Chapter Twelve: Not the break she wanted

Waiting on weekends was a struggle, with the restaurant packed with entitled wealthy patrons and rambunctious teens on dates. Anna threw herself into her work at Red Roses, putting in long hours and coming home exhausted.

She was dropping off a customer's order when her phone vibrated in her apron.

As she was dropping off a customer's order, her phone vibrated in her apron pocket. She excused herself to the back, eager for a break from the chaos of the restaurant. Taking a seat, she saw a missed call from her mother.

She paused, her thumb hovering over the call button. She remembered their last conversation, which had ended in an argument. Taking a deep breath, she swiped to accept the call.

She was prepared for another confrontation, but her mother's voice was calm and quiet. "Hi, honey.

For a moment, there was silence. She could hear her unsteady breathing. Like her mother was pondering over what her first words were going to be.

The silence on the other end of the line was palpable like the air had been sucked out of the room. A million thoughts raced through Anna's mind. The words she wanted to say, but was too afraid to. The ones that had been on the tip of her tongue for so long.

"If you don't have anything to say, I'd like to get back to work now." She muttered coldly and bit her lips, regretting almost immediately why she had let those words slip from her lips.

"I do have something to say." His mother's soft voice echoed almost immediately; "How are you doing Anna?" she asked.

For a moment she hesitates. Her subconsciousness running wild. Anna's chest tightened and her throat grew thick. She felt a mix of emotions: anger, sadness, and something else she couldn't quite name. She didn't know what to say. A part of her wanted to lash out, to express all the hurt and frustration she'd been carrying around for so long.

'I'm not fine mum. How could I be? You left me on my own. When I needed a mother where were you? And now you ask me how I'm I?' she screamed.

"I'm a fine mum. I am doing great." She mumbled and then there was silence again. There was the voice of a child crying in the background, but she paid not much attention to it.

"I'm sorry Anna. I know you must hate me. I hate myself for leaving you when you needed me the most. And I know that no amount of 'I am sorry' would make up for all the years."

Mum, I need a moment." Anna said, her voice shaking. She needed time to process everything her mother had just said. She wanted to be able to respond without saying something she might regret.

"Of course, sweetheart. Take all the time you need. I'm here for you whenever you're ready to talk." Her mother's voice was gentle and full of understanding.

She sniffled and used her palm to wipe off the tears from her cheeks.

her mother's words – "I hate myself for leaving you when you needed me the most" kept echoing in her head. Just a few weeks after her father's death, her mother engulfed herself in drugs.

She could still recall how she and her mother got into fights anytime she found drugs, pills and weed her mother would hide in corners of the house.

Her mother was laid off from her job because of her lack of concentration.

In time she started accumulating debts from loan sharks just so she could buy drugs.

When Anna couldn't take it anymore, she had to get the police to take her to a rehabilitation center. She was there for months until she escaped and that was the last time she saw and heard from her mother.

Her mother's addiction had a profound impact on her. She had always been a quiet and reserved child, but her mother's addiction made her even more withdrawn. She felt ashamed and embarrassed, and she found it hard to trust anyone. She became isolated and lonely, and she started to doubt her self-worth.

She felt like her mother's addiction had ruined her life.