A Christmas Love

Veronica

I took heed to his advice. Overthinking was something I did constantly... but Conner wasn't worth overthinking about... Hudson, annoying as he was, knew what he was talking about better than anyone right now... I turned to face him, sticking my hand out...

"Can I have that back now please?"

I asked, pointing at the ring on his left ring finger with my other hand...

"Oh Ava, you cannot propose to someone then ask for the ring back, especially after I already said I would."

"Nooo.... that's not what I did, I just shit.... I didn't want him to see it, I didn't ask for your hand in marriage, and you know that... so hand it back."

Just then, the door to his room opened, and a beautiful older woman stepped inside... followed by another woman wearing nursing attire but not from our hospital...

"Hudson, son, I am so glad you are awake. I brought someone to meet you. Her name is Elise, and she will be taking care of you from now on..."

The woman said.

"I don't want anyone taking care of me, mother, I have already told you that."

"but son...

"No buts mother, now leave, I want to be alone."

She opened her mouth again but a firm look from him had her closing her mouth again. She turned and whispered something to the woman with her and they both left...

"You know if you don't accept help from anyone you will only make things worse for you."

I said, looking at him...

"I don't need advice from someone who just got dumped"

he grumbled

"For your information, I didn't get dumped. He was a lying son, a b***h that needed more than one woman to make him feel like a man, and as for you, keep your nose out of my shit."

I stormed out of his room without waiting for him to say another word... he was a total asshole and I didn't have the energy to deal with him. I decided that I was going to head home and call it a day. I had already been there all night... my next shift only started in two days... I headed for the locker room and changed, then got ready to leave.

Once I was alone in my car, the audacity of Conner came rushing back. Did he really think I was going to give him a chance to talk after hearing that he was married? That he was basically living a double life? As I pulled into my driveway, the last person I wanted to see right now was standing there.

I got out of my car and walked to my front door, digging into my purse for my keys...

"Ava, how could you do this to him? After everything he has done for you?"

I ignored her, turned the lock and opened my door, dumped my things on the counter top. I kicked off my work shoes and headed for my room, but the devil wasn't done. She followed me to my room and lingered by the door. I used to be afraid of this woman... she held all my strings growing up. That was the reason I hardly acknowledged her as my mother.

I wasn't allowed to put on weight or wear anything she hadn't picked out for me, my hair always had to be neat, not a strand out of place. Every sport I wanted to do needed her approval and almost always she said no. Ballet and any other kind of dancing or pagan shows was all I could do... I wore heels from a young age, and I was never allowed to wear pants or shorts.

Even when it rained cats and dogs outside, she dolled me up as the perfect little porcelain doll. All my subjects she chose, and she even set out my career for me, so when I told her that I wanted to do nursing she laughed at me and told me to get out because no daughter of hers would be another person's slave...

I struggled to make it on my own but the freedom it brought was enough for me not to crawl back to her for help... I got myself a job and put myself through college, hence I feel as though I have no family...

"I spoke to you, child!"

She yelled, stepping closer to me...

If this was back when I was still afraid of her, I would cower away and start tearing up, but I learned to stand up for myself against my own abusive mother.

"If you're so worried about him, why don't you take him?"

i asked

"Don't get smart with me child, I am your mother. Don't you ever forget that"

"My mother, huh? Where were you when I needed you all those years ago? Where were you when you needed to be every sense of that word?"

"Ava! You would not talk to me in that way if I didn't raise you the way I did. Who knows where you would have been?"

"Are you listening to yourself, Ron? The only time you have been there was when I needed to be dolled up, but when things got hard where the hell were you?"

She didn't answer... but what was funny about it though was that she didn't even look the slightest bit guilty... If I wasn't doing shows she was gone. God knows where she disappeared, and sometimes she would leave me alone for weeks on end, then she would return as though she hadn't just left her five-year-old alone and starving.

"I did what I could to give you a better life."

"Veronica, I was five years old. What I needed was for you to be my MOTHER! Not a part-time parent."

Her nostrils flared. She hated it when I called her by her name.

"I didn't come here for this s**t Ava. Maybe if you weren't such a brat your dad would have stuck around."

She yelled.

And there it was. Whenever we argued, she would blame me for my dad not coming back. She made me believe as a child that I was the reason he didn't want to be a part of our lives, but I knew as I got older I had nothing to do with him leaving. She was a drunk and I guess he grew tired of her bullshit.

"Well, whatever it is you came for its best you leave find out the right story then maybe if you're capable of being a mother to me will I tell you what ever it is you want to know but for now you can leave I had a long shift."

"He told me you wouldn't give him a chance to explain, so I am here to explain things on his behalf."

"I do not need an explanation, I know all there is to know!"

"Being a brat won't help you sort things out with him!!"

God this f*****g woman just wouldn't give up, she always liked him. Not that I introduced her to him. She came here unannounced one evening and stayed for dinner like she was the perfect mother. Since then, they had been in contact and whenever we had a disagreement he would run to her as if she could help solve everything.

"Get out Ron"

I said as I walked out of my room and to the front door. I opened it and waited for her to leave. She shook her head, grabbed her purse, and before she left she turned to me...

"Stubborn little bitches like you get nowhere in life."

"Well, I have done pretty well this far on my own."

I smiled, then shut the door in her face.

She had some f*****g nerve.