Morning came fast, and I don't really remember falling asleep. I thought I had dreamed last night, but the more I think about it, the less I remember. Leaning over, I reached for my phone sitting on the charger on my nightstand. "Uuugghh..." I sighed loudly, groaning as I threw the blanket off my top half. It was past noon—1:36, to be exact. Funny, normally I can smell bacon on a Saturday. Even in the afternoon, I can still smell what's left of it.
After I finally managed to get up and shower, I made my way down the stairs to an empty kitchen, void of any breakfast. "Maybe she's out..." I thought to myself. The kitchen was cleaner than normal, even without breakfast everywhere. It usually wasn't this clean. It might sound a bit dramatic, but... was my mom okay? Mentally? I realized I had been standing in the same spot at the bottom of the stairs, a strange squint plastered across my face.
Slightly embarrassed, even though no one was around to see, I decided to go check on her and make sure she wasn't sick. Upon entering her room, the bed was made, and her clothes, which usually scattered the floor, had been picked up. Her hamper was empty, and her dresser and closet were full. "Strange..." I muttered. I waited a moment before speaking again. "Mom?!" I called out to her, attempting it three or four times before deciding a text would probably be the best option.
I ran back up the stairs, yanking the charging cord from my phone and pulling up her contact info. I clicked on messages and quickly typed:
Mom? Where'd you go?
I sat on my bed, awaiting her answer, but after twenty minutes or so, I gave up and texted her sister, my Aunt Marie.
Hey, I was just wondering if you'd seen or heard from my mom. She isn't home, and I just woke up. She isn't in her room, and won't answer my texts.
I waited patiently but, again, never got a text. I debated whether to text her other sister or maybe Marie's husband, but instead, I chose to wait for a response from either party.
Thirty minutes turned into an hour. An hour turned into two. Just as I was about to call her, my front door swung open quickly, hitting the wall it was adjacent to. I had been sitting on my couch, facing away from the front door. I turned to see Marie burst through, and I quickly became very confused.
"Marie? What are you doing here?" I asked.
"You're moving in with Grandma. I need you to pack your things quickly, dear," she said, her voice filled with a certain urgency.
Confused, I stood and furrowed my brows. As I opened my mouth to speak, she cut me off.
"Not now, Maya. Seriously, go pack. I need you to hurry."
Instead of arguing or questioning, I ran upstairs and packed up everything I felt I couldn't leave behind—mainly some pictures, a Beanie Baby I'd had since I was born, and some jewelry my mother had given me. The next thing I knew, I was in her car, staring at the house I didn't know I'd ever see again.