Page 3 of Liberating Bells
Derek shakes his head. “Not really. She knows that Mommy is very sick, even though she doesn’t look like she is, and we’ve told her that her medicine might make her lose her hair. But I don’t think she fully grasps the severity of cancer.”
“That’s probably for the best,” I say. “Let her keep her childhood for as long as she can.”
“Agreed.”
I watch Derek as we sit in silence. The recent diagnosis is taking a significant toll on him as well. His normally dark hair and beard have gotten gray speckles, giving him the salt-and-pepper look. He has dark circles under his eyes, proof of many nights spent awake worrying about his family’s future.
Derek has turned out to be the rock my family needed, someone I respect and value as part of our family. After my dad died in the war, it was just me and my mom. If Derek hadn’tcome around, I wouldn’t have Thalia, and my mom may not have been as happy as she is now.
My eyes travel over to the collection of family pictures hanging on the living room wall. They show the story of our family growing and expanding. Only the first one has me, my mom, and my father. The others have transitioned from just me and Mom, to me, Mom and Derek, then to our family of four once Thalia was born.
I think about what my mom is facing with this cancer, and I am immensely glad that I am home to be by her side. Cedar Ridge hasn’t been my permanent place of residence for many years, but it has always been my home.
And while the house looks and feels the same, everything about life here is not how I left it eight years ago.
2
RYAN
“Here, Ryno, have some more pancakes!”My mother’s sweet sing-song voice rings from across the kitchen.
I chuckle. “Really, Mom, I’m fine. I’m full.” I glance at my plate, cleared of all the bacon, eggs, and pancakes she piled on twenty minutes ago.
Of course, Mom acts like she doesn’t hear a word I say and skips over to me before plopping another full stack of her famous blueberry pancakes onto my plate. “Eat up!”
I groan as I fold up the newspaper I’ve been reading and set it on the table. “Are you trying to make me explode?”
Mom’s blue eyes twinkle with happiness as she watches me dig in. Her pale blonde hair is pulled into a messy ponytail, with tiny wisps still hanging free. I hate to think she may lose her hair since she loves it so much.
“I know it’s been a while since you’ve had a home-cooked meal, Ryno, so I wanted your first breakfast to be memorable!” she exclaims as she kisses my head.
I am almost twenty-seven years old, but I will never not accept affection from my mother. I grin between mouthfuls of pancakes, and she laughs.
“So, what’s on the agenda for today?” my mom asks as she sits beside me at the table.
I swallow my bite and then turn to her. “I need to find a condo or an apartment or something today, and then maybe start the search for some office space,” I answer as I take a sip of coffee. “Then I might see Liam and Juliet if they’re free.”
“Oh, that sounds lovely. Maybe you’ll get a chance to catch up with Izabel too. She’s teaching up at Bennett, did you know? I ran into her mother at the supermarket recently and we got to chatting.
The pancakes I just swallowed turn to lead as they travel down my throat.Izabel.
“Such a sweet girl. It was a shame you two didn’t work out,” my mom speculates, unaware of the fact that I’m choking to death right next to her. “It seems like she’s very happy with that Mark fellow. He’s a good guy, from what I hear.”
I scowl down at my pancakes, my appetite now officially gone. “Yeah, I’m sure he’s just perfect.”
I haven’t heard from Izabel in years. Since we broke up five years ago, there have been a total of two exchanges between the two of us. Once, when her sister married Teddy, since we were both in the wedding party. I will never forget that night because Izabel and I fell into each other again. It was as if, for that night, everything was okay. We were okay. But as soon as the sun rose the following morning, we returned to square one. She disappeared without a trace, and I didn’t hear from her again.
Both instances left me with more heartbreak than I care to admit. It was pathetic. I’m over it, though. We both made our choices, and we both moved on.
“Alright, girly,” my mom says, clapping her hands, addressing my little sister. “Time to get you ready for school.”
Thalia wipes her face with her napkin before bouncing away from the table and up to her room. My mom turns to me again and gently touches my shoulder.
“I’m sorry if being home causes you pain, Ryan,” she whispers. “I know how difficult things got for you after everything.”
I sigh and close my eyes. “It’s okay, Mom. I’m happy to be back. And besides, Izabel and I are long over. There’s nothing there anymore. She’s moved on; I’ve moved on. It’s for the best.”
Mom looks at me compassionately before nodding and cleaning up after breakfast. Though I still feel sick, I scarf down the rest of my pancakes and rinse my plate before setting it in the dishwasher. I kiss my mom’s cheek and then head to my room to prepare for the day.
