CHAPTER TEN

Eleanor received an unexpected invitation from her mother for lunch. It was an opportunity she had been eagerly anticipating, hoping that by sharing her artwork, she could bridge the growing chasm between them. She arrived at the restaurant with a sense of optimism, her bag carrying a few of her most cherished pieces.

The lunch with her mother had begun like any other, with polite conversation and a fragile sense of hope. Her heart feeling as heavy as the bag that she had brought with her, she could feel her mother's cold stare watching her every move as she eats her meal. She knows her mother has something to say but for some reason she was holding back and the silence between them was even more deafening than their usual arguments.

 She couldn't ignore the growing apprehension that this lunch could become a pivotal moment in her life, as they delved deeper into their meal, the discord between them becomes even more pronounced. The dining hall of the restaurant seemed to close in on them, and the mood turned turbulent, like an approaching storm.

"You can't continue down this path, Eleanor," her mother urged, her voice icy like her stares and filled disapproval. "I have tried to be patient with you, but enough is enough."

Eleanor's patience was beginning to wear thin as she felt the weight of her mother's constant disapproval on her shoulders. Her own frustration swelled as she listened to her mother drone on about having a more secure future.

Eleanor was growing tired of constantly walking on eggshells around her mother, Taking into account her mother's feelings but never her own.

Eleanor couldn't contain her exasperation any longer. "Mother, how many times do we need to have this same argument? This is who I am, and I won't change for anyone."

She snapped, her words sharp and cutting, "I can't live my life to meet your expectations. If you can't accept who I am, then that's your problem, not mine, As you said enough is enough."

The room fell into an uneasy silence as Eleanor's mother stared at her daughter with a mixture of shock and hurt. In that moment, Eleanor decided she couldn't bear the criticism any longer. She unzipped her bag and pulled out her artwork, laying it on the table like a gauntlet thrown down.

"Can't you see, Mother?" she demanded, tears in her eyes but determination in her voice. "This is my passion, and it's a part of me. I won't abandon it for your sake, I can't, I would never forgive myself."

Her mother's gaze shifted from shock to anger.

"I will never accept this, Eleanor," she said, her voice heavy with emotion and anger. "If you continue down this path, you'll cease to be my daughter."

The words hung in the air, and Eleanor's heart sank. Her hope of mending their relationship shattered in an instant. She gathered her belongings with tears filling her eyes, she had laid the artworks that had been a piece of her soul and her own mother rejected her, she gathered her things and left the restaurant without uttering a single word to her mother.

Tears blurred her vision as she walked away, the weight of her mother's ultimatum pressing on her heart. Eleanor felt lost, torn between her passion for art and the love and approval she longed for from her mother.

As evening rolls in, Eleanor laid awake in her bed staring at the ceiling and noticing patterns she hadn't noticed before.

After the heart-wrenching confrontation with her mother, Eleanor found herself emotionally exhausted and desperate for a reprieve. She decided to reach out to Kamsi, the one person who had always been her source of comfort.

With a sigh of relief, Kamsi accepted her invitation for a movie night. As he arrived, the mood in her apartment began to shift. The simple act of baking together felt like a soothing balm for Eleanor's frayed emotions.

They whipped up a batch of chocolate chip cookies, the scent wafting through the kitchen like a warm embrace. Laughter echoed in her apartment as they joked around, it was as if Kamsi knew she needed this, a momentary escape from the heaviness of her recent encounter with her mother and she was once again grateful for his presence.

Once their culinary adventure was complete, they settled in to watch a movie. Eleanor rested her head on Kamsi's broad shoulder, feeling the familiar warmth and comfort of his presence as he wraps his arm around her. It was a comforting feeling, but as the movie played on, Eleanor found herself drifting into a more contemplative mood.

She couldn't keep her thoughts to herself any longer. The scent of his cologne, a scent that had always been familiar and had always made her feel so calm, was a stark contrast to the complex emotions swirling inside her.

Kamsi," she began, "I've been struggling with a couple of things, and I need to tell you. Today with my mother... it was awful. She told me that she'll disown me if I continue with my art. I don't know what to do."

Kamsi listened attentively, his eyes reflecting a mixture of understanding and empathy, he caressed her arm in comfortable way. Eleanor had revealed her pain and despair to him, and it was a relief to share her turmoil.

But Eleanor couldn't keep her deeper feelings to herself any longer. As she wiped away a tear, she continued, "And there's something else. I have feelings for one of my Professors, and it's tearing me apart."

Kamsi's expression was a mix of surprise and something else she couldn't pinpoint, maybe hurt? He ceased his gentle touches and she suddenly felt cold and a shift in the air.

He didn't interrupt her while she spoke; he simply listened. Eleanor had bared her soul, and she felt a mixture of relief and vulnerability as she waited for his response.

After a thoughtful pause, Kamsi finally said in a dry tone, his voice tinged with an apologetic note. "I'm really sorry about everything with your mum, but I've got an early start tomorrow, and I should head home," he said, standing up and leaving before she could get a word in.

Eleanor was left in confusion as she watched him go. She had bared her soul about her strained relationship with her mother, and Kamsi had chosen to leave just when she had mustered the courage to share her innermost feelings. The intricate web of emotions in her life seemed to grow more complex, and Eleanor was left grappling with the consequences of her art and the choices she had to make.

AUTHORS NOTE: Why did Kamsi leave like that?🤔❤️❤️