CHAPTER 19
POV- Chloe
"What are YOU doing here?" Beca asks harshly. Making it clear that she doesn't want to see the uniformed woman, who responds with an eyeroll.
Not the interaction I was hoping for…
My eyes fall to the nameplate on her right breast: NELSON.
I take a moment to appreciate the similarities between the two women. Their height… eyes… mannerisms… wavy chocolate locks…(the only difference being the few grey strands sprinkled through the older woman's mane)…
Beca really is the spitting image of her mother…
"I came to support my daughter," the woman smiles, nervously.
The cynic in Beca speaks, wrinkling her face in disgust as she shoots her mother down, "It's a little late for that, don't you think?"
They go on like this for a while and I begin to feel guilty over the fact that I had something to do with this little rendezvous. I wave my hand at the Bellas and toss the bus keys to Fat Amy for the girls to go on to the bus. It doesn't take long before Beca takes on a louder, harsher tone.
"What makes you think you can keep showing up and disappearing from my life when you want?!" Her eyes shine and her jaw sets in a way I've never seen before. I've never seen her this angry and I have to admit, it is a bit frightening.
"Beca…?," I reach for her hand and to calm her.
She pulls away, turning to face me. I know what's coming…
"Did YOU have something to do with this?" The tone of her voice is so harsh, so unlike her… I can only step away in fear of what's going to happen once I tell her.
I swallow the lump forming in my throat. Starting, reluctantly,"Well… I… your dad saw me walking and told me she wanted to see you again," I choose my words carefully as Beca begins to shake her head in what appears to be a mix of anger and disbelief, "… and I KNOW you miss her Beca. I just thought I was helping."
Beca lets out a sigh of frustration,"Well, you thought wrong… I'm not gonna give her a fucking 'Mom of the Year' Award, because she shows up for a DAY."
I can't ignore the silent tear that finds its way onto Mrs. Nelson's cheek. How it rolls down her cheek onto the collar of her pressed uniform blouse. I can tell she misses Beca, too.
"Beca… Please? Just give her a chance?" I press on, ignoring the fury in her eyes.
Maybe she'll cave?
"Honey…," Her mother tries, weakly. Reaching out to grab Beca's hand.
"NO!" Beca steps back. Her voice now elevating to a yell. Her hands raise to her head, rubbing her temples as she tries to fight back tears. "JESUS!… I can't deal with both of you right now."
"Okay…sorry." I back off, realizing my mistake.
Before I know it, I'm walking across the parking lot, wiping away tears that seem to flow endlessly. As I reach the bus, I drop down into my seat and close my eyes to slow the tears. At this moment, I can feel the girls' eyes on me and I hear a few whispers and murmurs of "Should we go check on her?", "What happened?","Did they have a fight?", and "Uh oh, here she comes…"
At the last one, I open my eyes to see Beca coming onto the bus. She makes her way to my seat and I can see she hasn't calmed down since I left. If anything, she looks angrier.
"You had NO right to invite her, Chloe." She continues onto her seat across the aisle, but something makes me stand. The rest of the Bellas watch in confusion. Their eyes going back and forth during our exchange, as if it is a tennis match.
"You can push me away all you want, Beca. But she's your MOTHER… you actually need to have a relationship with her."
"No, I don't. "
"Beca, you're making it really hard for me to be here for you…"
"Then DON'T! I didn't ask you to…" With that, she drops down into her seat and pulls those damn oversized headphones over her ears. Turning her back to me as she rests her head against the window. Blocking me out.
I'm not sure what to say to this, so I do the same. Hoping to drown out my thoughts and the cries of my aching heart the only way I know how. Music.