9

Knock! Knock!

My eyes took the ones of Tara onlooking me with the same questioning expression my face held onto.

We rarely had visitors. None we expected.

The only people you would find coming around, were the random flings she brought back for the night, ever since—

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"A burglar"

My face scrunched up at her utterance, eyes narrowed at her form.

"Have you been drinking?"

Yes, New York was a wild place. But rarely on this corner, did we ever encounter burglaries. The security was pretty tight, and I could swear that was only our push for still securing this apartment in our hold.

"Don't look at me like that" Followed the voice of Tara, hands at once grabbing onto the dish plate laid on the table.

"Haven't you heard the rumors going around?"

"Ol' Kathleen was robbed on her way back from a charity event yesterday" She followed.

"A dish plate is your defense?" My gaze shifted from the item in her hands, back to her scrunched up face.

"Also, Ol' Kathleen was walking an empty street at midnight. She put herself out there for the burglars" I made sure to mention.

"Besides, it's only past five" My voice was cautious "What burglar would choose to rob a home at around past five"

"They wouldn't come telling you now, Jane" She snickered, and at once, form began began pushing forward, feet tip-toeing towards the door.

She would have a glance back at my figure, eyes clouded with fear at every step she took.

"Marie?"

I knew that voice so well.

The same one I awoke to every living day, from pre-school up till my high-school days.

"Marie?"

The voice of my mother.

"Marie?" She called from behind the door, multiple knocks following.

"Mom?" My form had dashed on, going past the figure of Tara, with hands reaching forward to pry the bolted door open.

I was met with an ever warm smile, plastered on the woman who had nursed me from birth.

That smile I had missed for two years straight.

"Marie!" Her voice filled my ears, arms spread out for an embrace.

My body relaxed in her hold, the smell of flowers hitting my nose.

Daffodils. Her favorite, I could tell.

"Oh, Love" Her eyes blinked at me, hands caressing my cheeks.

"You're even more beautiful than I remember"

"Mrs Parker" I heard the cry of my friend behind me, while she pushed me aside, crashing into my mother's hold.

"How much we've missed you"

That voice of hers bounced into the air, and in a second, she was pulling mother in the house, leaving me staring on at their departing figures.

"I've missed the smell of your muffins on Christmas morning, Mrs Parker. Oh, the goodness of its taste" The call of Tara was enough to snatch the focus of mom, eyes only watching the display of the girl before her.

"Well it doesn't have to be Christmas"

"I could bake all you want beginning this minute" The sincerity held in mothers gaze caught me so hard, I could feel the tears welling up, all from the joy of beholding that profile after all these years.

"There will be enough time" My voice followed at once, figure pushing closer to her.

"Right now, you need to get settled down"

"It must have been tiring coming all the way from New Mexico. I mean, you could have called. At least to keep me informed"

"Then that sure would have ruined the surprise"

"What surprise?" I stared blankly at her.

"My arrival of course"

"I'm here cause of the news that arrived at my doorstep"

My gaze shifted between her figure and Tara, eyes narrowed at the two.

"What news?"

"I might have informed her about your new job at Holden Inc."

"Oh, Christ!"

"Remind me never to tell you anything that determines me living or dying" I watched my friend click her tongue, eyes not daring to meet mine.

"I deserved to know" I heard the voice of my mother drop.

"Why wouldn't you contact me when you're in trouble?"

"You got fired, and kept it a secret from me?"

"Because I didn't think it best to bother you" I followed at once, figure moving away.

"It was no concern of yours"

"Everything that concerns you concerns me. How dare you!" Her tone was firm, voice halting me in my steps.

"There was no cause to getting you worried, mother. Mostly cause of-

"My health?" She finished for me, eyes meeting mine.

"I'm fine, Jane. I'm much better than you think"

"No, you're not!"

"I know you think you are, but you're not"

"You're killing yourself. All of the weight you bear on your shoulders, weaken you"

"You're dying slowly mother. Don't you get it!" The yell that poured out my lips had come letting out the tears I'd been struggling to suppress.

"Why do you keep pushing me away"

"I would never push you away" I could hear my own voice crack, tears-clouded eyes staring back into her gaze.

"But if it is to make sure you get back to being yourself, then I would"

"I am not a kid, mother. I can take care of myself. I do not need you worrying"

"You will always be my own kid, Marie. Her voice was low, eyes shifting through mine.

"And I will never, ever, think it wise to stop caring about you"

"You are my responsibility" She followed. "You're all I have" She sighed.

I watched Tara pull forward with every caution, eyes shifting between the forms of mother and I.

"Um.....Can we get the muffins going?"

The silence that had made its arrival itched at me, perhaps, cause I had longed to see this woman for a while now.

And now, when she was before me, we were left to engaged in one of our tad quarrels.

The call of Tara had at once earned the attention of mother, with a smile soon tugging at her lips, as she wiped the stain of tears off her cheeks.

"I knew this meet wouldn't last long, hence, I carried this all the way from home" She followed, pulling a little basket from behind.

"The muffins are cold now, but toss them into the microwave, and it's as good as new"

"I should be on my way" Her figure had soon pulled forward, slowly planting a gentle kiss on my cheeks, with soft hands patting my hair.

"Please, come visiting sometime"

"The neighbors miss you" She smiled.

"I love you, Marie.... More than you could ever imagine" The truth her gaze held, only left me with much guilt, eyes shifting through hers.

And in a second, she was making her way out the room, with my gaze lingering on her departing figure.

I heard the voice of Tara calling onto her, telling her to spend the night, but mother was already past that door, with nothing but a warm smile on her face.