Chapter 366 Can You Call Me Mom Too
After getting her hands on a clue of her eldest daughter’s whereabouts, Eleanor warmed up a lot, and she even started smiling at Benjamin. Naturally, that gave him a huge shock.
After finishing her soup, she took the napkin her maid gave her and wiped her mouth off elegantly. She then looked at Benjamin. “Benjamin, I’m going to Beshya with Amelia for a while. I’ve never left Saspiuburg for more than twenty years, and the world has changed drastically. I want to see the changes for myself, or I’d end up as a bumpkin.”
Benjamin was surprised that his wife actually came up with that idea, so he looked at his daughter. Did she come up with this? Eleanor doesn’t seem the type to go on trips all of a sudden.
Putting her silverware down, Amelia voiced, “Dad, it’s not every day Mom wants to go around, so just let her, all right? If she keeps cooping herself up, she’s going to go mad, eventually.”
Giving it some thought, Benjamin agreed, “I’ll take some time off to go with you, Eleanor. I can’t just leave you two as you go around on your own.”
Oddly enough, Eleanor was not angry that Benjamin offered to go with her. All she said was, “Benjamin, I just want to go with Amelia. I’ll be back once I’ve seen enough of Beshya.”
Benjamin wanted to argue some more, but in the end, he relented. Eleanor—for the first time in ages—beamed at him.
Her smile captivated Benjamin, and it lifted his dour spirits up.
“You gentlemen should get to work now. It’s late.” Eleanor took Benjamin’s suit and wore it over him, just like how every nice housewife would do for their husband. Sean was perplexed about the whole situation, and he looked at his sister. Is Mom on one of her episodes again? That was the question written in his eyes.
Amelia shrugged, telling Sean that not even she knew what was going on. Maybe she thought she’s been too cold to Dad for too long, so she’s changing for once.
Amelia and Sean said nothing, but the silent conversation told the latter about everything he wanted to know, which was nothing. On the other hand, since Benjamin finally saw his wife smile at him, he and Sean went to work feeling happy for the first time in a long while.
After the men had gone to work, Eleanor quickly held Amelia’s hand. “Amelia, do you know what your sister likes? We can get it for her at the mall later. Oh, and you said she has a two-year-old boy, right? What does the boy like then? Oh my, I’m a failure as a grandmother. He’s already two years old, but I haven’t even seen him yet. I have to look my best. I shan’t scare them now.”
Eleanor was positively buzzing with excitement, but that only stoked the flames of Amelia’s jealousy, and she found her feeling a lot less friendly toward the other Amelia.
She grew up being the center of attention, no matter where she was. Even though she acted like a proper lady in front of everyone, she still could not shake off the selfish, spoiled child within her. Whatever she liked, she wanted to take them for herself. Naturally, seeing her mother—who gave her whatever she asked for since she was a kid—looking so excited for someone she had never seen before made her jealous.
Even so, she held her jealousy back for the time being. “Just calm down, Mom. Amy has everything she can ever wish for. She’s living a pretty good life, so just buy her something random. You don’t want to make her feel awkward, remember?”
“Ah, but that’s simply unacceptable, dear. This is my first time seeing her after so long. I can’t take this too easily. If I leave a bad impression and push her even further away from me, it’d be bad.”
“Mom, is Amy that important to you? Do you really want to dump all of us just for her? We’re the people who care about you, you know?”
“What is wrong with you, Amelia? How could you say such a thing?”
God. Amelia held her frustration back once more. “Mom, that’s not what I meant. I just want you to calm down. If you look too excited, Dad and Sean are going to get suspicious. You don’t want them to stop you from going to Beshya, do you?”
Upon hearing that, Eleanor calmed down once more, but that didn’t stop her from getting some gifts for the other Amelia at the mall. In the end, Amelia had to go with her mother to haul the stack of gifts back.
When they returned, Eleanor told the maids to pack all the gifts up nicely and went about her day. After having breakfast the next morning, Eleanor was already prepared to travel to Beshya.
“Oh, you’re leaving so soon?” A frown appeared on Benjamin’s forehead.
Eleanor held her excitement and, for the first time in ages, replied to him gently, “It has been a long time since I was in Beshya. I wonder how much the city has changed. I’ve been looking forward to this, so I’ll be staying there for a few days.”
“Why don’t I go with you, then?”
“Do you want me to stay at home forever, Benjamin? Fine, I won’t be going then, and I won’t be seeing the therapist anymore, too. I mean, if this is how it’s going to be, death is actually a more preferable choice,” Eleanor refuted, tensing up.
Benjamin relented again. “Think nothing of it. I was just speaking my mind. Just have a fun time there. Call me if you run out of money. Don’t have too much fun there and remember to come home.”
At that, Eleanor broke into a smile again. After they had breakfast, Benjamin and Sean sent the ladies to the airport. Benjamin wondered why his wife bought so many things for her trip. It seemed unnecessary for him, but since she might get mad at him, he decided to stay quiet and told the maids to send them to Beshya.
“Amelia, take care of your mother, all right? She’s not as healthy as she used to be, so always keep an eye on her. Make sure she has a pleasant trip, you hear me?”
Amelia simply responded with a nod.
Worried, Sean chimed in as well, “Amelia, I’ve put Mom’s meds in your bag. Remind her to take it on time. I know a trip is fun, but don’t neglect Mom.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know, Sean. I’m not a baby anymore. I know how to take care of her.”
Even though Amelia insisted she could take care of Eleanor, Benjamin and Sean kept telling her what to look out for and only let her board the flight half an hour later.
After they got onto the airplane, Eleanor looked at the photo Amelia gave her, and she teared up. “Oh, she looks just like me,” she mumbled. “Amy hasn’t changed one bit even after two decades. Everyone says she has my eyes. I never thought I could have a chance to see her in my lifetime. Thank you, Amelia. Thanks to you, I can see your sister now.”
Wiping her mother’s tears off with a tissue, Amelia whispered, “Calm down, Mom. Amy’s doing just fine. She seems rich, so I bet she got adopted by a wealthy family. Remember, you’re there for a regular visit, not to make a scene. Let me do the talking. If she’s friendly to you, we can then talk about your reunion, but just pretend you’re my friend if she doesn’t sound too thrilled about it, okay?”
Eleanor cried silently.
Once they disembarked, the ladies hailed a ride and went to the neighborhood where the other Amelia was staying at. Even after they ascended the elevator and came to her house’s doorstep, Eleanor was still worried. “Amelia, do I look weird in these clothes?”
“No, Mom. You look absolutely stunning no matter what you wear.”
Despite her praise, Eleanor was still feeling nervous about the upcoming meeting with the other Amelia.
With that, Amelia rang the doorbell, and Tiffany came to open the door. First, she saw Amelia standing outside, but that was not the thing that surprised her most. When she saw the older woman standing behind Amelia, she could not believe what she was seeing. She thought this Amelia was already looking quite similar to her friend, but the older woman apparently looked even more alike to the other Amelia.
Tiffany had to take some time to process what she was seeing. Um, it’s not Halloween or April Fools, right? So what’s with the costume?
“Why are you spacing out for, Tiffany? Don’t you recognize me?” Amelia waved her hand right in front of Tiffany.
Snapping out of it, Tiffany made way for the guests. After they came in, she closed the door right away. “Amelia, who might this be?” she asked politely.
“She’s my mother.”
Tiffany’s jaw dropped and formed an almost comical “O.” Holy guacamole. She’s your mother? But she looks so young! You could have said she’s your sister and I would have believed it, no questions asked.
“Ah, my apologies. Hello, Mrs. Hutton.” Tiffany bowed politely to Eleanor.
Amused, Eleanor said, “You must be my daughter’s friend. She told me about you before. You seem to be a nice lady.”
Tiffany was starting to blush from the praise she was receiving. “You flatter me, Mrs. Hutton. Please, have a seat. I’ll make you a cup of tea.”
After saying that, Tiffany went to brew some tea and put it on the table for Eleanor.
However, Eleanor was not the least bit interested in the tea. Instead, she looked around the house, and when Tiffany saw that, she queried, “What are you looking for, Mrs. Hutton?”
Amelia cut in before her mother could say anything, “Where’s Amy and Tony, Tiffany? I don’t see them around here.”
“Oh, Kurt and she took Tony downstairs. The caregiver we just hired is in the kitchen right now. Are you guys hungry? I told her to make a bit more food, so hold on for a while longer. Amelia will be back in a bit.” Pausing, Tiffany inquired, “Mrs. Hutton, are you here on a vacation with Amelia?”
Eleanor nodded. “It has been a long time since I last saw this beautiful city. Since Amelia is coming over, I thought I could tag along. I hope I’m not intruding,” she remarked elegantly.
Tiffany sat on the other sofa. “Not at all.” She smiled. “You’re welcome here, Mrs. Hutton. But I have to say, I never expected you to look this young. Why, you don’t look a day over thirty!” And you look like Amelia too. Both Amelias.
Eleanor smiled, and her eyes turned into a pair of beautiful slits. The moment she started smiling, Tiffany got sucked in. She looks just like Amelia back when she was younger. “Mrs. Hutton, you look just like my friend when you smile. She has the same smile as you, you know.”
“Oh, my. Is that so? Well, then I suppose I have to see this friend of yours.”
Tiffany was about to say something, but someone rang the doorbell. Standing up, she smiled apologetically at the guests. “It’s probably them. I’ll take the door, Mrs. Hutton.”
Eleanor stood up as well. She was clenching her pants tightly as she stared at the door.
Amelia held her. “Calm down, Mom. Relax. A visit, remember? Not a scene.”
Eleanor took a deep breath so she would not look too much like a weirdo, but when she saw the other Amelia coming in, she still could not help but tear up. And then she stumbled ahead. If it were not for her other daughter holding her back, she might have just pounced on Amelia and smothered her.
Eleanor stared dumbly at Amelia, not wishing to take her eyes off the daughter she had not seen for more than twenty years. She held her other daughter’s hand silently, but she was screaming in her head. My girl! That’s my girl! Oh, she’s grown into a fine young lady! And she looks so much like me as well.
Eleanor’s silent excitement did not escape Anthony. He was a child genius, after all. “Mommy, there’s a madam there who looks just like you,” he uttered. “She’s looking at you. And she’s crying.”
Amelia looked in Tiffany’s direction. “Oh, we have guests today, Tiff?”
Tiffany was also wondering why Eleanor started crying when she saw this Amelia, but still, she released a smile. “It’s Amelia. She’s here, and her mother decided to tag along for some sightseeing.”
Despite her loss of eyesight, Amelia looked in Eleanor’s direction. “Hello, Miss Hutton. It’s a pity I lost my eyesight, so please pardon me if I seem discourteous in any way.”
Eleanor was still staring at her, saying nothing. In the end, her other daughter had to shake her arm. “Mom, Amy’s talking to you.”
Regaining her senses, Eleanor smiled and responded, “Amelia told me you shared her name, and she now thinks of you as her sister. I wonder if fate had played a part in this meeting. At first, I didn’t believe it when she said you look just like me, but now, as I look at you, it’s like I’m staring at my own daughter. There is this connection I feel to you. If it’s fine with you, can you call me ‘Mom’?”
The moment she said that, everyone looked at Eleanor weirdly. Amelia forced a smile, but she thought Eleanor’s request came out of nowhere. That’s a weird request to ask from someone you just met, Madam.
