Bittersweet reunion (Everan)

Tap. tap. tap. Goes a knock on my door. Getting up from my place I ask who it is though I receive no answer aside from another series of taps and an envelope addressed to me slide under the door. Obviously the visitor does not want to make themselves known verbally. Tearing open the envelope I find a letter addressed to me and quickly reading through it in a moment of panic I tear open the door and reveal...my mother. Her thin frame unchanged save from a few new bruises on her fair skin but the tousled hastily done bun or dark unruly hair and teary eyed expression looking up at me remains unchanged as if plucked from a memory. “Hello Ev.” She whispers and I don't know why either out of awe or shock; I hug her. “It really was a bittersweet meeting” I explain to Phillip later. “And she likely risked much just to do so.” Though she had little part to play besides watching in horror as events played out between my father and I I'll never fully forgive her. I don't recall last time she hugged me before that moment. In fact I don't remember if she ever did. Thinking about it now, I don't think she did. “What are you doing here?” I ask drawing her in to the apartment. She looks around not quite happily but certainly impressed “You've done well for yourself. And why do you think I'm here?” I mull over the question for a moment “To warn me dads stalking me again? To say he's lost his mind? To- I don't know- do something?” She takes off her cloak, an old blue one that's seen better days but is functional enough, and takes out a package. “No. Because it's your birthday.” Handing me the package I open it carefully, it's a few of my old things she had managed to save. The things I kept carefully hidden. And while they aren't much, they were my prized possessions as a child. “How did you find these?” I aks and she shrugs. Typical Elsie never to reveal her methods. “And there's one more thing. On the bottom.” I push back a piece of tissue paper and pick up the last present, a pair of bracelets each with a series of stones set to make a rainbow on the band. “One for you and one for your boyfriend. What's his name again? Phillip?” I nod continuing to examine the jewelry, it must have cost her quite a bit. “Actually I'm supposed to meet him for dinner tonight, if you'd like to meet him. I'd forgotten about that before you mentioned him. In fact I'd forgotten my own birthday.” She smiles at the question and agrees though gives me a questionable look at the last statement “Forgotten or purposely not remembered? If it's the latter I understand why.” I sigh and place the box down “Both, really.” I admit and she looks at me sadly. My birthday was always a bittersweet occasion. “I'm supposed be over there in thirty minutes so we’d best get going.” And on that note I begin to lead her through the city to the Evans household, keeping a watchful eye on any who would be watching too closely. She gasps at the size of the house though it's fairly standard sized, in the scheme of things, to her it might as well be a mansion. Lillian and Rebecca, Phillips mothers open the door and walk onto the front step watching curiously. I manage to draw my mother forward with me “Lillian and Rebecca Evans, meet Elsie Thenath.” I gently coax her in front of me and while she stumbles slightly she straightens up and looks at them with her usual scared eyes as they walk forward, but they only introduce themselves and shake her hand. Phillip follows with a slightly more elongated introduction. Ainsley makes a brief appearance drawing her parents back inside before noticing my mother and making a curious comment or two. Phillip and I eventually leave for dinner and my mother informs me that her stay ends at that time, as she was constricted in the time she had to see me, wishes me luck and says to write and on that note leaves as abruptly as she had showed up. After that Phillip and I had a rather enjoyable dinner. The food was excellent and he must have informed the restaurant it was my birthday as we got free dessert. Laying in bed with Phillip sleeping peacefully at my side feeling rather tired, as dinner was not the only thing he had in store for my that night I recall the events of the day- and night. My mind wanders back to my mother. She was always rather pitiful and lacked the ability to really do much of anything to counteract the seething wrath of my father. Elsie Thenath is a complex person, and in all honesty, I feel bad for her. Glancing over at the box, and back to Phillip, my mind finally beginning to quiet I realize that birthdays don't have to be so bad. Though to me they are still a very bittersweet occasion.