Harsh Morning Revelations

Participants:

carl2_icon.gif kaylee6_icon.gif

Scene Title Harsh Morning Revelations
Synopsis After a rude awaking, things just keep getting better for Kaylee. >:|
Date March 26, 2021

Kaylee's Apartment - Raytech Corporate Housing


“Did you get into a fight?” Carl asks curiously, looking concerned as he climbs onto the barstool across from her at the kitchen counter. It’s where they always sit when it’s just the two of them for breakfast. He leans his elbows on the counter and tries to get a closer look.

Kaylee points at her bruised eye, with a wide eyes look. “This?” Carl nods. “Naw… I just fell asleep reading and dropped the book on my face.” She had been sitting on the couch when he got up, a thick book in her lap. How could she sleep after that? Plus, she needed an excuse.

Carl doesn’t look convinced and Willy gives the same judgemental look from the end of the counter. “But your eye is all red like when you were in the hospital.” After a moment of thought he declares, “We should call Mr. Luther or Uncle Richard or Aunt Liz.” He grabs her cellphone off the counter and holds it out to her.

Setting a box of Frosted flakes and a pair of bowls in front of him, Kaylee gives him a flat look. “I’m fine, baby.” she insists, “There is no reason to call someone everytime something happens. It was a book.”

It was a total lie. Kaylee hated lying to him.

Even so, Carl still looks unconvinced but with a sign he puts her phone down. “Okay… but if you start acting funny… I’m calling,” he threatens. Kaylee gives him a frown at such directness. He sounded like his father. With a shake of her head, she concentrates on grabbing the milk and pouring some in her coffee. Meanwhile he pours cereal in both bowls pushing one over in front of the chair she’ll mostly likely sit in.

He looks at his mom’s bowl for a long moment, before turning back to watch her stir her coffee.

“Hey mom…?”

Kaylee looks up at him, brows lifting. “What’s up?” The worry and sadness he levels at her about breaks her heart. “Whoa…” Kaylee moves around the island to put arms around her little boy, setting her head on top of his. “Hey, hey… I’m okay. I promise.”

“But, Tommy said that lady from Yamagato… Ms. Nakamura died. She was on the plane right? Lost her ability and stuff?,” Kaylee heard the trembling in his voice and hugged him even tighter.

“Yeah?” Kaylee says cautiously, worried about where this conversation was going.

Carl doesn’t look up at her, just sits there with his head down and shoulders slumped. The next words are so soft that she has to strain to hear them. “I don’t want you to die, too, Mommy,” he whines out on the edge of tears. “Kids have been saying it’s only a matter of time til you die, too. Just like her. That you’re going to just fall down dead.”

Hearing that tearful tone, instantly has her eyes reacting in kind, especially when she feels a drop of moisture hit her arm. Not sure what to tell him, Kaylee shushes him softly and rocks him gently, while he rubs furiously at his eyes and tries not to cry, while crying.

The fact that he had that going on at school? Kids could be so cruel. She’d have to call Peyton and let her know before it gets any worse.

Kaylee gives a sniff and kisses the top of Carl’s head, “Well, you need to stop listening to them. Kids say things like this to upset you on purpose. Don’t fall for it, just walk away.” Carl doesn’t say anything, just sits there and sniffles. “I wish I could say something to ease your mind, baby. Eventually, you are going to have to face that happening, but…” she pulls away and tucks a finger under his chin, “we can hope that it will be a long, long time from now.”

It wasn’t the best answer, but she couldn’t get herself to sugar coat it. There had been many nights where she couldn’t sleep, thinking that very thing.

How much time did Kaylee really have left in this world?

Letting him go, Kaylee picks up the carton of milk and pours some in Carl’s bowl, before pushing his chair closer to the counter. “Now eat, we’re going to the park later. If you’re lucky, Castle will have left some more rocks to find. Hmm?” It had been a thing since the boy had met them and had been told that rocks were hidden around the park.

He hadn’t found any yet, but that didn’t stop Carl from looking.

With a sad sigh, Carl picked up his spoon and started to eat. Satisfied, his mom climbs up into the other seat and pours milk over her own. Taking up her spoon, the cellphone chimes with a message from one of her friends. It’s not the message that catches her eye, it’s the phone message icon. After a bite, Kaylee picks up the phone and looks at the unknown number on her phone… more than that, there was a recording.

Probably, just some spammy robotic nonsense about her car’s extended warranty being expired.

Kaylee would never know if she didn’t listen. She pushes play and sets it down so she can spoon another bite into her mouth. However, the voice that comes out of those tiny speaks has her stopping mid-chew. It had been almost a decade since she heard it.

Hey. I'm… I don't really know what to say. I just got to thinking about you and I… hope you're doing alright. If you want to talk, well, now you have my number.

Swallowing the cereal that suddenly tasted like ashy paste in her mouth, Kaylee takes a quick sip of her coffee to wash out the taste and pushes the bowl away. Willy takes advantage of that moment and moves to lap at the milk while the human is distracted.

Carl looks at the phone and then his mother, quickly noticing the weird look on her face. His head tilts, even as he continues to eat his cereal… The look on her face, reminded him of when he and his sisters pranked their mom by putting pickle juice in her lemonade. Well, his sisters did… he was like five and they told her he did it. It wasn’t a good look. “Who was that, mommy?”

He asks, cause it was obvious she knew.

Kaylee pulls the cellphone back to herself and looks at the transcript of words on the screen. Her thumb hovers above the delete button for a long moment, before Kaylee sighs and puts the phone down. While she wanted to ignore it and tell him that it was no one… a small part of herself couldn’t do it. if there was anyone who deserved to know… it was Carl.

“That…is…. my momma, Carl, your grandma.”

Carl’s eyes widened at his mom. He knew his dad’s parents, but he’d never met any of his mom’s. “Are you going to call her?” he asks in almost a whisper, excited about the prospect, but also almost afraid she’ll get mad.

The question has her grimacing, feeling a mixture of emotion… especially anger and guilt. The last time Kaylee had seen her mother, they had fought. Kaylee had just wanted answers about her father and their past, yet her mother kept spouting her lies. Neither would budge.

“Eat you your cereal,” Kaylee tells him, finally, without giving him an answer. It wasn’t a simple yes or no question. There was a history there. A bitter and angry history. And this time Granny wasn’t there to act as the voice of reason and a calming presence.

Kaylee would have to carefully consider whether to let her back into her life, but more importantly, that of her son’s as well. Carl notices his mother watching and gives her a big smile - that had a few bits of cereal clinging to his teeth - trying to cheer her up.

It works, putting a smile on her lips.

What would her mother think of her daughter’s little miracle?


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