Page 28 of Hook, Line, Infinity, Part 3

Rein

HEAR YOU ME - JIMMY EAT WORLD

“Wake up, buttercup.”

I inhale deeply and moan when the familiar scent of my mother’s blueberry waffles fills my senses.

Wait a damn minute. Only my mum woke me up like that.

My peepers open so fast I hiss when the brightness of the sunshine beaming into the room stings my eyes and temporarily blinds me. “Too bright,” I grumble, screwing up my face with dissatisfaction. I hear a soft laugh, my mother’s soft laugh.

“Your waffles are getting cold, mama.”

My blurred vision slowly clears, and my mother’s angelic face comes into sight right before my eyes. “Mum...” I whisper, peering up at her unblinking. “You’re here.”

My mother smiles and brushes a strand of my hair away from my face. “Of course I’m here, silly girl, where else would I be?” With a gasp, I sit up in bed so fast it makes my head spin and throw my arms around her neck hugging her tight. My mum laughs and wraps her free arm around my back. “Careful, you’re going to make me drop your waffles, mi hija.”

I burrow my face into her neck and inhale deeply filling my lungs with her shea butter and sweet vanilla scent. I loved the smell of her body butter, she used it so much that her bedroom smelt just like her. I vividly remember insisting to sleep in her bedroom, after I got back home from the hospital—at least until the smell of her vanished from her room and bed covers.

“Oh God, I can’t believe you’re here. I’ve missed you so much.” I say pulling back to look at her. My mother smiles and shakes her head brushing her fingers over my damp cheek where tears of joy stream down my face.

“Sweetheart, I’ve always been right here. I’ll never go too far from where you are, mi Corazón.” She assures me with a loving smile. My eyes scan her face, her almond shaped caramel-coloured eyes so bright and radiant. I burst into tears and hug her again. “Rein, look at me.” My mum draws back and cups my face in her hands, lifting my head so I can look at her. “No tears, baby girl. I’m right here, there is no force on this earth that could ever take me away from you.”

“We got into a car accident, and you were killed, and I never got to say goodbye to you—”

My mother shakes her head, and lovingly brushes my tears away, “Hey, shh, look at me, I’m right here baby. Why would you ever need to say goodbye? There are no goodbyes for us. The unbreakable bond between a mother and her child is eternal, sweetheart. I carried you inside me for nine months, and I will continue to carry you in my heart forever, wherever I may be. I will never be too far from you.”

“I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re here.” I sigh closing my eyes and resting my head on her chest while she strokes my hair like she used to when I was little.

“Come on, you must be starving, let’s go have breakfast.” I smile taking the hand she holds out to me and get out of bed. I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror hanging on my wall and walk over to it. I’m wearing my hello kitty night dress I’d sleep in when I was fifteen. Yes, I went through a hello kitty phase, as did most girls my age. It’s funny, I look like me at twenty-one years old standing in my childhood bedroom, the posters of Justin Bieber dotted all over my walls before I outgrew him and replaced the posters with my paintings.

Slowly I move closer to the mirror, frowning I look down at myself, my hand against my round stomach.

“Rein?” I turn and look at my mother waiting for me by the door. “What’s wrong sweetheart?”

“I’m pregnant?” I say looking down at myself again. “How am I pregnant?”

My mum walks over to me, a smile on her face, “What do you mean? You’re engaged to Talon and you’re having a baby. Don’t you remember?”

I stare back at her through the mirror for a long time. My fingers curl into the material of the night dress, I pull it up to check for the scar between my breasts. There’s nothing there. “Talon? I-I don’t understand. My scar is gone, but I’m still pregnant with Talon’s baby. If we didn’t have the accident and you’re alive that means I didn’t get Taylor’s heart, so how did I end up with Talon?”

My mum watches me, her eyes full of concern, “Honey, are you feeling okay?” She questions pressing the back of her fingers to my forehead and cheeks to check my temperature. “Come, let’s sit for a minute.” I sink down onto my bed and look at my mother. “Who’s Taylor?”

I blink at her perplexed, “Talon’s fiancée, she died in a car accident, and I got her heart. That’s how Talon and I met.” I explain. My mum smiles and shakes her head, placing her hand on my stomach she stokes it tenderly.

“Mi hija, what on earth are you talking about? What accident? There was no accident. Talon was your professor. You met Talon the first year you started university. You bumped into him and spilt your coffee all over him in the hallway and later on you saw him in your class.” She explains and chuckles, “You couldn’t stand him at first, I’ve never seen anyone get under your skin like he did. And then over time you fell madly in love with one another. There was never another girl, you were and always have been his one and only love, his beloved Snowflake.”

“I was?”

My mother smiles brightly and kisses my temple. “You are.” She presses. “That boy is crazy about you and you’re just as crazy about him. Your start may have been rocky with him, but all great love stories are. No matter what life threw at you, you never gave up fighting for one another and look at you now, about to be married and expecting a beautiful baby boy. I’m so proud of you for not letting my disastrous love life hold you back from yours.”

I frown and shake my head, “Mum…”

“No, listen to me, I know how much you suffered watching me try and fail at finding love, but you were lucky enough to find a man that will move heaven and earth for you. He may not be perfect but men like Talon are very few to none, so hold onto him mi amor, and don’t deny yourself the happiness you deserve.” My mother expresses solemnly and gives my hand a gentle squeeze.

“Snowflake.”

I look over at the bedroom door when I hear Talon calling for me. “Talon.” I whisper.

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