Heart on a Chain by Cindy C. Bennett

Author:Cindy C. Bennett
Language: eng
Format: mobi, pdf
Tags: teen, romance, child abuse, love, teen romance, ya, drug abuse, ya romance, love story, bullying, young adult, abuse, teen love, chick lit, high school, bullies, young adult romance, alcoholism
Publisher: Cindy C Bennett
Published: 2011-06-09T21:00:00+00:00

The next Saturday I arise early and set to cleaning the house quietly but thoroughly. I’ve been taking advantage of my mom’s guilt and slacking in my servant duties. Today I need her nice because today I ask about Florida.

I clean and scrub and organize, and I make sure when I hear her get up that she has a nice lunch waiting. I’m quiet, staying out from underfoot but available if she needs me. By the time I have her dinner cooked, served and cleaned up, I’m exhausted. I really want to go be with Henry.

I walk into the living room, where she sits looking at an old magazine—probably pilfered from her last drug-searching doctor visit. I sit next to her, and she looks at me with a guarded expression.

“Mom, I was wondering if I could talk to you.”

She sets her magazine to the side—a first—and turns her attention to me.

“I have something to ask you.” I swallow nervously.

She reaches out toward me, and instinctively I flinch away. She stops abruptly, her hand frozen in the air between us. Something like sadness shadows her eyes. She holds her hand there until the panic leaves my face and I nervously sit up straight. She touches my cheek, with gentleness.

“I haven’t been much of a mother to you, have I?”

I’m sure my mouth falls open, but I’m not about to agree with her and set her off.

“I’m sorry about that. I wish we could wind back time…” she looks away, dropping her hand. “What did you want to ask?”

I take a breath. “I have a friend,” I almost smile at the word, thinking of Henry’s face when I called him a friend, “and my friend’s family invited me to go on a trip with them during school vacation.”

“You have school vacation coming up?”

“Yeah, Mom, for Christmas.”

“Oh.”

I hold my breath. She hasn’t said no yet, nor gotten angry.

“You want to go away for Christmas?” She looks at me, stunned.

I nod.

She lets out a breath.

“But what will I do without you here?”

“It’s only two weeks. Then I’ll be home again.”

She shakes her head, and I feel a stinging disappointment.

“Well, I suppose it’s the least I can give you now.”

I stare at her. Is she saying…? She looks at me.

“I can go?” I dare ask.

“I guess,” she sighs.

A wide grin splits my face. I feel like I’m soaring—higher than I’ve ever been able to get on my swing. I stand up, controlling my reaction so she won’t have reason to take it away. On a whim, I lean down and kiss her cheek.

“Thank you,” I tell her. I hurry up the stairs to my room, closing myself in before falling on my bed in ecstasy, laughing at my good fortune. It’s so much more than I could have hoped for.

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