Chapter 17 - flashback

** Flashback **

Wren Austin smiled to herself as she open a small box. Pulling out another box from the bigger box, the blonde carefully opened it. She gasped when she saw a gold pendant. Carefully, she picked it up, a pool of tears forming in her eyes.

Today, was her birthday, and she had hurriedly come home from school to celebrate with her mother. When she first walked, she was met with an airy silence that terrified her, and that fear worsened when she called out and was met with more silence.

But her fear was alleviated when she walked into her mother's room and found the older woman seated on her bed with her back facing Wren. The blonde had hurriedly taken her mother in a hug, pleading that she no longer scares her like she just did.

Instead, the woman smiled and handed over the box to Wren. It was a picture of her and her mother during the inauguration of the current mayor. Wren’s mom, Mrs Lopez, had her arms wrapped around young Wren and both girls wore big smiles on their faces. That was a memorable day for young Wren. After months of seeing her mom weak from illness, the older woman was strong enough to attend the inauguration.

Young Wren happily snarled her arms around the old woman. Her hold on the woman was strong enough, almost at the point of suffocating her. Without hesitation, the young girl wore the pendant, and bid her mom temporal goodbye as she had to head out for work.

But unfortunately for Wren Austin, her happiness was only temporal. Her mother’s illness had worsened. Wren’s days became stressful, juggling two jobs to be able to meet up with the medical bills, coupled with the fact that she had school on a daily basis.

The young blonde was returning home from school, walking hand in hand with the only person who seem to be her driving force, and that was Giovanni. They had just made it to Wren’s street when they saw ambulances from a distance. Wren felt her heart sink with every step that led her closer to her house.

She was confused, seeing Gwendolyn’s mother in tears and trying to keep it all together as she explained to the cops.

“Mrs Jefferson, what the hell is going on,” Wren Austin asked as a pool of tears had already formed before her eyes. As she listened to Mrs Jefferson speak, her legs gave out and she fell to the ground. Thankfully, she had Giovanni next to her serving as support.

Wren Austin was exhausted. Mentally and Physically. She had barely slept twenty-four hours in the past week or so. And the news she had just heard destabilized her, making it impossible for her to stand on her feet. Slowly, everything before her became blurred and the last thing she heard before finally giving up, was the sound of Mrs Jefferson’s voice, asking her to stay with them.

*********

It was hours later when young Austin came too, and she woke with a gasp that made her head ache. She took in her surroundings and it was only when her gaze landed on Gwendolyn that she was able to recall what had happened.  

“Where’s my mom?” questioned young Wren as she began to pull the covers off her. At once, Gwendolyn walked over and tried to stop Wren, but the blonde wouldn’t see reason. She just wanted to see her mom and make sure that she was okay.

“Wren, listen to me, dammit. I need you to relax. Your mom is doing okay, but you won’t see her unless you calm down” Gwendolyn stated firmly.

Wren looked at her friend warily.

“Promise?”

“Yes. Please trust me”

Finally, Gwen was able to get the blond to relax. Gwendolyn helped Wren forget about her problems for a while, she told the blonde stories, most of which were fiction.

It wasn’t long until the door to Wren’s room was pushed open and both girls looked in the direction of the door, and when Mrs Jefferson walked in with a pitiful expression on her face, Wren knew then and there that something wasn’t right.

Instead of speaking the Wren, the woman requested to speak to her daughter in private. Wren asked to be involved in the conversation, but her plea went on deaf ears. From the bed, she could read their lips, and when the blonde saw her friend break down in tears, she understood that something wasn’t right.

Ignoring the promise she made to Gwendolyn, Wren got off the hospital and sluggishly walked outside.

“What’s happening Mrs Jefferson? Why is Gwendolyn in tears? Why are you in tears?” from the look on Mrs Jefferson’s face, Wren didn’t know if she wanted an answer.

“Wren dear, you shouldn’t be out of bed” Mrs Jefferson stretched out a comforting hand the blonde pushed it away.

“Stop treating me like a porcelain doll. What the hell is going on? Why are all of you in tears? Where is my mom?” Wren’s voice was filled with pain as it began to crack. Without hearing a reply from Mrs Jefferson, or Gwendolyn, she burst into tears.

“Why isn’t any of you answering me? Where is my mother?” young Wren Austin's voice was loud and at the same time, filled with pain.

By now, a commotion had gathered around the girls. The nurses who came to comfort Wren didn’t last long from how uncontrollable the teen was. Wren’s weeping only worsen when the older finally answered her question.

“I’m so sorry Wren. She couldn’t make it. The doctors tried all they could but it was too late" Mrs Jefferson explained.

Wren Austin already knew. In her heart of hearts, she knew.
But hearing it out loud didn't make the pain disappear. If anything, it trippled.
Realisation had just dawned on her.
The only person who made her smile, the inspiration behind her hard work, was gone.
As if it wasn't enough that she was forced to grow up and step in to look after her sick mother, now she had to deal with being alone.
Her mother had prepared her for a lot of things, many of which were tactics of life.
But the woman did not prepare her for this kind of pain.
Wren Austin felt like she couldn't breathe. She had cried and cried until she began to hyperventilate. Nothing made sense to her. Her world was now colourless because had mom had taken the best of her heart, and now the last of it was in pieces.
She was all alone.

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