Chapter 33

Candice

I get home a few hours later from the repair shop. Mom is in the kitchen making some kind of pasta and has the whole house smelling incredible. I stand at the archway in between the kitchen and living room just staring at her in her element. She is humming a little tune and it's moments like this that she reminds me of her former self and not the shell of a woman that has lost everything.

I step closer and make my presence known. Mom stops her hum and turns to me while maintaining her perfect speed of stirring. I walk up to the stove top that the Ziti is boiling in and take a big whiff of the homemade sauce she is making to go along with it. I know I will have to make a mental note to go jogging tomorrow morning. I'm going to need it after tonight's dinner. Memories of my mother making this for me when I was little come rushing to me. I smile at the fond memory and get ready to ask her if she needs help when I notice she has her head down, a look of grief crosses her flawless