AllFreeNovel
Share Us
While we walk through the maze oftables, I admire how beautifully decorated the restaurant is. Paintings canvas every available surface, giving the restaurant a contemporary feeling. The crisp, white linens and beige walls accent the artwork perfectly. Unfortunately, I also notice that people are starting to stare at us as we pass their tables. “Snobby noses.” Elizabeth shockingly mumbles. Having people stare at me is nothing new. I mean, how many women look like me…full of tattoos and dreads? It’s pretty damn rare, but Elizabeth doesn’t seem to give a shit at all.
When we’re finally seated at a booth, I open a menu and am shocked by the prices.They’re higher than I thought-- Holy shit. This place is expensive! Elizabeth instantly realizes my shock, “Don’t worry dear just order what you feel like.”
“Ok,” is all I can say.
When I was a little girl, I used to dream of having a Mum just like Derek’s. Elizabeth is just so... well, I guess the word would be motherly. She’s so caring and her voice is soft. I like being around her.
Growing up was tough. I hated everything about my life. Nothing was ever easy and I had to fight for everything I had. I was an independent child,due to the fact that my parents cared more about their alcohol than the safety of their daughter. I remember waking up and getting myself ready for school all of the time. Life just really sucked for me, and I had to do everything on my own until I met Caleb. After Caleb came in to my life, he started to take care of me. I loved that feeling, even if it only lasted for a short while.
I take a look at the menu and notice every single item onit is seafood. Looks like I’m going to starve. Elizabeth must notice the look on my face because she reaches over and places her hand on top of mine. “What’s wrong dear?”
“Um…honestly, I don’t like seafood.”
As soon as the words pass my lips,she throws down her menu. My body starts to tremble and tears begin to pool in my eyes. Is she going to hit me like Mum used to? I should have never said anything. I’ve brought this trouble on myself.
“Rylie, hun, are you ok dear?” Elizabeth says with wide eyes that are full of concern.
“You’re not… you’re not mad at me?” I say in shock.
She looks at me and her face pales, almost as if she knows. “Of course not dear. I was going to say the same thing. I’ve never been one for seafood and I was relieved that you felt the same way, so we could get out of this snobby stuffy place, and go get some Burger King at the mall.”
While I hurriedly dry my eyes, Elizabeth informs ourwaiter that we won’t be stayin’, then pulls me out of my chair and gives me a huge, comforting hug.
“Are you free for the rest of the day?”
“Yes, you were my last appointment.”
She smiles. “Great, you can come shopping with me, but first, let’s go and get a greasy burger from the mall.”
~***~
“I always have trouble deciding on what to get Derek for his birthday.” She says as she pulls me into another store. “I try to buy him something special every year, but it gets harder and harder as he gets older. I mean really? What does a 27 year old man want, other than a woman?” She finishes with a laugh. We’ve been going store to store for almost two hours now, and this woman still hasn’t seemed to calm down. During our lunch of burgers and fries, she informed me that Derek told her everything. I didn’t realize that Derek knew about what had happened to me, but it makes me feel better knowing that he doesn’t treat me like a porcelain doll due to the gruesome details of my troubled past. I also learned that Elizabeth is very different from other rich people that I’ve encountered before. She isn’t snobby, and she could care less what social class a person is from. She even shared with me that her and her husband William adopted Derek when he was just a few days old. His birth parents were only fifteen when they found out that they were expecting, and just did not think that they could properly raise a child at such a young age. Elizabeth also told me that when Derek was eighteen, he came to them and said that he wanted to find his birth parents and possibly meet them. Elizabeth and William agreed, and even helped find them to set up the first meeting. A few weeks after the initial meeting, Mary and Peter Fleming became a permanent fixture in the Tremaine’s lives.
Elizabeth says that she feels it’s because they never had any more children after Derek, and when he came back into their world, they felt that they had been given a second chance to support their first and only son. Apparently, Derek doesn’t call them Mum or Dad. He calls them Auntie and Uncle, and from what Elizabeth has told me, it seems like they are at every family function and every holiday celebration. Elizabeth insists that Mary will just love me. I smile at her, but don’t think her words ring true.
Although ithas been nice hearing all about Derek and his family, I now know for a fact that Derek isn’t for me. I’m so fucked up, and Derek doesn’t need that shit tainting his beautiful life.
“Itold you; just get him a gift card. That way he can get whatever he wants, and you won't have to worry about it.” I reply.
“Yes, but what kind of Mum would that make me? Giving my baby a gift card.” She looks completely disgusted at the idea.
“When is his birthday?” I ask.
“Oh, not for another coupleof months, but you can never be too early with these things.”
She hums as I watch herdig through a stack of video games. I want to laugh at how out of place she looks, but instead, I start to tear up. It’s just too much. Here is Elizabeth, going from store to store, looking for a silly game that Derek mentioned months ago, and my Mum never even made me a cake.
I try to turn away before she seesthe frown form on my face and the tears threaten to spill from my eyes, but either I’m too slow or the woman has a set of eagle eyes, because before I can even take the first step away, she hones in on my demeanor and instantly goes on red alert.
“Rylie, what’s wrong dear?”She asks, as she comes forward to grab my hand.
“Just got something in my eye.” I do my best to wipe my eyes and pretend that everything is fine.
“Now child, you cannot lie to me. I have been a mother for too long. I can read bull shit from a mile away.”
I take a breath and make the decision to let this wonderful woman in.
“I was just thinking about how great of a Mum you are.”
