Chapter 22- Fate, Destiny, A Long Ass Time

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        It lasted almost all night, with us going at it again. And when we were both exhausted, we stayed up talking for at least three hours, then eventually, as the sun began to rise, we fell asleep, cuddled up in the backseat.

        So when we woke up in the morning, my neck was sore, my back hurt, and I was freezing cold. We'd gotten dressed again, but I was still chilly. We were laying down in a spooning position. I rolled slightly, and looked over at Calum, who was still fast asleep. I kissed him, and shook him gently. "Get up, Calum. It's past noon."

        He woke with a start. "Woah, what?" He realized where he was, and streched. Rubbing his eyes, he suddenly announced; "I'm hungry."

        "I'm not surprised, its probably like one." I kissed his nose quickly.

        "What are thinking? Breakfast or lunch?"

        "Brunch."

        "It's one."

        "Don't be such a downer, babe." He stretched again, and sat up. I sat up as well, and we moved quickly, both of our stomach's growling.

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        We drove to the nearest town, which wasn't far from the beach, where we'd spent the night. The town was pretty crowded, with both tourists, and people busy running errands. We had to walk a bit from our parking spot, but it was okay. As we walked, Calum slinked his arm around my neck/shoulders, as our steps fell into synchronization.

        "Last night." I said with a smile. We'd been smart, and used protection this time.

        "Babe, I don't know if you want to kill me for a perverted man, but god, how are you so good, if I really was your first?"

        I wanted to blush, but I just bit my cheeks and sheepishly smiled. "I think you're a little biased, Cal."

        "I think you just don't like to admit how amazing you are. Typical girl." Calum shook his head, and kissed my cheek.

        We neared the road, and we were about to pass, when a car sped past us, and suddenly several cars sped past. I sighed. "Rude drivers." And rolled my eyes up to Calum, who nodded in agreement.

        I looked back across the street, and put my foot out to cross. Two women were sitting on a bench. One was at least sixty, and was watching her grandchild try to climb a tree on the side of the sidewalk. The other was late thirties, with long, wavy black hair, dark grey eyes, fair skin, and a thin, petite build. She looked like she was waiting for a cab. She was dressed very simply, a white and navy blue striped sweater, plain black jeans, tan sandals, and she was carrying a black handbag. I knew who she was the instant I saw her. I suddenly fell back. I felt like someone had just punched me in the stomach, then pumped my whole brain full of LSD. I was taken back eight years, to the last time I saw her. My mother.

        Calum caught me as I stumbled backwards. "Babe, what's wrong?"

        I couldn't speak for a full twenty seconds. "Calum. Look at the woman sitting on the bench."

        "The grandma?" He asked, wrinkling his nose.

        "No, dumb ass. The one who looks like a short model."

        He paused, and followed my eyes. It was very obvious to him who she was. Anyone could see that I looked so much like her that if we compared a picture of me to her high school yearbook photos, you couldn't see the difference. "That can't be her." He gasped.

        "It is."

        "I thought you said she left. The country."

        "I thought she had...." I whispered.

        Calum bit his nail. "What do you want to do? Do you just want to ignore her?"

        I thought about it, quite seriously. It would've been easier. But I wanted answers. More than sad and scared, I was VERY fucking mad. "Hell no. I'm going to confront her. Come on." I confidently grabbed Calum's hand and ran across the street. As I ran, I made eye contact with my mother. Many looks flashed across her face. She stood, and waited for me to cross. As soon as my foot hit the pavement, I knew that she knew EXACTLY who I was. She ignored Calum, and looked at me like she was in a trance.

        We stood there for a few seconds, just staring at each other. My grip on Calum's hand was incredibly tight. I wanted to yell, I wanted to shout and scream and punch her in the face. Instead I felt tears run down my face. Furiously, I wiped them away, still saying nothing. 

        "Raven." My mother's voice sounded exactly the same. It sounded kind, but so full of longing. 

        Tears came faster. Calum stepped closer to me, and put his arm around me to give support. I was going to call her by her first name, but the name that came out was; "Momma."

        I looked at her, expecting her to be awkward or embarrassed or sad. But she was like stone. "I never expected... To see you here."

        "What- what're you doing here?" I asked. It hurt to talk to her. She didn't care about it. She treated it as if I was throwing a tantrum about  something trivial.

        "I'm back in Australia for vacation. I missed it. Didn't seem fair that I could never come back, just because your father and you had it. But no matter. This is not the place for this discussion. You and your.. Friend." She nodded to Calum dismissively. "Would you like to join me for a late lunch?"

        "We're going to brunch. And he isn't just my friend." I looked at Calum, who's supportive arm was still around me tightly. "He is my boyfriend."

        "Of course. And call it what you will, a meal. On me of course. To give us a chance to catch up."

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        We had settled into the booth and received our food, and things were still very awkward. She bit into her salad. Chewing it fully, she finally spoke. "I suppose you have many questions for me."

        I shook my head. "Naw. Just two. One. Why the hell did you leave the person who is supposed to matter most in the entire world to you? Why? Why the hell?"

        She paused before answering; "I really made a few bad choices, and marrying your father was one of them. I got scared. As you probably know, you were conceived before we were married, and I thought I should go and marry him. At twenty. Twenty." Her voice took a turn for the bitter, as if she had really been screwed over. "My friends, my family, all told me to just have you and raise you by myself. But I was scared, and I married him. I thought he would settle down, but for four years, he didn't. But I refused to either. We used to take turns having sober nights, where we'd stay home and take care of you. And for eight and a half years, I put up with that. I couldn't handle it. I was twenty-eight, without a full college degree, no friends, the only life I had was partying with strangers, and taking care of you and you're dad. Your father could be so demanding,  I got sick of it, and I left. I calmed down after a few years, of course. And I did leave Australia. I've been living in Ireland for the past five years."

       Not a half-decent explanation. "So you left me for drinking, and you don't regret it?"

        She paused, and wouldn't look at me as she ate. "I do regret one thing. Not being better for you. You could've had a higher end life."

        "I don't want a higher end life. I just want to be fucking happy," I glared at her. She acted like it was a noble thing, leaving me. She didn't have any shame. Well, I would make her. "Do you understand what I've had to go through, because you left me? When I was still young, my friends asked me about you leaving and I had NO answers. It was humiliating. Every single mother's day, I would beg to the sky, for you to just be given back to me. I would BEG. Puberty was a living hell, I had no fucking clue what to do, mom. I had no friends, no mother, no sister to show me ANYTHING. I had to face my freshman year, utterly alone. You weren't there. So DO NOT act self-righteous with me."

        Her voice was low, and rather quiet, as she looked at the table top. "I'm sorry, Raven. I did love you, but I had to get out. You'll understand someday."

       "No. You don't get to do that." I rolled my eyes. "Come on. Come ON."

        "I'm sorry." She paused. "What can I do? What can I do to make this better?"

        My eyes shot up to the ceiling. I wanted to scream at her 'NOTHING!!!!!!!!' But I didn't. So slowly taking in a deep breath, I responded simply. "You are going to face my dad, and actually divorce him so that he can marry Jade."

        She cringed. "So you mean I have to.. see him?"

        "Yes. And divorce him, Mom. Then NEVER come near any of us ever again."

        Calum spoke for the first time since we'd come into the restaurant. "You at least owe her that."

        "Thanks, babe." I kissed his cheek quickly, then looked back at my mother, who nodded.

        "Fine. I'll do it." She agreed to it.

        "Then come to this address on Saturday at noon. Calum and I are heading back home then." I scribbled down Ashton's address on a napkin and slid it over to her, but not without a glare

        I was being civil, but in no way had I forgiven her. I just wanted her to right the wrong she'd done to my father, because at least it was possible to right that wrong. And then, I wanted her to never come back. Ever.