Chapter 1.2

It has been six weeks. Six blissful, stressfull, peacefull weeks without their presence. I have been able to focus on my studies, which, are not easy. Each class is hard, each assignment harder, each presentation and test, nerve destroying. I love it! Oh plumbob. I have never felt such joy with each agonizing moment that passed by in class. I could feel my neurons firing as I learned in an environment that both challenged and excited me.

My current presentation for CSI Tree: Intro to Forest Pathology has been hitting the ground hard. I redid it at least foud times. My speech for The Sunlight Cycle course has hit a few snags, and my term paper for Anatomy for Amateurs has gone through several rewrites. But I am still happy with it, even though its all stressful and nerve wracking.

I managed to get my presentation finished and put aside and made my speech solid. By week ten, I had a solid grasp even on my hardest subject, Building with Cells. I took photos of plants outside my home, studied various x-rays, and how the biolody of plants and man affected each other. I was ready. I took a few deep breaths and turned on my sound waves, letting the soothing rhythm play over my headphones.

I got this! I took a few deep breaths before starting my presentation practice. Number fourty six had to be the lucky number! I was going to get it down right. The presentation was due in four weeks! I had to get it right! No I am not an overachiever! Where did you- Oh....Yeah I guess I am. But I always said, practice doesnt make perfect, practice makes better.

Ring Ring Ring

What...? I pulled my cell out and looked it over. My face hardened as I looked at the number. Why the hell was Yumi calling me. I pressed the red button and went back to my presentation. Where was I? Oh right... So the -

Ring Ring Ring

Seriously? Opening the screen I glared at the number. I clicked the red button. She could leave a message. I am busy and she had enough people she didn't need to bother me. Now. If I cou-

Ring Ring Ring

...

...

Beep

"What do you want Yumi?"

"Is that any way to talk to your moth-"

"Not my mom. What do you want?"

"Doesn't matter. Alex is in the hospital."

...

"Did you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Well...? Are you coming home?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Are they dying?"

"Well no."

"Is it life threatening?"

"No."

"Are you missing out on a good fuck because they can't watch your new baby?"

"ANGEL!"

"Bingo. Goodbye."

I hung up on her and looked at my phone. I quickly texted Alex to check on them. I sat down and began working on my term paper notes and sighed. It wasn't unheard of for Yumi to pull this. It was probably the third time she had tried this. First call was to tell me Alice broke up with Molly. Turns out Molly had gone on vacation and Alice never told Yumi, so Yumi to took it as a 911.

The second time was one of the triplets, yes, triplets. Andrew, Adelain, and Adrien. All from the twins' nanny Masato Ono. I swear. Yumi was trying to complete a 100 baby challenge or something. Anyways, Yumi called to tell me that little Addy had gotten very sick and was running a very high fever. When questioned why she didn't take her to the hospital, she hung up on me.

I know I can be pretty harsh on my family. But Yumi is a truly inconsiderate person. As I finished my notes, Alex got back to me. Aparently, yes, they went to the hospital. They fell off Thunder, our old Appaloosa. They had been riding and Thunder got spooked by a fox and Alex fell off, spraining their wrist a little. They went to the hospital to get x-rayed and nothing was broken.

Alex asked if Yumi called, apologizing for her behavior. They said Molly, Alice, and themselves had moved to a smaller ranch away from her, and she has started to grow desperate now that it was just her and Masato with the triplets. I could not help but laugh at the irony and karma Yumi had sewn. I let Alex know I was hoping they got better and we will talk more over break.

Harvestfest came not long after. I spent most of the day making a homestyle dinner for myself. Yes, its sad, but I wasn't. I video called Alex, Alice, and Molly. We had a great time talking about what we were thankful for. Molly was pregnant with Alice's baby. Well, Alex was the donor. She was due around the end of my first year and we were planning a get together for that.

They showed me their attempt at a black turkey. Sorry regular turkey, but it was horribly burnt. They ordered chinese instead. Alex was laughing hysterically as Alice cried over her ruined dinner. The three of them made a beautiful family and I was so excited. Masato aparently left Yumi and took the triplets with him. He keeps in touch with Alice and Alex.

After Harvestfest, I finished my term with a project plant which was doing very well. I was very excited to see how it was doing. I had been doing good and first term ended with straight A's across the board. I kept tabs on the family and I was excited that despite everything, we were closing our distance after the toxicity had been cut out of our lives.

I began seeing it more like a parasitic fungus. As the host grows and thrives, the fungus struggles to tie it down and suck more of the life from it til the host eventually shrivels and dies. So, when you cut the parasite off at the base, the host can thrive and the fungus shrivels and dies. Yumi was just that, a parasite. As much as she was our birth mother, she was a parasite.

Ring Ring Ring Ring

I stop mid thought. I look down. Alex's number. It has to be past nine over there. Its a bit late for them to be calling me. Something was off, but I never could just ignore Alex's calls. I hit the green answer and lifted it to my ear. I will never, never, forget that conversation I had. Nor the feeling in my gut. Every nerve in my body froze and I felt the feeling in my legs give out.

"Hey Ale-"

"Don't hang up."

"Yumi? Why do-"

"Don't hang up. Al-Alex...Alex's been hurt."

I don't know how my instincts knew she was telling the truth this time, how I knew she wasn't lying. How this wasn't another ploy to get me home.

"I already got a ticket in your name. Get home. Now."

"Yumi."

"I can't tell you over the phone. They need you. Just...Alex...Just get here."

Beep

I felt the phone slide from my hand to my side. My mouth hang open as tears filled my eyes. It had to be bad. I didn't even know if I locked the door. As I climbed into a waiting taxi, I checked my phone to message my professors and saw a single text message from Alice.

I'm sorry