Chapter 124 - Complicated Childhood

The following day my mother called me, in the middle of the night. When I saw her name on the display I immediately thought I misread her name or that I was still dreaming. However, when I accepted the call and heard her voice I got the confirmation I wasn't dreaming.

"Sorry for calling you this early. I didn't sleep at night." She said with a low voice almost as if she was miserable.

"I can't stop thinking of your sister..." she took a brief pause to sigh deeply. "I had never noticed."

I took a long deep breath as well, still sleepy, I rubbed my eyes to wake myself up and then sat on the bed.

I didn't know if I could trust her but at least that was a positive step forward she made.

"I didn't notice it either. But that doesn't mean she faked it or that she wasn't feeling attracted to women since the beginning." 

My voice came out a little hoarse and quite low.

my eyelids were heavy for sleep but I ordered them to stay open and finish that conversion before coming back to my sleep.

I checked the display whose light blinded me making my eyes burn.

It was 5 am. Damn. I hope the call is at least worth the sleep I am wasting.

"I know. Maybe she had always been..." her voice didn't sound certain at all so I decided to cut it off since the sleep was already kicking in and turning me into my colder annoying version of myself.

"Mom, why did you call?" I asked raising my voice.

"I don't know. I felt bad. Do you know her...."

I raised my eyebrows and massaged my forehead in disbelief, "girlfriend? Mom, you can say the word girlfriend. You're not cursing" I complained rolling my eyes.

"I know but it feels like so. So did you know her?"

"I did. She is a good person and makes Evelyn happy."

"I see..." her voice was a little disappointed.

"So you don't think she has any chance with Julien?"

Did she even understand that Julien had never been her real boyfriend? Or was she just desperately hoping for a miraculously sudden fall in love?

"Mom..." I scoffed under my breath, "they were never together and never will be."

"Oh..."

A brief silence.

"Well, maybe I should consider going to a therapist to accept her before meeting her girlfriend."

My jaw dropped, "what?" I asked, I couldn't picture her going to a therapist. Something she had always misunderestimated and hated, because that was considered by her a waste of both money and time.

"I talked to an old friend of mine and she said her therapist helped her to accept her son was ill."

I struggled not to roll my eyes at that statement, "mom ...Evelyn..."

She interrupted me, "I know she is not ill. I mean, going to therapy could still help me maybe."

"Yes, maybe it will help you. I am glad you are considering it." I smiled even if she couldn't see me through the phone. 

"Tell her I'm sorry if you see her again. And that I will call when I am in a good mood."

Her definition of good mood was when she was ready to control her unusual anger and frustration about that situation. Which I highly doubted it could be anytime soon.

She always used the good mood term as an excuse when she didn't want to come to our school meetings when Evelyn or I did something bad. She said "I am not in the good mood to talk to your teachers so make up an excuse."

And we did, because either we understood how busy she was and because we didn't want the teacher to talk to her on the first place.

So we created a plan, to make up a believable excuse we could use on those occasions. The excuse was us blaming the fault of our misbehavior and our difficult in studying on our father. For some reason adult people always sympathized for kids with tough childhood. Hence our teachers always forgave us and stopped asking about our mother and parents in general. Life was much easier back then.

"I will," I said sounding finally calmer than I had been.

"Have a good day." She cheered

"Thanks.. bye mom."

I hung off and then turned my phone on silent mode to fall asleep again. 

I slept for about two more hours and then I woke up.

I had breakfast with Joanna and left to reach my company.

When I finally walked in there and I was alone, I called my sister to inform her about my mother's call.

She was surprised yet happy to hear that her mother at least gave her a chance and considered the opportunity to meet her girlfriend. We both knew that she could retreat from her decision at any time and that she couldn't take back her insults just because she said she considered going to therapy. And even if Evelyn and I wished she would be more open-minded and easygoing, we both knew we couldn't change our mother or the way she processed her thoughts.

I took a deep inner breath after we discussed and agreed to give her another chance in being in our lives. 

I even decided to call her and finally inform her about my new relationship.

Evelyn suggested I wait to give her a bit more time to slowly proceed with the disconcerting news of her having a girlfriend before throwing the second bomb but I didn't take her suggestion. I thought that the earlier I told her the truth, the easier it would be for her to begin to accept the truth and maybe even live with it. 

I needed to tell my mother soon, not because I owed her but because I owed myself to live lightheartedly from worries and prejudices.. I needed her to know because I didn't want to hide anymore, not now that we finally became an official couple.