Chapter 62 Through it all
MIDNIGHT PACK: CLARK’S HOME
Alice watched as her mother slouched against the window where she stood at. She could hear her silent sobs but Alice made no attempt to stand up to meet her. She had learnt to let people express themselves when there is need to do is.
Anna tried hard to compose herself but failed at it. She hated how easy she broke down in front of her daughter. It was her place to stay strong for the both of them. Anna wiped off her tears for the umpteenth time as she walked back towards the bed edge. She sat on it and sniffed again.
“I am sorry.” She chuckled anxiously.
“Take your time mom.”
“At that time I had made friends in college. Elena. Jovy’s mom was the closest of my friend. She was a good woman till her death. In our second year, we met someone else who joined us and we became three. It was no other than Amelia’s mum, Ava.”
“Wow!” Alice muttered, “I didn’t know you both were familiar with each other.”
“Yeah, we were for a while.”
“Ok.” Alice said, trying not to divert the conversation.
“We were good friends, I was the only married one amongst them. Being the first set of actual friends I had, I thought it wise to introduce them to your father. It was all good, until I began to notice Ava acting some kind of way. Also Henry wasn’t so attentive any longer, at this point I was longing for my man. Since, I didn’t understand why he acted so weird, I returned home and began going to classes from home. We were practically back to normal in no time and things seem all okay. One time my mom fell ill and I needed to go check on her but I had returned earlier than expected when it turned out she wasn’t so ill. And…” She paused to swallow hard. “I returned to find your father deep in Ava’s guts.”
Alice gasped as she held up her hands to her mouth. “You don’t say. Perhaps is Amelia my step sister?”
Anna chuckled at her daughter’s conclusion. “No, not at all. This was about five years before you all were born. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Henry claimed he had been seduced by her. Ava claimed he had promised to divorce me to be with her. It all seem like a game the both of them were playing. I had ran back home to my mother, despite knowing Henry didn’t just start to indulge in the acts. In a long run, I decided to forgive him, I loved him too much to let him go. For my own sanity; I would say. After I got back home to your father, I cut all ties with Elena and Ava. Even though Elena tried her very best to be a friend through and through it all but I couldn’t stand her still being friends with Ava and I couldn’t be selfish to ask them to go apart all because of me.” She scoffed.
Anna grabbed a flask placed by her bed stand and took a long sip of the content. “I am not in the least surprised she took Elena’s place just after her death.”
“Wow!” Alice couldn’t find the right word to say.
“Just after we got together and things were fine for the rest of the years, I conceived and birthed you. You coming into our lives and making us parents, your growing up stages were the best years of my life. When I got a good paying job, I had to start leaving home yet again. I didn’t doubt that he would do the same thing he did years back. But it was absolutely fine, even when he got the maid pregnant. I had stayed put, telling myself it was not so bad. Maybe I would have overlooked this recent scandal as usual but he had bitten more than he could chew. Not him sleeping with Ava’s daughter after all that I have had to endure because of him.” This time Anna was already crying her eyes out.
Alice stared at her mother for what seem like a long time as she couldn’t fathom the number of heart breaks she had, had to endure all for love. Her father truly didn’t deserve a chance at another multiple chance. The square in which her mother was thrown in, is totally complex and heart wrenching.
“I am so sorry, Alice. I can’t endure this anymore. I didn’t want the family to grow apart because of your happiness but me going further will only make me lose my entire mind. I am so sorry baby. I don’t want you getting entangled in the mess, it was why I got pissed when I heard you tried assaulting Amelia. It would be unfair to have you stoop so low all for the mistakes we your parents committed. Forgive me baby.” Anna wailed, holding onto her daughter’s hands like her life depended on it.
Alice sniffed as she held her hands. “I understand how hard it would have been mom. I am so sorry for thinking you had it all, all these years”
Anna rubbed at her daughter’s cheeks. “It’s not in your place to be sorry. It’s our fault for dragging you into this whole mess.”
“I am all for your peace of mind mom. I will get over it all with time. And I promise to stay out of trouble as much as I can.”
“Thanks so much baby.” Anna muttered as she pulled her into a deep embrace.
The two of them stayed put and immersed in each other’s warmth. Jovy watched from the door way with her heart aching at the sight. She tried to be as discreet as her legs could carry her as she made her way back to Alice’s room. She had no intention of eavesdropping but as fate would have it, she had been heading towards the kitchen when she had heard her mother’s name being mentioned and the door was cracked open a bit.
All her life she had never heard her mother being spoken of but everything was becoming clearer now. The hate Ava and Amelia felt towards her and why her father was so unloving towards her. Tommy had definitely been brainwashed by Ava. Ava and Amelia had been the one behind the lack of affection between her father and herself. She thought.
It seem funny and absurd to Jovy that Ava had practically ruined the lives of the two friends she had. And Amelia was taking such step with all the boldness she could muster. This wasn’t suppose to be the case. They had to keep away from messing with people’s life.
Jovy had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t know when her friend got behind her.
“I had only been gone for a few minutes and here you are lost in wonderland.” Alice murmured closely to Jovy’s ear.
It made her jolt really hard and she landed her butt on the hard floor.
“Alice! Can you not do that again?!” Jovy whined.
Alice laughed really hard. “How is it my fault that you got caught up in your own thoughts?”
Alice dusted herself up and sat her aching butt on the bed to ease off the pain she was feeling from the fall. “I really don’t like you.”
“The feeling is definitely mutual.” Alice glared playfully as she lay next to her friend.
“How was the talk?” Jovy asked.
Grabbing her by the waist, she buried her face into Jovy’s side. “Thanks for insisting. It was the best ever.”
“I am really glad I could be of help.” Jovy nodded, trying hard to not ask about the conversation after having to eavesdrop on them.
“There are some things you would need to know, but maybe later on. For now, let’s just rest baby.” Alice muttered. She sounded sleepy.
She looked towards Jovy and caressed her hair with a smile on her face. “We will get through this baby.” Alice reassured her.
“Yeah.” Jovy nodded her head in agreement. They definitely would get through it all eventually.