HIDDEN LOVE

The knock on the door made me come out of my thought session." come in", I said turning around from the mirror to see who it was "oh dad" he looked at me and let out a gentle sigh "hi honey your mom always wanted to give this to you when she thought was time but I think you need to have a look at it before you go" he placed a cream envelope on my study desk and closed the door behind him. I moved the suitcases nearby and plopped on my bed opening the envelope to see what it was about, "Eleanor" I started to read out loud when I heard my phone ring, I tossed the envelope into my tote bag, "hey Cherry" I shouted into the phone forgetting about the letter, "el packing is really hard can you come over and help" my friend spoke letting out an annoyed grunt at the end, "I'm coming right now" I hanged up and laughed at her silliness. I walked down a block and rang the doorbell to her house, "thanks for coming el we're going tomorrow and I'm a huge mess" I took in a moment to look at her state, her black hair in the messiest bun ever resembling a bird's nest and wearing her Spongebob pajamas, I burst out laughing not able to take it anymore, "yeah laugh all you want, come on in". We started gathering her stuff and organizing in the suitcase when I was dragged into my thoughts again "pass me the straightener over there, miss Eleanor would you be kind enough to pass that over here" Cherry shouted making me snap out of it, I gave it to her and she placed it with the rest of her luggage and pulled me onto her bed and said, "what is it el?" I sighed loudly "Cherry you know how hard we worked to move to LA not only to have fun but also to support our career, be independent and live our lives to the fullest" she nodded, "Well my mom thinks I'm not ready to be independent and started making a whole list of what I should and shouldn't do, that's how I lived my whole life letting her make my decisions, choose what's best for me which made it hard and confusing for me to make my own decisions and choices. She never cared for my mental health all she cared about was I got good grades for a proper and rich future. We always fought, every day throughout my childhood. She always compared me with the kids my age, my cousins, and anyone who fitted in her category of success but that's not me I'm different, being a stylist was my dream, to live contented, to make beautiful and lasting relationships and friendships, to travel, to be happy. She mumbled about it today while we were having breakfast that's when I lost it, I shouted at her and told her that I didn't want her to come to the airport tomorrow and wanted my last day at home to be peaceful so if she could stay at my grandma's place when she didn't listen my dad told her it was going to be alright and I was just having a fit taking her side as usual and my brother just kept making the issue bigger saying how unappreciative I was. She finally did leave leaving me to be. Sometimes I wish I had a better family who would support me rather than break me". I looked up to see cherry with a serious face, she smiled and said "Eleanor I know how you're feeling because I've been there too that until I found appreciation for them and what they really meant to me, I love them, and I know that you do too, you just need something to hit you to make you realize about it" I hugged her "thanks" "anytime" she said. We finally finished packing her luggage, "Eleanor I didn't know you came by, want something to eat?" Cherry's mum asked coming through the front door "Oh Aunt Al, I was just going to head out my dad is probably waiting for me". I said my goodbyes walking up to my house, heading straight to bed. I woke up to the blaring sound of my alarm clock and my elder brother shaking me like there was no tomorrow, "stop josh" I said sleepily "El you're going to LA baby, get up we need to start in 2 hours" I woke up in a beat realizing it was my big day, "thanks for waking me up" I smiled and was heading towards the bathroom when josh pulled me in for a hug, "I'm so proud of you el, live how you want to but be safe and also remember we'll always be there for you" with that he walked out of my room, I stayed there for a moment trying to recall what just happened, he never said such stuff to me. I ran out of my room up to him "thanks josh" he smiled "always". I got ready and we finally managed to fit in the car with all our luggage, dad was driving and I was sitting in the back with Cherry. "Isn't josh coming?" I asked my dad, "no,he's comforting your mum at grandma's". I was reaching for my phone when I saw the letter I was supposed to read the other day, I opened it and started reading, "Eleanor, my beautiful daughter, you'll be leaving your nest and fly all the way to LA to make your dreams come true.Darling I know I wasn't the best parent when it came to raising you, you could say I was selfish. The reason I always chose what's best for you was because I wanted you to realize how important you were to me and that I'll always want the best of the best for you.El when I first gave birth to your brother your father and I had stable jobs but we lost all our money because we trusted the wrong people and faced loss in our small real estate properties. Your father worked with a small share in a bar and I had no job so I stayed home facing loneliness.I gave birth to you with complications lasting for 17 hours. When you were still a baby, your brother spent more time with his friends and in school, while your dad came home late at night while handling the stress at the small bar, that's probably why I became so attached to you as I spent all the day with you.We barely made any money from the shares and when I used to see all our relatives and friends having better positions in career and making fun of how financially less stable we were compared to them, I was determined to prove them wrong with you and your brother but I was wrong you guys deserve to be happy and live how you want to because life is an opportunity, a chance to experience what it is to be like a small yet impactful being in the universe.We used to argue a lot but I should've realized that I was a teenager who didn't want to agree with my mum and how she quite never understood me too. You'll be leaving in a week and I'm not prepared to take in the fact my baby is now all grown up and ready to face the world but I'll still be beside you no matter what and how much ever we don't get along mentally because we'll always be together bound by love. I guess it's too late to say but I'm sorry, I'm proud of you and I love you, with lots and lots of love mummy". My eyes were flooded with tears, I closed my eyes and realized what I did, all the memories flashing in front of me making me think what would have been the situation if I had seen the issue in a different light and how much I'm grateful for my family.Misunderstanding things can break a relationship but love can mend both the relation and the person's heart.What Cherry said was right once you realize you know and once you know you'll love. I pulled out my phone and called josh "el what is it?" he asked "you and mum come to the airport as soon as possible" he said he's on his way and cut the call by this time Cherry and dad started questioning me I simply looked at dad and then at Cherry and said, "I realized". We were waiting near the departures lounge when I saw Josh and mum hurriedly walking towards us, I ran as fast as my feet could take me into my mum's arms. She looked at me and smiled "I'm sorry and I love you" I said my voice barely audible with tears falling down my cheeks. She rubbed my cheeks and kissed my forehead "We never stopped loving in the first place. Now go live your dreams, that's what will make your family happy too" I nodded still sniffling with happy tears in my eyes. We walked up to my dad and Cherry who were smiling at us. "Flight 171 to Los Angeles leaves in 10 mins". We said goodbye and did a group hug. "I love you all," I said blowing a kiss and walking backward getting nearer to the gate, "We love you too, don't forget to call or text whenever possible, and don't mix the colored with the whites in the laundry" my mum shouted grabbing a lot of attention, I giggled " I won't, Bye" I finally said, content that I realized soon and I gave my family the appreciation I should've given from the start. As the plane took off I looked out the window and realized that sometimes we can't see the hidden love others have for us until we give them a chance to hit us with realization. Our relationship with our loved ones and for those who care are ties that bind.