a complete stranger. I knocked on the wood door hesitantly, wondering if this was a bad idea or not. But as soon as I was ready to turn on my heel, the door opened, revealing the woman who gave birth to me…the one I haven’t seen in years. She had aged so much since I had last seen her.

“Emmy?” She looked shocked. Before I could register what was happening, I was held captive in her maternal hold. I felt safe and held her just as hard. There was no way I was letting go this time. I could feel her hot tears on my shirt.

“Mom, why are you crying?” I asked, still not letting go of her.

“My little girl has grown into a beautiful woman.” She then pulled away slowly and wiped her tears. “Come on, I kept your room the same. How long are you here for?” she grabbed one of my bags and offered her hand.

I grabbed my other bag and took her hand. “I’m here for two months, then I’m going back home.”

She nodded and set my stuff down in the foyer. “We’ll move it later. C’mon, I’m fixing dinner.”
Smiling, I let her lead me towards the kitchen, where a distinct humming could be heard from. “Hey, mom, I’m having trouble with the- holy hell, Emmy, you’re brunette.”

“Holy fucking hell, Roxie, you’re pregnant.”

“I know! It’s crazy!” She laughed, closing the space in between us as she hugged me. She pulled away quickly and hit me upside the head. “You didn’t come! You were a bridesmaid and you didn’t come.”

“That was four years ago! I was starting med school!”

“Nothing happens on the first day!”

“What are you talking about? You’ve gone to med school.”

She smiled sheepishly. “Yea, you’re right.”

“Exactly! And, seriously, who has a wedding on a Thursday?”

She hit me lightly on the arm. “It was my half birthday! I couldn’t resist.”