Emma's POV
"And to what do I owe this?" Mom said, disappointed.
I could already guess who it was. I remembered her cologne.
"Can we talk like adults? The kids look up to us." She replied, as snidely as she did earlier.
"And how's he out so soon? We barely got back." My replied, still standing in the doorway, making no effort to shift.
"It's just a broken bone. We can manage that outside those scary white walls. I wasn't going to subscribe to a reminder of how I lost their dad." She said, still without emotion.
"Mom!" I heard Kayla and Kevin chorus somewhere from behind the door.
"He must be worth a tonne." My mom said as she tore the door open for them to come in.
I did not know how to act.
For all I care, I still have unfinished business with my mom, then this.
"Hi, Emma." Mrs Harwell said.
"Hi." I was both shy and nervous, but it was polite to reply when someone greets me.
Both Kayla and Kevin avoided my eyes as they made their way to the seat next to me.
Kevin was hobbling, which would have been funny if I didn't have all I do at hand.
"I heard what really happened." Mrs Holden started.
"Are you sure about that?" My mom asked.
With every exchange they had, my heart tumbled.
My mom was obviously still mad, but she probably realized that she connected with her on a deeper level.
"I'd rephrase that." Mrs Holden corrected herself. "I've heard their side of the story." She said, looking at them both beside me.
"Better." I hear my mom say under her breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
"I'm deeply hurt that things turned out the way they did." Mrs Holden continued. "I want to believe that no one here wanted that to happen. And while we have just one victim, we all are, really."
"You mean you have your nudes on, what's her name again, Monica's phone?" My mom was disgusted.
"I'm sorry, Linda." She replied. Unexpectedly, she wasn't as aggressive as I thought. "Obviously, it's quite sensitive, and right now, nothing I say would be found fault free by you. But I want Emma," She looked at me, with the meekest of looks, it was hard to reconcile her with the angry mom earlier at the hospital, "to know that if I could, I'd take back the hands of time and make sure it never happened. Kevin, obviously, realizes how stupid he has been, and while I don't want to apologize on his behalf so you don't forgive him for my sake, I apologize for everything this might cost you. And if there's anything you think I can do, legal and reasonable, I'd be only too willing to. Oh yeah, your relationship with Kevin after this is none of my business too. No pressure. I won't see you any different." She ended it with such a beautiful smile that I could not but take the hand she extended towards me.
"I'm sorry, Emma." Kayla said, putting a hand on my back.
I was going to tear up, but I held it back.
I still don't know what my mom thought of all this, but I was definitely going by whatever she thinks or says.
"I think he needs some rest." My mom said, cutting out the moment.
"Oh yeah, the doctor says that the painkillers would be doing a lot more than just killing the pain. I'll see you tomorrow, take care of yourselves." Mrs Holden said, before getting up and assisting Kayla to pick a dozing Kevin up from the chair where he was beginning to slumber.
He looked like he had lost weight already.
The Kevin that was half gone on my couch wasn't the buff, puff Kevin I used to know. He was just Kevin.
They made their way out as my mom held the door open for them.
"I think you've had enough for a day." She said after shutting the door. "I picked some chicken wings up on my way back. You can toss that in the microwave while you take a shower."
She headed to her room, and I heard the door bang shut.
Her phone started ringing, but it did not come from inside, the noise was from beside the packs of food she bought.
It was some Mike, but with love emojis. Last I remember, his name was Mark not Mark.
I decided to take them all and see what my big girl was up to.
"Hey hottie." The very deep, sexy, probably the sexiest bedroom, masculine voice I've heard.
Shamefully, I feel for him. I shook all the wicked thoughts, including and not restricted to stealing his contact from my mom, and answered him.
My mom and I had the same voice, but hers was a bit deeper, indistinguishable though, to people who didn't really know us. I had posed as my mom several times during meetings while she did something else.
"Was just going to bed." I replied to him, trying to make my voice as deep as possible.
"Oh. Are you mad about earlier or something? You sound off." He replied.
Now this was going down too fast.
Who was this dummy?
"What do you think?" I decided short responses were going to do it. Thankfully, something happened "earlier" that could've made her mad.
"We can't continue this way. If you don't want to talk, it's fine. I'll call you tomorrow, hopefully, you sleep it off." He said, so haughtily. I was disgusted on my mom's behalf.
"Whatever sinks your ship." I replied.
"The fuck did you just say? You don't have to be a bitch about…" I cut the call on him.
I had never been talked to like that by any man.
I was stunned to imagine that my mom had something with someone like that.
"Where did I drop it?" She asked, looking for her phone that was still in my hand. She had done her hair up and looked so young and pretty.
"Mike called." Those two words, and she froze.