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“It was … something.”
“Do you have any photos? Did you take Lauren?”
Charlie couldn’t help the grimace that ripped through him. He was doing good not to think of Lauren. He still felt raw and angry about everything that had happened.
His mom frowned.
“Did something happen?”
“Uh, yeah. Lauren and I are officially broken up. Hopefully for good this time.”
Many emotions crossed over his mother’s face. But the main one Charlie caught was relief. Charlie was sure Lewis was going to have the same reaction.
“What happened?”
“It’s a long story," Charlie said.
“I have time if you do.”
Charlie sighed, knowing he wasn’t getting out of this. He told his mom everything, how Lauren had started a fight with a friend, and how that fight had never truly ended in six years. He said how awful he felt about his part in how his friend was treated, and he repeated the things he had said to Violet in anger. His heart raced as he saw his mother’s shock at the words.
He had mentioned Violet in passing to her before, so his mom knew there was a girl he didn’t like, but he had never told him everything he had said. It hurt to say it because it made all of it real.
“Wow… that is a lot," his mother said when he was done. “So, she knows you never made the comments that started it all?”
“Yeah. We cleared it up. As far as I know, she believes me. But I want to make it right. I want us to be friends.”
“I don’t know if this is something you make right, Charlie. Obviously, she’s listening and is choosing to believe you. That’s good. But pain is a strong emotion. It may not be something she can get past, and there is nothing you can do to make her.”
Charlie deflated because, as always, his mother got right to the crux of the problem. He didn’t want to think too hard about it, but he couldn’t help it. He’d liked Violet a lot when they met. They made the same jokes. They had similar interests, and she had always been so pretty. But they now had six years of yelling at each other to add to it, and that made it so much harder.
Maybe he couldn’t fix it. Violet may never be able to move past what happened, and that was her right not to. Charlie could only hope that didn’t happen.
“I know," he said, sighing.
“I know you want to make it right, but what’s done is done.”
“I hate that it happened.”
“But it did. You have peace, and that’s good. If it’s nothing more than that, then it’s still better than where it started.”
“And what if she hates me forever?”
“Then I guess it’s good you don’t see each other very much.”
Charlie opened his mouth to correct his mom because they were basically roommates - and they saw each other almost every day. How had he forgotten to mention that huge detail?
But then again, maybe he didn’t want to. His mom knew how much he struggled having guests over, and there were somethings about his fights and feelings about Violet he was not ready to get grilled on by his mom. He had enough to deal with since Violet had decided to stay.
“Yeah,” he said. “I guess I’ll have to be happy with us not yelling at each other.”
“Yeah, maybe. Sorry, kiddo," his mom said, frowning. Charlie could only nod, feeling disappointed.
“Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?” He asked his mom, trying to keep a positive attitude.
His mother considered it for a moment, but then shook her head. “No, no. I wanted to catch up. Nothing important.”
Charlie noticed her hesitation, and considered asking her about it, but then he let it go, trusting that if it was something, she would tell him.
