Any Other Mother: an utterly heartbreaking family drama by Kelly Lyons

Author:Kelly Lyons [Lyons, Kelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-02-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Christina

My mum isn’t in and I’ve decided to make the most of it. She’s been in bed for so long that I haven’t been able to get Joe on his own to talk. And I really need to talk to him. I’ve come to realise that I can’t do this on my own. Not without an adult with me.

When it comes to my mum, I think Joe’s in denial, not really understanding just how depressed she is. He’s constantly badgering her, bringing her food and drink, when all I think she wants is some space. I’ve been trying to do just this, giving her time in the hope that she’ll come to us when she needs us. She’s finally got to the stage where she’s dressed and leaving the house, which is a good sign, though where she goes is anybody’s guess.

I’m waiting for the cookery program to finish on TV so I can talk to Joe properly. When I first found out I was pregnant, my first thought was – of course – to go to Dillon as I thought he would understand. Fat lot of good that did. My second choice was Joe, even though deep down I knew he would tell my mum. But given how everything’s going in her life, I now feel like that’s not something I need to worry about. He’d never burden her with an issue like this when she has so many of her own.

But remembering the experience of telling Dillon, his reaction, I’m incredibly scared. Joe has always been so understanding, but I’d thought that about Dillon as well.

I haven’t spoken to Dillon since I went to his house. I see him at college but he ignores me, not that I’ve tried to talk to him that much, if at all. I don’t understand how I used to find him so mature because the way he’s acting now, it is childish. I would never have associated his actions with the same person I thought him to be a month ago.

Every time I see him at college, I nearly burst into tears. I’m always reminded of his rejection and how lost that makes me feel now. In part, I even blame him for the breakdown in mine and Molly’s friendship. I feel so alienated from everyone and I can’t help but trace that back to him.

And I’ve missed so many of my lessons, my teachers have even begun to notice. They all think I have the flu, an alibi conveniently initiated by Joe who noticed I was down.

But I have to believe in Joe, I tell myself. He’s always been there for me and I have to keep telling myself that.

The titles roll on the screen and Joe’s folding away his notebook. He always makes notes when watching programs like that to give himself tips for work. We have a lot in common that way. I’m just the same with my studies. It’s strange because I can see more of myself in him than I have ever done in my mother.

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