Me and mom always sat together on the couch every night for a movie: I could never feel her warmth, but she was there. we’d walk in the park and she’d push me on the swing, but she never pushed very hard, so I usually ended up swinging myself. She has the most beautiful hair but sadly I inherited my dads half curly half straight mess. He always looked so concerned when I tried to reach out to play with moms’ hair, but she never let me touch it.  Mom likes to make jokes too. Sometimes i’d be sitting in my room and i’d hear her call me to the kitchen but when I got there, no one was there. I think she just likes to get me out of bed so maybe i’ll do the dishes cause god knows she doesn’t do them. My dumb dad always tries to pull me away from her when i’m with her. Maybe he’s jealous of my relationship with her. Sitting on the couch during our movie night, dad comes in.

“you need to take your medicine today” he says with a sigh.

I huff and get up

“be back in a second mom, pause it for me”, I say. She didn’t pause it.

I hate taking my medicine. I haven’t taken it in weeks. my mom doesn’t like me taking it but I could tell my dad was getting upset so just for tonight I guzzled down the pill. I walked back into the living room and just like I thought, mom was gone and so was her voice. I sigh and sit down back on the couch as my dad sits besides me, rubbing my shoulder, comforting me. Every time I take my medicine mom goes away and all I can see of her is her ern sitting right next to the TV.