Ring. Ring.
"Hello?" A voice screamed over the phone. "Who is this? Hello?!"
"Mom! It's Serena! Who else would call from my number?" Serena asked laughing. "And why are you yelling?"
"Oh Serena, hi honey! I am sorry I didn't even check the caller name thing." Irene replied with her tone dropped just enough. "And I am at the market right now, you know it is so hard to hear out here. Are you okay? What's wrong? Are you pregnant?"
"Oh my god Mom!" Serena plopped back into her bed. "I am not pregnant and I am fine. Just fine."
"Lie! What's wrong sweet pea."
"I am fine mom really." Serena let out a slow sigh. "I just wanted to know if you and Dad were going to be home in two weeks. We are on break and..."
"You're coming home!?" Irene asked with excitement. Serena could not see her but she is almost certain her mom was jumping for joy. "Whatever we have planned I will cancel."
"Are you sure mom?"
"Of course, my sweet bunny. Will it just be you? Will Darien be coming too?"
Serena sat up on her bed. Cleared her throat and started picking at her toe nail polish.
"Hello, Sere did I lose you?"
"Umm no mom. You didn't lose me, I am here." She exhaled. "And no Darien is not coming." She felt her voice crack. "It will just be me."
"Well I am so excited that you will be home. I am going to make all your favorites. In fact I am at the market now, I can grab some things."
"Mom we still have two weeks." Serena brushed her bangs out of her eyes.
"Can never be too prepared."
"I love you mom."
"Love you too bunny."
Serena put her phone down, got up and went about the rest of her night. The two weeks before her trip were such a blur. She was in hyperdrive the whole time, trying to prep her students for the break, completing all the grading needed, making arrangements around the house, while still maintaining open communication with the girls. Everything she did during that time was in speed mode, partly because she didn't want to pause and think of Darien, or even pause to see him in the next aisle at the store. Suddenly they were in square one all over again.
"Promise you call when you get there? And I mean call none of this two word test shit." Mina said giving her Serena a hug.
"For the millionth time, yes! I will call."
"Sorry we just need to make sure you get there safe." Mina said smiling.
"I will be fine. My mom will meet me at the train station and we are heading to her house."
"I still think one of us should go with you," Mina explained.
"Meen, none of you could get the time off, and I will be fine at my moms. Chill." Serena forced a smile.
The horn of the train went off. The two looked at the big clock.
"It's time for me to go. I will be back in one week." She hugged Mina again and headed to the train.
Mina watched to see if Serena would get a seat where she could wave her bye, but when the train door closed, she knew that Serena most likely already got a seat away from the window. She turned to the exit and started to walk out. She put her hand her pocket and felt a vibration. She pulled out her phone, checked the caller ID, and answered.
"Hello handsome!" She answered cheerily.
"Handsome? You think I'm handsome?" the male voice on the side answered.
"Oh shut up, what are you doing?" Mina asked as she walked to her car.
"Just got off wanted to see if you wanted to go grab dinner."
"No plans with your hard headed prince tonight?" Mina teased opening her door.
"Hahaha," Malachite awkwardly chuckled. "Not tonight he is headed back to his old orphanage to do like a red ribbon thing?"
"W-wait a minute?" Mina let go of her seat belt and grabbed her steering wheel. "He is heading back home?!"
"Yeah...?" Malachite sounded confused. "Is everything okay?"
Mina started to bang her head on the steering wheel.
"Mina? Are you there?" Malachite called.
"Yes..yes I am here." Mina said with a defeated sigh.
"What's the matter?
"I just dropped off Serena at the train station?" Mina tried to collect herself. Not sure if she should hang up and call Serena. "She is heading to her moms."
"Are you serious?" Malachite could not help but laugh.
"This is not funny." Mina whined.
"It is actually quite comical, these two obviously cannot get a way from each other."
"Yeah but we aren't there to make sure they don't kill each other."
Malachite let that process for a second. "Well they have a lot to hash out. So we need to let them do it. Do not call Serena, and I will not call Darien."
Mina rolled her eyes.
"And when you tell the girls, don't leave out that part."
"Fine whatever."
"So... dinner?"
On the train Serena tried so hard to take a nap, but the sound of laughing children kept distracting her. A few rows down were two kids. One girl, about the age of 6 and a little boy probably 4. Their laughs brought a smile to her face. She wanted to be over there with them to hear what they were talking about. The little girl peaked over her seat to see Serena staring at her. She quickly ducked down, then slowly peaked her head up again. Her little hand waved and Serena waved back. The little girl sunk back down, and again slowly came back up, this time her brother followed. Serena smiled at both of them and waved. After they waved back their mother must have said something because they both plopped down into their seats and all Serena could see was the little girls legs swinging forward.
Serena leaned back in her seat tried to close her eyes again. The thought of being pregnant and having a baby filled her mind. She thought about how it would feel to feel the baby kick in her stomach for the first time. How she would feel to hear the heartbeat for the first time. She crossed her arms across her stomach, as the knot grew in the back of her throat. And she could feel the tears building up in her eyes. Images of her walking with Rini played in her mind. She missed holding her little hand. Hearing her laugh. She could imagine what she was doing in the future. Was she loved?
Serena was deep in thought until she heard the announcement for her stop, she gathered her bags, and waited until the train came to a complete stop. She let as many people go as she could, until it was finally her turn. She stepped off the train, looked around and smiled. Her mom and dad waving frantically for her. She rushed to them.
"How was the train ride?" Ken asked.
"Ehhh same as always. But way better than driving." Serena shrugged.
"Ken take her bag," Irene demanded.
He listened and they all headed to the car.
"Mommy you walk ahead, I have to call Mina let her know I am safe."
"It is kind of late isn't it?"
"I am just doing this so she does not worry." Serena pulled out her phone and dialed.
"Hello? Sere? Are you okay?" Mina asked picking up on the first ring.
"Hi I am fine. My parents are here. Have a good night."
"Okay, you call me if you need anything. If you need me to come..."
"Mina, why would I need you to come?"
Mina sat next to Malachite who was shaking his head. "Just if you miss any of us...that's all."
"Okay...?" Serena was thrown off, as she continued to follow her parents. "Well... I will remember that I guess..?"
"Have a good trip Sere, say 'hi' to Andrew for us if you get a chance to see him."
"I will." She hung up the call. Looked at her mom. "Somethings wrong?"
"How so bunny?" Her mom asked as she entered the car.
"I don't know. Mina is being weird and I can always tell when something is wrong, I am just not sure what.? She shrugged and buckled her seatbelt.
Her father started the drive home. Serena admired the scenery as it passed her by. Though she loved her city life, she missed being out here, where the roads were everything was more open. She wanted to breath the fresh air so bad, but each time she rolled down the window just a crack her dad would get upset and tell her to roll it back up.
Before she knew it they were home. She entered the house and was immediately flooded by memories. She slowly walked up her staircase, dragging her fingers up the stairwell, remembering all the times her mom yelled at her and Sammy not run on this thing. She got to her room, and opened the door. Her parents left it pretty much the same. Though she didn't have pink bunnies around anymore, she had floral everything, everywhere.
"I just cleaned everything, so you don't have to worry." Her mom whispered as she put one of Serena's bags on the ground. "Bunny are you sure you're okay?"
Serena forced a half smile. "I am fine mom. I will be down in a minute."
Her mom nodded, and left the room. Serena turned her attention to window, and she chuckled. How many times did she sneak out that thing, whether it be for a battle, a walk to clear her mind, or night just to be with Darien.
She took in a deep breath and exhaled it just as quick. Turned around and headed back downstairs.
A few blocks down, not even 10 minutes away, Darien sat alone in his hotel room. A king sized bed for a single person. Fancy dinner for one set on the table. Bottle of wine and a single glass. He hated it. He wished more than anything Serena was here. She begged him to take time off so they can come back home, but he was always so busy with work. She would have loved this room. The fluffy robe. The big bed. The view of the roads and the mountains. She would have seen the park, where she grew up. The arcade wasn't too far from here. He started to lightly beat on his head. He should have taken time off to take her here.