All the Stars Above by Taylor Hondos

Author:Taylor Hondos [Hondos, Taylor]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-11-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

I wake up feeling a little embarrassed but ready to start the day, learning everything I need to know about my new job. My head is spinning. When I got home last night, my mom was already asleep, and for that I am thankful. I hurry around the room, willing myself to leave before she wakes.

I take a shower, pulling my hair into a bun with a clip after it’s dry, allowing some curls to fall around my face. I put on a sweater, black and white checkered pants and booties. I look chic but professional. I smile in the mirror. The law office was all heels, pencil skirts and sweaters. It was choking me.

As soon as my foot hits the downstairs floor, I hear a sigh. Shoot. Mom is awake.

“Well?” my mom calls from her chair at the table. I ignore her, crossing the room swiftly and grabbing my mug for the road.

I frown, “Well, what?” I walk over to the coffee maker, pouring myself coffee into my travel mug.

“I never heard when you got back last night.” She throws her hand up to her head. “I guess it’s none of my business but I did encourage you. So, I just wanted to know how it went.” She says in a small voice. I look away.

“I wish you didn’t.” I whisper, and flop myself on the kitchen chair next to her. She looks up from her book and over her spectacles.

“Wait. Why?” I put my hands to my head.

She puts her book down and reaches over for me. “What is it, Florence?”

“There’s someone else.” I tell her, shaking my head. She frowns deeply.

“No. Harrison has been alone for years. No.” She’s working through something in her head but I continue.

“Yes. Someone was there. She opened the door. I told her I had the wrong house.” My mom’s pity for me fills her face and I stand quickly to avoid it.

“Oh.” She says simply.

We sit there a moment, me standing and her looking in the distance. “Florence.” She starts, I don’t let her finish.

“It’s okay. I have to go now.” Before I know it, she is standing and pulls me into a hug. I sigh into her.

“Love you.” She whispers into my hair, I nod into her shoulder. My body relaxing. My mother hasn’t told me she loved me since I was seventeen. It was very rare to hear and the comfort it brought me was immense.

“Love you too, mom.” I sigh into her hair. We pull apart, and I grab my purse off the counter. I step outside, and take a deep breath. The weather is cold, and I fear my car will take forever to defrost. To my surprise, the car is running already. I look back at the house, and smile. My mother used to do this for me when I was in high school. I forgot how big the gesture was.

I get into my car, already warm and welcoming, and drive down the road on the way to Vanish the Sky.

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