Hello there!
So, I know you guys probably hate me sooo much because I haven't updated in forever. Well, I promised that I'd never abandon my stories, so I'm back.
I could go on and on about why I haven't updated, but I won't. I'll just give you the short version... I moved like 5 hours away from where I lived before and had to help remodel my new house. It's been a long process and it's still not finished, but it's kind of slowing down.
Anyway.. on to the next chapter!
Rose POV
I stared at my mother in shock. I had honestly thought that I'd never see her again. I thought back to two years ago, not long after I had turned 16.
Flashback
I had just walked in the house after school, and even though my mom was normally at work, she was sitting in the kitchen.
"Rosemarie, come in here. We need to talk." She said quietly. Her quiet demeanour kind of worried me, because she was only ever quiet when something was wrong. I wondered what I had done to upset her lately, but came up with nothing. I quickly and quietly sat at the table across from where she was sitting.
"I'm sorry." My mom said, surprising me. She never apologized to me. Since she was my mother, she thought she was always right, even if she knew that she was wrong.
"For what?" I asked, confused.
"Rosemarie, I've never been..." she paused as if to figure out how to say something. "I've never been a great mother to you, and I've failed."
"I don't think you've failed, Mom, and I've turned out okay so far. I'm not failing out of school, or doing drugs, or...or...or... I don't know; an alcoholic or something." I tried to reason with her.
This conversation was kind of scaring me. The look on my mother's face tells me just how vulnerable she is to me right now. I've never seen this side of her before. She's always been stoic and kept her emotions hidden unless she was angry, which happened to be a lot.
"But I am." She whispered, almost to low for me to hear.
"What?"
"I'm an alcoholic, Rosemarie. I'm an unfit mother. That's why I never let you see me after I come home from work. It's because I'm not coming from work, I'm coming home from the bar. Your father-"
"What has my father got anything to do with us?" I screeched, suddenly furious. "He hasn't been around since I was a baby!"
"Only because I wouldn't let him!" She screamed back at me. I froze for a moment before I got really angry at her.
"What?" I sneered.
"He loves you, Rosemarie. He always has. I just didn't want him around, so he stayed away." She admitted, trying to hide her sobs. "He found me a few days ago. I had drank myself to oblivion, and passed out on the sidewalk on the way home. He found me and confronted me about my drinking. He's refusing to stay away any more. He told me that if I tried to stop him, that he'd take you away from me for good." She said between loud sobs. "I'm so sorry."
Being her daughter, I overreacted just like she would have.
"Maybe he should just take me away. I don't want to see you any more, Mother." I sneered. "I'm packing my things, and going to Lissa's. He can pick me up from there any time after school tomorrow."
End of Flashback
That night I packed my things and called Lissa. Her foster parents, Mark and Oksana, gladly picked me up and took me in until my father picked me up a week later. He had been living a few towns over, but bought a house close by so that I could keep going to school with Lissa.
Now, here my mother was, standing on mine and Baba's doorstep after two years without any kind of contact. Suddenly, I was very angry.
Angry because she'd become an alcoholic instead of being a mother. Angry because she wanted me to be perfect when she was falling apart herself. Angry because she gave up. Angry because she never once called or came by to see me.
Then, I exploded. Before I realized what I was doing, I slapped her. Hard. And she just stood there like she expected it. She didn't retaliate like I'd expected; she just accepted it. We stood there for several minutes, just taking in each other.
"I deserved that. Can we talk?" She finally said. I sighed heavily, unsure of what to do. I was tired and had already had a stressful day, so I didn't really feel like talking right now.
"Not today." I finally decided. "But I'll call you."
"Okay." She reached over and handed me a slip of paper with a phone number on it. "This is my new number. I'll explain everything soon if you'll just give me a chance."
I nodded, and she walked away. I closed the door before I leaned against it and started crying. This woman abandoned me, betrayed my trust, and broke me. She's the reason that I never let anyone except Lissa, Baba, and now Dimitri ever get close to my heart. If my mother could betray me, who could I really trust?
Lissa proved her loyalty to me a long time ago, considering that we've been best friends since we were five. I trusted Baba, but sometimes I still shut him out. It helps that he's completely blunt and honest with me. We argue, but it's because he's that way.
Then there was Dimitri. I don't know or understand how I came to trust him, but I did. I do. I think I might have completely trusted him since the very first letter that he sent me. Now, I think I may be falling in lo-
My thoughts were interrupted by my phone ringing. I answered it after realizing it was Lissa calling.
"Hey Liss." I said as I tried to cover up the fact that I've been crying. Of course, she noticed.
"What's wrong?" I sniffled and before I could answer, she spoke again. "I'm coming over."
Lissa stayed on the line the entire drive over, refusing to end the call.
"My mom showed up." I finally told her.
"Oh, Rose. Open up. I'm outside."
"How did you get here so fast?"
"I was on my way over with that article you wanted when I called."
"Oh," was all I said as I got up to open the door for her. We both hung up as she walked in the door and engulfed me in a hug.
We went to my room, and I explained what happened when my mom showed up. She held me while I continued to sob. I'd helped her with the death of her parents and brother, and she had helped me through my mother's abandonment. Now she was comforting me all over again.
After what felt like hours, she finally handed me a few sheets of paper that I recognized as that article. I quickly read the article, and my heart clinched.
The man in my dream and the picture in the article was none other than Dimitri, my pen pal, the man that I was falling for.
"That's him, Lissa. That's Dimitri." I said as I showed her the picture again. "This article was written because he was promoted for trying to pull his dying best friend to safety. He wrote me a letter the same day that this picture was taken, and he was torn up inside. The letter was covered in tear stains." I told her, remembering that letter in vivid detail.
"Wow. I don't know what to say, Rose. He's a hero. The article proves as much." Lissa replied.
"But he feels like a failure," I realized out loud. "He watched Ivan die. He lives with that every day. It explains why he closed himself off around the time of Ivan's memorial."
"I have an idea," Lissa said, breaking me from my thoughts. "What if we got it set up to where anyone with a military ID gets a special discount on our concert tickets? It could show a sign of our appreciation for the sacrifices that the soldiers make for our country."
My eyes widened. Why hadn't I thought of that?
"Lissa, that's perfect! I'll talk to Baba and see if he can get it worked out." I said, suddenly feeling a lot better.
"Oh, and that reminds me. Adrian said you wanted this." She said as she handed me a junk drive from her pocket.
"Is this the song that I just recorded?" I asked, even more excited than before.
"It's a digital copy of your album and every other song that you've recorded thus far. He wants you to approve the album list and let him know if you want to make changes."
"Okay. I'll do that. Thanks, Lissa, for everything."
Lissa left soon after, and I finally settled into bed, falling into a dreamless black oblivion.
The next morning went by in a blur. I woke up early, so I went for a run before heading into the studio. Since I've started my singer career, I haven't had time to run and work out like I used to in high school. I briefly wondered if I'd get to work out at all while I was on tour.
After I got to the studio, I gave Adrian approval on the album list and rerecorded a few songs that didn't turn out like I wanted. Before I knew it, I was finally heading home. As soon as I walked in the door, my phone went off. I didn't think anything of it as I ate a sandwich and watched TV.
During the last five minutes of the show that I was watching, I wondered who the message was from and quickly got up to check it. It was from Dimitri. I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face as I read it. Well, at least until he mentioned my mother. That was a topic that I was not ready to venture into, so I ignored it all together. I typed out my reply, not letting the topic of my mother keep me from talking to someone that I considered one of my best friends.
Hey!
I'll try to get along with Baba, (only because you asked nicely) but I can't guarantee anything.
I don't have to worry actually singing with that cow because she doesn't sing originals, which all of my music is. I just have to worry about her stealing my music after it's been published.
Anyway, how is the job search going?
-Your Roza
I sent the message in hopes that Dimitri would reply to me soon.