August 19, 2020

12:15

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„Look Mom, you can see the Tower Bridge from here!”

Heather exclaimed excitedly, pointing at the large balcony adjacent to her and her Edina’s room. The fact that she was going to spend two weeks in London, with her mother by her side, still seemed so surreal to the blonde. It was as if her deepest wish was finally granted. Actually, no- she didn’t even dare to hope to catch the day when the older woman, who was currently carrying her luggage inside the room, would act as a maternal figure again. But it seemed like, after her previous ‘voyage’, Edina Moretti became someone else entirely. Not only had she resumed back to her old, gentle self she hadn’t been ever since her husband died, but she had also made some drastic changes in her appearance. Heather couldn’t deny, she preferred her mother with her signature blonde locks, but black looked well too.

The only thing that left the girl with a sense of uneasiness was her mother’s reaction whenever someone asked her about where she was in the span of three months she had been missing: she didn’t even deny her runaway, but instead acted as if it wasn't a big deal. Edina downplayed the gravity of her actions so much, not realizing the mental distress her daughters went through each day they woke up and she was still missing, the pain they felt when they had to prepare for her funeral, how they had to go through every single sickening ordeal- all while believing that she was, indeed, dead. It was a traumatizing period for the girls, which brought perhaps even more pain than the loss of their father- at least he died when they were younger.

Despite this, Edina’s sudden appearance at her own funeral shocked Heather the most. She was happy, of course she was, but it was all so unexpected, and it made her somehow even more worried. If her mother would have been dead, at least her family would have got some answers regarding her absence. But her being gone for three months without a trace? Add to that the way she made her entrance to the funeral, and everyone else would be skeptical.

But at least she is alive, Heather liked to say to herself whenever thoughts like these crossed her mind. Having her mother back compensated for the pain and trauma she went through, and somehow it held her curiosity back in place too- though, the blonde knew this would not work forever. Her mother was a mess; a mess she never could confront, nor try to stop, or quit. But she could try to understand her- She was a mystery and Heather loved mysteries. So one day, eventually, she’ll find out the truth... Until then, she was content with trying to make her mother pay attention to her, at least.

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August 20, 2020

03:12

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Ugh, stupid sleep!

Turning around on the couch, Heather pushed the thin blanket covering her down to the ground. It wasn't fair, she had been trying to fall asleep for two hours already- after she made sure that Edina herself was sleeping in the bed, and that she wouldn't wake up to leave once more. But, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't close an eye. Supposedly having to prepare for another sleepless night, Heather's thoughts wandered back to the events that took place a few hours earlier.

What should have been a great first day during their mother-daughter trip took a sour turn when Edina left Heather alone without a word. Literally- she just dressed up, took some money and suddenly, she was gone. Of course, the second set of keys was placed on the table for her daughter too, in case she wanted to explore the town, but the taller blonde’s appetite for adventure was suddenly missing.

Innocently enough, Heather believed, or more like hoped, that Edina would be back in no time, so she waited in the hotel room. The woman’s absence prolonged until she was gone for hours, and her daughter was getting worried. In circumstances like these, calling your parent and asking them where the hell they are would be the normal thing to do, but Edina never gave her number to her daughter, a fact Heather realized only after the idea crossed her mind.

Finally, at midnight, the older woman returned, and barely acknowledging her daughter, changed in her night attire, and went to sleep- in the middle of the bed. Thanks to her mother taking up the whole space, Heather had no other choice but to sleep on the couch.

And now, there she was. At least Edina came back home with a smile, so the young girl still held the hope that things would get better tomorrow.

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***

Things could get better, turns out, if your parent spends as little as five minutes with you; something which Edina didn’t seem to want to do, Heather noticed while she groggily opened her eyes. After sleeping for roughly two hours, the first thing the blonde child saw when she woke up was the silhouette of her mother, all dressed up and ready to leave once more.

“Ti prego, wait, a second.”

The girl stood up, her hair sprawling messily around her face.

“Can I come with you?” Noticing Edina’s suddenly hardened gaze, Heather quickly retailed.

“I- I mean, I can wait for you here… But where are you going?”

It seemed like this wasn’t the right thing to ask either, as Edina mumbled something which Heather couldn’t manage to catch and she left once more. Well, there goes another day.

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***

When she returned, admittedly at an earlier hour than yesterday, Edina was holding some shopping bags, a warm smile plastered on her face as she called Heather over.

“Look, these are for Sia and Char, and this one is for Tina. Do you think they will like it?” Her mother asked on a sweet tone.

Of course, the only time she talked to Heather was when she mentioned her other daughters. Swallowing, the blonde nodded and, somehow, forced herself to plaster a smile on her face.
“Yes, I think they will love it.”

There was really nothing more to say, and even if it were, Heather suddenly wasn't in the mood for a chat anymore.

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August 21, 2020

07:48

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From the moment she opened her eyes that morning, Heather knew that this day wouldn’t be a normal one. Because, over her frame stood none other than her mother, and she was actually touching her- caressing her face and hair, looking down at her with a loving, dreamy gaze. For a moment the blonde child wondered if she was imagining things- maybe the lack of sleep was finally taking a toll on her mind, and she was starting to hallucinate. But, when Edina spoke on her ever-slightly sweet tone, Heather was sure that she wasn’t dreaming; not even there her mother acted like a real parent anymore.

“Morning, cara mia. How about we go somewhere together today?”

Wait, did she hear that right?

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***

Edina took her daughter to a lake. Which was strange, considering the fact that ever since Alex died, Heather’s mother had developed an intense fear of water- and the girl meant to emphasize that word; back in their old house, her mum would have some pretty nasty outbursts of anger each time she would look out of the window, and see the crystal-like seawater. She would go on screaming at the waves as if it was their fault that her husband died until she lost her voice. Then, all of her previous anger apparently dissipating, she would silently weep, sometimes at hours, until Heather or one of her sisters would try to take her away and get her to eat something. Though, during times like these, she only listened to Valentina, another thing which made Edina’s oldest daughter her favorite child.

That was the actual reason the blonde child, along with her sisters, had to move to Scotland in the first place- her mother's incapacity to move on from her loss, mainly because no matter where she looked, she could see Alessandro. Italy was his home, and he left his imprint not only on the house he lived in along with his family but also on the small town they resided in. Edina couldn't go on living there anymore, so moving with her sister was the best decision, for the woman's already fragile state of mind.

Either way, when she heard at first her suggestion, Heather became a bit wary. Why was Edina acting nice to her all out of a sudden? Half of her expected something bad to happen, like her mother leaving her alone in the middle of muggle London. But, to her surprise, nothing like that came. The whole day the dark-haired woman stood by Heather's side, actually engaging in conversation and listening to what she had to say. Of course, the child didn't dare to direct the discussion towards things that were more serious, but it didn't matter. For the first time in years, she could say that she was having a good time hanging out with her mother. And, that alone made her day much, much better.

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***

After placing the tableware, waiting for the food to cool off, Heather glanced at the view that captured the town in all its beauty. Tower Bridge never looked more enthralling like it did then, surrounded by dim lights. The dark sky that stood in the background only made it look more powerful and imposing than it seemed to be during the day. It stood so tall, next to the other smaller buildings.

After coming back from the lake, the two ladies decided on preparing the dinner together, and not just any meal: their family pasta recipe. Edina never forgot the Italian culinary secrets her husband taught her, and that evening she passed them over to her daughter too. Though, just as they finished preparing the dish, her mother suddenly received a text. She had excused herself, claiming that she had to reply to it right then.

Heather, obviously, understood; Edina was going to return, she was sure of that. Especially after their day spent together, the blonde child knew that her mother was going to try and be a better parent from now on. So she decided to wait. At first, a couple of moments passed. Then, the seconds turned into minutes and, before she realized- Heather had been standing in the chilly air for 15 minutes.

The cold breeze not only cooled off the food completely by now, but it also made the girl shiver- she was still dressed in her short-sleeved dress, which didn’t provide her warmth at all. Deciding to get something to cover herself, she went back into the room.

“Hey, mom, what should I use to—”

Heather suddenly stopped in her tracks, and an uneasy feeling began to steadily grow in her chest. It all suddenly made sense why Edina had been gone for so long, but her daughter refused to believe it, so she called her out nonetheless.

“Mum?”

No reply came, and Heather knew what that meant: she left, once again, just as she started giving her daughter hope that they would improve their relationship. Why did Heather even get her hopes up in the first place? She knew that it was too good to last. Still dressed only in the thin material, the girl returned to the balcony, apparently not caring anymore about the cold that embraced her as soon as she stepped outside. The town’s beautiful architecture was something she’d normally be fascinated by, but tonight, a single thing stood out for Heather.

Tower Bridge stood so tall, yet so alone, next to the other buildings.