Not So Ordinary

The Calm Before the Storm

I switch on the lights and the room brightens. I walk over to my bedside table to put the glass of water down. I take a deep breath and plopped myself onto the bed. I stare at the ceiling full of tiny pictures of different flowers. Some were in bloom, some were at the process of blooming and some were still closed off. They were pictures I took since I learned about cameras. My first ever camera was given to me by her. It was a Nikon L35AF. She bought it when she was touring Greece. When she came back home, she noticed I took a liking to it and gave it to me. I remember being so happy because I didn’t have to use my dad’s old Nokia phone with it’s not so great camera. The Nikon only required AAs for batteries and it was not heavy to carry around my neck.I remember bringing it around everywhere I went. I remember holding it carefully as to not damage or break it. I remember not letting anyone borrow the camera, not even my parents because I just loved it so much. I was so possessive of it. It was filled with pictures of me and her, but mostly flowers. I would take a picture of every single flower I see. Photographs are a nice way in keeping memories. It takes a moment and turns it into forever. I haven’t used the camera for years now, not since that incident. I kept it away inside my closet because looking at it hurts more than it does good. Looking at the pictures, I realize that it turned into this mosaic of different flowers. It looked pretty despite it’s unpredicting pattern. Huh, even the most random and ordinary of things can turn into something charming. I take a deep breath and decide to take a cold shower to cool off.

After showering, I feel refreshed. I do my updated easy skincare routine. I never cared for looks but I do care for hygiene. I’m thankful for my mom who introduced me to Korean skincare products. These stuff works wonders! Hydration is the key to bouncy skin or at-least that is what works for me. I wrap my wet hair around my used t-shirt and not a towel because I heard this was better for the hairs than the fibre on a towel. I take my toner and put some on a cotton pad. I wipe it across my face gently. After that, I wait and let it absorb for 5 minutes before proceeding to put on essence and the serum. As I wait for the products to melt into my skin, I was deciding whether to do a mask or not that’s when I hear someone knocking on my door.

“Roni? Are you asleep?,” my mother asked from the other side of the door. It was already late, why is she still awake?

“No, not yet!” I shout because I was still in the bathroom.

“May I come in?,” my mother asked.

I think for a moment whether it would be good or bad to let her in given her temper in the kitchen a while ago. I decide to let her in.

“Sure, come in.” Still shouting because I was still in the bathroom putting my eye cream on.

“Can you open the door for me? My hands are full!” She shouts.

I finish putting my eye cream and went to the door to open it.

“Hi, I brought pizza and ice cream.” She smiles sheepishly as she raised her hands to show me the food.

I tilt my head and signal for her to come in. She proceeded to put the pizza and ice cream down on my desk and while I went to the bathroom to finish my skincare routine. She peeks inside the bathroom and sees the bowl I had prepared for the mask.

“Are you making a mask?,” she asked.

“I’m still deciding on it,” I replied.

“Let’s make some!,” mother said excitedly and joined me in the bathroom. She opens my cabinet mirror and takes out the ingredients for the mask.

“Green tea or Berries?” She holds up the two making me choose between them.

“Berries.” I point to her left hand which was holding it.

She then proceeded to make the mask with berries as the main component. I take the aloe-vera gel eye patches out and ask her if she wanted some too. She did and I take out two pairs. She finishes the mask and we step out of the bathroom. We make our way to the foot of the bed and I get the pizza and ice cream. We settle down on the floor. My mother ties her hair up and struggles to put on the bunny facial headband with the cute ears she bought for us. I offer to help her with it and she gives me the headband. After that, she picks up the bowl of berry mask and offered to put some of it on my face.

“Do you wanna go first?,” she asks.

“Yeah, sure,” I replied.

“Let me put it on for you.” She offers.

Mother then continued to put some of the berry mask onto my face. She started with my forehead working all they way down to my chin. We were quiet. The room was filled with silence. She was done with my face now and it was my turn to put some mask on her face.

I do the same as hers. I start with her forehead. We were both still quiet and there is no way that I am speaking to her first. I am now at her cheeks and that’s when she breaks the silence between us.

“I’m sorry,” mother said softly.

“For what are you exactly apologizing for?” I want to know if she knows what she did wrong and is not just saying sorry for the sake of it. I continue to put the mask on her cheeks.

“For not eating dinner with you guys, for shouting at you and your brother which resulted into making the whole family uncomfortable earlier,” she explained.

Good, she knows what she did.

“We understood that you were having a crisis but you didn’t need to shout at Vincent like that, mom,” I replied.

“I know and I apologized to him about that,” she said.

“Do you know why he wanted us to eat together so badly?,” I asked.

“Yes, I do. He told me all about it when I was in his room,” she explained.

“And? How did it go?,” I asked as I continued to spread the mask along her other cheek now.

“Well, he told me that I hurt his feelings and how he was really excited to tell us the good news until I ruined it,” she said sadly.

“Uh huh, and then? What else?,” I asked.

“I told him that I understand why he was feeling that way and that I will do better next time,” she responded.

“Is that all?,” I asked her.

“I also told him how I was so proud of him being the representative of the school for the competition and that I felt so bad for not paying attention to him.” Mother added.

“Are you two okay now? Is he okay now?” I like that mom didn’t try to defend herself and she validated Vincent’s feelings.

“I think so, he drank the hot chocolate that I made with the little marshmallows that he likes so much. He also hugged me before going to sleep so yes, I think he and I are okay now,” mother said.

“I’m glad to hear that, mom.” I was now almost done with her face, I’m just finishing her chin.

We both smile and I touch up the other parts of her face with a thin layer of mask, evening it out. After that, I set aside the bowl and picked up the eye gel patches to put on our eyes. There were two colors, pink and purple. I let mom choose first.

“Which one you want?” I hold up the two patches in front of her.

“Pink.” She chose.

“Okay, rest your head on the bed.” I instructed her.

I tear the plastic and carefully put it on her eyes making sure that it fits right.

“Thank you, dear,” mother said.

“No problem,” I replied.

I open the remaining purple eye gel patch and put it on myself. We both stayed there in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

“Veronica?” My mother called.

“Yes, mother?” I respond.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“You already apologized, mom. It’s okay now.” My mother was not the type to be redundant so why is she saying sorry again?

“No, I mean for the crisis. You got caught in it and I know how much you hate being caught up in the spotlight,” she explained.

I was actually going to open up to her about it so, her initiating the subject is good.

“Yeah, what exactly happened? How did the paparazzi follow you here?,” I sit straight and remove the eye gel patches to face her.

“I already talked to Chris about that and he doesn’t exactly know either how they followed me here and why in all of the years we have been at peace here, this only happened now?,” she answered.

“You know mom, I’m nervous about going to school tomorrow,” I open up to her.

She sits up straight and removes her eye gel patch as well, and looks at me. She scoots closer to me holds my hand.

“Nothing is going to happen to you tomorrow at school. I’ll make sure of that.” She assured me.

“But, what if there will be paparazzi hiding and will ambush me when I go out?,” I asked.

“That won’t happen, Veronica. Your day tomorrow will be as average as Rachel’s choice in men,” mother said jokingly.

“Haha, nice joke,” I said sarcastically and she gave me an annoyed look.

“You know mom, I think I might be going down a fever. I think it may be best to rest and stay home for a week,” I said hoping that she would fall for it.

She touches my forehead. She feels it for a minute to check if it’s really true but when she confirmed that I was faking it, she pushed my forehead back a little too hard.

“Ow!,”. I said loudly.

“Sorry, I was trying to push your fever back all the way to the moon so it won’t come back,” she said sarcastically and I just rolled my eyes at her.

“Honey, I know how you are dreading at the thought of being the center of attention or being given any attention at all but, sooner or later you are going to have to face some little attention whether you like it or not,” mom said firmly.

I hate how she is right. Sooner or later I am going to have to face it. Especially now that I’m a senior and will soon be graduating and going off to college. I have to come out of my shell and eventually come out of the shadows.

“Can you not say things I already know?” I sigh.

“Come here,” she said and I scoot closer to her. She hugs me and I lean my back against her. She gently strokes my hair.

“Veronica, you think you’re meant for the shadows and it hurts me to see you be a part of the background when you are capable of being the subject and the main focus,” mother said fondly.

“I’m not like you, mom. I’m just old plain Veronica. The private but not secret daughter of the famous actress, Carol May.” I said.

“I wish you could take off you’re gray-tinted glasses so that you could see how bright you are, Veronica Meyers. You’re more than just the plain old girl and you’re definitely more than just being my daughter,” mother said firmly.

I didn’t know what to say because she just straight up attacked me. That has been an issue for a while now, my identity as a person and my purpose in this world.

“Alright.” She scoots me back and stands up. “You’re father is probably waiting for me,” she said.

“Okay, mom. Thank you for this and acknowledging your mistake and for also comforting Vincent and I.” I also stand so that we are in level.

“Ofc, that’s my duty as your mother. I love you, my Roni.” She pulls me in for a hug careful not to ruin each other’s mask.

“I love you, mom.” I hug her back.

Mother pulls back away from the hug and stops by the door before completely making her way out of my room.

“Sleep tight, kiddo,” she said.

“Good night, mother.” I smiled and then she closes the door.

I head over to the bathroom to wash my face first and then went to bed.