PART THREE

Chapter 10: Back Home

A week had already passed since Natalie returned back to New York. She came with all her belongings like how her mom asked her. Ever since she returned, she had not mentioned to them a word about school and that made her parents worried.

Over the past week, she vainly tried to get over Trevor, Erin’s reproachful words, Ingrid’s plea and her own conscious. They came back to her in her sleep, they banged her head every time. She had no rest. That kept her from engaging into her former home duties. She left everything to her mom, shutting herself in her room after every meal.

One day after lunch, she did the same, dismiss herself from the table to her bedroom. She dropped herself on the mattress and lay on her back while staring at the roof. She could almost no longer handle the guilt. What she did was wrong. She was in a mess and perhaps, she could never get a chance to fix things.

She sat up, nothing was going right. Suddenly, she could not think straight.

‘knock! knock! knock!’

Her bedroom door sounded.

“Yes?” she called.

“Honey? It’s me.” Mrs. Bradley sounded behind the door.

Natalie rose from the bed and walked to the door. She let her mom in and strolled to the bed where she sat cross legged opposite Mrs. Bradley.

“So, how are you doing?” Mom asked opening a conversation.

“Okay.” Natalie replied shortly.

“I know that there’s something wrong. You haven’t talked since you came back. Is the school that good or that bad?”

Natalie giggled at the way her mom spoke. However, she replied “Average.”

“Good. Can you tell me about it?”

“I made a few friends. I also became a leader.” She sighed. Bloody governance.

“It sounds like, you didn’t like being a leader.” Mom said.

“It doesn’t matter now. I am not going back there.”

Mom paused for a moment, looking at her daughter pitifully.

“Mommy, you haven’t told me why we can’t afford my education in Hamerton. As far as I see, dad is still working in that international agency.”

“He is but, as you can also see, unless…of course, you haven’t noticed.”

“What?” Natalie asked as if snapping from a trance.

“I am not working.”

“Gosh. Mom, I’m sorry.”

“Oh honey, there’s more.” Mom said nodding charmingly. She touched her stomach, looking at it then back at Natalie. Natalie could then notice the protruding stomach behind a flaring blouse that her mom wore. Mom had not revealed it all the while, but, Natalie could have known if only she spent much time with her.

“Whaaaat!” she exclaimed. “Mom!” she screamed drawing closer to feel her mom’s belly.

“Yes dear.”

Natalie turned her head as she leaned forward attempting to listen to the baby’s kicking. She grinned feeling a gentle wriggling within her mom’s tummy.

She drew back. “How old is he?”

“Five months.” Mom replied.

“Okay but, it’s too early for you to be on a maternity leave.” Natalie said.

“It’s not a maternity leave dear, I stopped working for good. Your father and I were afraid of what happened last time to repeat itself again.”

Natalie sighed. Mom already suffered three miscarriages after having her. The last one was a five months old pregnancy, two years back. Natalie thought that her parents already gave up on having another child.

She took both of her mom’s palms. “We can call him, Elroy or Austin or Jayden.”

Mother laughed a little. “We were thinking of Nathaniel, after Natalie.”

Natalie smiled. “Thank you. What if… what if it’s a girl?”

“Your father always wanted a little boy. Maybe we could name her-”

“Caitlin.” Natalie interrupted. “We should… if it’s a girl, we should name her Caitlin.” She insisted, tears tingling her eyes.

“Oh honey.” Mom called sympathetically, stretching her hands to embrace her daughter.

Natalie sobbed on her mom’s shoulder. “I still don’t believe that she died mom. I loved her so much. She was like a sister that I never had.”

“There there dear.” Mom coaxed. “You can tell me all about it.”

Natalie drew back her face wet with tears. “Mom. What can I do? I don’t know what to do. I want to do what is right. I think I owe that to her.”

“Honey. I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Can I know what you’re meaning to tell me?”

Natalie sighed and wiped her face. She could not let her mom know about Hamerton. It was her battle. She already let her friends down anyway.

Mom took her hands. “Honey? You can trust me.”

“It doesn’t matter now.” She faked a smile. “I should be happy. You’re having a baby and, I’ll be here to help you with the house. I’m sorry that I haven’t done that in the time that I was here.”

“Sweety? You don’t even sound happy with that.”

Natalie looked down, silent.

“Natalie? Are you okay?”

She nodded. She wanted to avoid the conversation.

Mom was not satisfied but, she said. “In any case, you can always do what is right. You have a choice my daughter.”

“I don’t have a choice.” I can’t go back to school.

As if mom read her mind she said “I got a letter of notification from one of your directors.” She begun.

Natalie furrowed her eyebrows with confusion.

“It said that, you were going to represent the school in some international competitions in Germany. It’s your big break honey. You want that opportunity, in fact,” she squeezed her daughter’s palms in her hands speaking with hope. “You need that opportunity to continue with school. They will sponsor your education for a full year.”

Natalie sighed. What about her friends? Will they accept her back?

“My dear? There’s your opportunity. You can go for it or, you can back out.”

“What if I don’t win?”

“You will.” She touched her stomach again. “As much as I will have my baby.” She grinned, tears falling from her eyes. “Caitlin.”

Natalie grinned back and hugged her.

what happens next? stay tuned to find out...