35

“Mum!!” Andrew smiled as he engulfed his mum in a tight hug. She had been gone for months and even though she tried to talk to them as often, she still missed her babies so much.

She released herself from Andrew’s embrace and hugged Rita next. 

“My babies,” she said.

“Mum!! We are too grown for that now, don’t you think!,” Rita said and they all burst out laughing.

“Where is Krystal?” Their mum asked, looking around as if searching for her.

Andrew knew his mum was going to ask but he thought she wouldn’t ask so early.

“She couldn’t come. Had some errands to run,” Andrew said. That was the only thing that came to his head. He knew he couldn’t tell his mum the truth. His mum wouldn’t like that much.

They all went into the car and the driver drove. After several minutes they were home.

“The chef already made lunch,” Rita said, as they all walked inside.

“I told him to make your favorite,” she said.

“I have missed this place,” she said, entering the house.

“Hope you had fun on your vacation?” Andrew asked.

“I wouldn’t come back if not for you two,” she said and they laughed.

“I will just freshen up and come down for lunch,” she said and then she walked upstairs.

Rita and Andrew sat in the living room and Rita wondered if his mum already knew what was going on.

“Do you think she knows?” He asked.

“Knows what?” Rita asked, turning to face Andrew.

“That Krystal isn’t coming and that I left?”

“What does it matter anyway. The girl is a cheat and even mum would understand if you tell her what happened.”

“We don’t even know what happened,” Andrew said.

“She is getting into your head now and I know. The pictures are evidence, what else do you want to know.”

Their mum walked down as they both talked. They both stopped talking as she walked down and they all went to sit by the dinning table.

“So Andrew, how long have you been staying here?” His mum asked and all of a sudden he was speechless and exchanged glances with Rita.

“How did you even know?” Andrew asked surprised.

She chuckled “I know everything. Saw the hesitation when I asked about her, the whispering between you and your sister. When I went upstairs, noticed that your room was open. The last time that room was opened was before your father passed.”

“Okay mum. We had a fight and I left the house.”

“What do you mean by left the house!! You really like that girl and she likes you too.”

“Mum, you don’t know that,” Andrew said.

“Mum, you didn’t even know what she did. She deserves anything Andrew wants to do to her.”

“Rita, this has nothing to do with you,” their mum said.

“But he is my brother too. I don’t think you should be giving him such advice though,” Rita said.

“I guess you know a thing or two about bad advices because you went with a lot of it growing up,” her mum said.

“Mum!!” Rita said.

“Lost my appetite already,” Rita added and stood from the chair.

“Mum, that wasn’t so nice,” Andrew said and his mum chuckled. 

“I wasn’t trying to be nice, I wanted her to go so I could talk to you alone.”

“So, what happened with you and Krystal? She asked.

“Saw some compromising pictures that were sent to me by an unknown someone and I confronted her about it. Also, i don’t think she feels the same way I feel,” he explained.

“Did you ever think why someone would send a picture anonymously if not that they were up to something and in the pictures, was there any form of intimacy?”

“No”

“Did she explain what happened?”

“I haven’t listened to her explanation. What’s there to explain? Does it matter?”

“Sometimes when we love someone, things ain’t always straightforward and so many things happen. But what makes the love stay strong is the willingness to keep fighting for what you believe is true.”

“You should at least hear her side. She deserves that. And if after that you do not want anything to do with her, it would be justified.”

“Mum, you seem to like her a lot.”

His mum smiled.

“I have never seen you so happy before. You seemed so excited to talk about her, to be with her, and the way you would look at her, it was different. I want that to continue. I want that for you.”

“But what if she doesn’t want that?” He asked.

“Has she told you what she feels about all of it. We shouldn’t always assume that we know what people are thinking. In life, it’s best we hear directly from them.”

“I am scared to know what it is she is thinking. What if she isn’t on the same page as I am?”

“Then you would know you tried. You would know you loved. Thing’s don’t always go our way but trying is better than wishing you tried.”

“Thanks mum. I needed this,” Andrew said.

“How long have you been here!” 

“2 or 3 days,” Andrew said

“Good thing I came home before things got worse. What advice has your sister been giving you!”his mum said and they both laughed.

Andrew picked up his phone to text Krystal. He saw all the messages she has been sending since he left home. 

Andrew still had a soft spot for Krystal no matter what. He didn’t know how it was going to be with Krystal and what her feelings were but he hoped it was same as his.

He was scared he wouldn’t know what to do. He had never experienced such stuff before and he knew he wouldn’t be able to recover fast enough from it.

Krystal stood in front of Trisha’s apartment door. Her heart raced not knowing what she was going to say once Trisha opened the door.

She wasn’t even sure that Trisha would be interested in talking to her.