Chapter 74

**END OF FLASHBACK**

I was shocked to see Sorin's mother in the room, so I stood up and began to stutter.

"Hi ma'am. Wel....come.... Sorry... I didn't mean.....to" Everything I kept saying made no sense and I knew. She knew I was startled and just smiled as she walked up to me. She held my hand to calm me down, while still smiling.

"Calm down, child. Calm down." She said to me.

"Take a deep breath." She added and I obeyed and this made me much better.

"Good day, ma'am." I greeted her, after I had managed to gather the right words.

"How are you doing, child?" She asked.

"I'm fine, thank you ma." I responded respectfully and she sighed.

"You're fine? Really?" She asked, trying to get me to spill whatever it was that was bothering me.

"Yes, ma'am." I answered.

"But you just wanted the world to end right before I stepped in, right?" She said and I was thrown off balance once again.

"Yes.....No! I mean "No"." I closed my eyes as I realized I had started spewing nonsense once again.

"I didn't mean any of that, ma'am." I tried to explain.

"Are you sure?" She asked as she took her seat on the edge of the bed.

"Yes ma'am. I didn't even know that I said it out loud, it was all supposed to be in my head." I answered and tried to fake a smile but she caught me.

"Should I just act like I do not know that that smile on your face now is fake?" She asked, and the smile disappeared from my face immediately.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" She asked and I smiled. "Is it about Sorin?" She asked and I shook my head vigorously, one would have thought my head would fall off my neck with the way I shook it.

"Alright then. If he offends you, just call me. Do you have my number?" She asked.

"Errrrmmmm.... No, ma'am." I answered.

"Oh, let me give it to you then. Where is your phone?" She said and I then remembered that it wasn't active yet because I had not had the time to set it up yet, nor did I know my number.

"It's not here." I quickly said.

"Oh.... Then let me write it somewhere for you." She offered and I nodded. "Let me see if I have a pen and note in my bag."

She checked her bag and soon found a small note and a pen, which she scribbled her number on and handed over to me.

"Here you go, make sure to call me as soon as you get your phone so that I can save your number in mine. Do you understand?" She said and I nodded with a smile.

She stared at me for a few seconds before she started speaking again.

"Come here," She said, as she pulled me close to her side on the bed. "I understand that Sorin can be a very difficult human being and this might not be the life you had planned for yourself but can I beg you to be patient with him?" She pleaded and held my hands in hers.

"Just give him time, I'm very sure that he will change." She assured me, and all I could do was to nod my head because I had no words, and I quickly winked back the tears that wanted to drop from my eyes.

Even though she wasn't my biological mother, I felt so loved at that moment.

"At least someone wants me." I thought to myself, "I'm not a terrible person after all."

"I also want to apologize on his behalf and on behalf of Daisy for acting like that." She continued. These kids nowadays are really unbelievable. They'll be making you do the unthinkable." She added, looking away and I burst into laughter.

"Yes! That's what I want to see." She exclaimed happily, "A beautiful girl like you should not be sad to the point of wanting the whole world to come to an end. There are a lot that you can achieve, my dear." She said and I smiled.l because her words warmed my heart.

"Can I give you a hug?" She asked me.

"Yes, ma'am." I answered, nodding with joy because I really needed a warm hug, especially after everything that had happened that day.

We both embraced each other and I could not help but fall in love with her enchanting scent. Oh my! She smelt like a delicate blend of fresh rain, sweet vanilla, and the subtle hint of blooming pearl blossoms. It was a scent that wrapped around me like a warm embrace, filling my heart with a sense of peace and joy.

In that moment, I knew that she was someone truly special, someone who had captured my heart completely. Someone who I could look up to as a mother, at least, since my own mother has refused to care about me.

After a rush of emotions, we disengaged but not without her noticing a tear that had finally escaped my eyes, which she wiped up.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. Don't ruin your beautiful face with your tears." She said, smiling and I smiled too.

"Thank you so much, ma'am. I'm so glad you came in here." I said still with the smile on my face.

"You're welcome, child." She replied, "But I want you to do something for me. I know it might be hard but I'll be glad if you can do it."

"What is that, ma'am?" I asked and she smiled.

"What you just did right now, the way you're calling me "Ma'am" like I'm just one random old woman on the streets." She began and I paid attention, "I do not like that anymore." She complained.

"Oh, I'm sorry. What should I call you now?" I asked.

"Mum. Call me "Mum"." She said and for a split second, I became dumbfounded as my heart began to race for a reason I could not explain.

"Do you think you can do this?" She asked me and I snapped back to reality but not without stuttering for a bit.

"Ye.... Yea, Yes, I can." I finally said.

"Perfect!" She said happily.

"You should take care of that before it leaves a scar." She said, pointing to my scratched face, "Or do you need help with it?" She asked.

"Oh no. I can do it myself. Thank you so much, ma'am." I quickly answered.l and she started laughing which made me confused.

I was not used to getting any help all my life and it was not something so hard that I couldn't do by myself.

"I couldn't possibly ask her to help me treat my wound and put a bandaid on now, right? That would be going overboard." I thought to myself.

"I knew you'd say no and I'm not surprised." She said and I realized that was the reason why she was laughing.

"Anyway, I'll be on my way now. You take care of yourself, okay?" She said as she stood up and I stood up too.

"Thank you so much, ma'am." I said and she raised her eyebrows, "Oh, I'm sorry, MUM." I corrected myself.

"That's better." She said and walked out with me following closely behind.

As we stepped out of the room, we met Sorin and his dad.

"Oh wow.... I was just about to come looking for you, darling." Mr Zaveri said to his wife and she smiled.

"Why? Have I been gone for so long? Or do you miss me already?" She teased him.

"Well, it's both." He said, and planted a kiss on her lips, while I stood there blushing. I kept wondering how they managed to still be in love with each other after so many years.

"Guys! Get a room. You're embarrassing me. Gosh!" Sorin said, as he shook his head and put both hands in his pockets.

"Embarrassing you? How?" His father asked, "There is nothing embarrassing in what we are doing, besides, we are all adults and family here. Or Andrea, do you have a problem with this?" He asked.

"Not at all, sir." I replied, shaking my head in support.

"You see, son, that you're the odd one out here. Well, as you can see, I'm having a moment with my lovely wife. If you do not enjoy seeing it, then go and do yours." He said to Sorin and gave his wife another kiss, making Sorin shake his head once again.

"Unbelievable." He muttered under his breath.

"Pay him no attention, Andrea. He is just a hater." His mother said, and they all laughed.

His mother then turned to me, "Oh my, I forgot to tell you that another meeting with G.P Zaveri has been fixed for next week, so, that means we'll see you both in a week's time." She said and my heart began to race.

"Oh my! I thought they forgot about this already." I thought to myself that I didn't know that Mrs Zaveri was still talking to me. When she noticed I was no longer paying attention, she tapped me on the shoulder to snap me out of my thoughts.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. I was so lost in my thoughts." I immediately apologized.

"What could be so important that made you zone out like that?" She asked but I just smiled.

"It's nothing, ma'am." I replied and she raised her eyebrows which made me immediately find out my mistake.

"It's nothing, Mom." I said as I corrected myself.

"So we'll see you next week?" She asked.

"Do I really have to come?" I asked but I didn't realize what my question had done, until I shifted my gaze to their faces and saw the way they were looking at me.