Free The Fourteen Day Soul Detox, Volume Two by Rita Stradling Page A

as I wandered back into
my room to where Sarah and my pillows were still bouncing on my bed.
“Come take a quick shower baby. You didn’t have one last
night,” I said. I walked across the hall into the bathroom and
turned the water on. “Time to shower, Sarah,” I called
when she didn’t come over.
    After a few more seconds, the springs
on my bed ceased their screeching, and a loud thump sounded. A moment
later Sarah appeared in the bathroom.
    “I will take a shower now, Mom,”
Sarah said.
    “Thank you baby, I’ll set
clothes out for you on your bed. Do you want me to make you something
for breakfast or just yogurt and fruit?” I asked.
    “Yogurt, bananas, juice,”
she said.
    “Sounds good. Don’t take
too long because you have to go on the bus today,” I told her
before leaving the bathroom.
    Trudging back into my room, I dressed
for work, cringing when I opened my underwear drawer only to find the
stupid lacey thongs.
    “Shit, I forgot to go stupid
underwear shopping,” I grumbled as I grabbed a red lacey
g-string. I finished dressing in my work clothes, then went to
Sarah’s room to make her bed and lay out her outfit for the
day. I packed two additional bags. One overnight bag for me and
Sarah, and one bag with my yoga clothes.
    Going into the kitchen, I grabbed two
yogurts from the fridge and two bananas from their basket. While
eating the banana, I checked Sarah’s backpack to make sure it
had everything she needed in it and set it by the door.
    “Time to get out of the shower,
angel,” I said at the door and waited until I heard the water
turn off.
    My phone beeped with a new text and I
crossed back into my bedroom to grab it.

    Cameron: Good
morning beautiful.

    I bit my lip. A million hummingbirds
took flight in my stomach, but a strange bout of tears welled up in
my eyes.

    Me: Hey
yourself.

    Cameron: I
had a dream about you.

    Me: A
good dream?

    Cameron: A
sad dream, I just needed to check in.

    Me: Oh,
well, I’m fine, Sarah’s fine, just about to head to
school. You okay?

    Cameron: Yeah.
Are you going to have a moment to talk today? I have some stuff I
want to talk to you about.

    Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes
on the exhale. A single tear dropped from my lashes and slowly made
its way down my cheek. I wiped it away.

    Me: I
was thinking of closing the shop early today anyway; want to just
come by at your usual time?

    Cameron: Sounds
good, I’ll see you then.

    I reread the entire text conversation
before stowing my phone in my purse.
    Sarah’s bedroom door opened and
she walked out of her room.
    “Did you brush your teeth?”
I asked her as she walked through the living room toward the
breakfast nook.
    “Yes,” she said, opening
her mouth in a big, exaggerated way.
    “Ha, ha, okay, go eat your
breakfast,” I told her. I brushed out her tangles as she ate,
ignoring her glares and grumbles.
    “Alright, bus time,” I told
her after she finished her yogurt.
    I walked over to the door and hoisted
the duffle bag and sports bag.
    After unlocking the door, I cracked it
open, and peered around it. Clarke’s yard appeared to be empty.
Without making a sound, I led Sarah out into the mist, making sure to
lock my door after we exited.
    The thick mist rested on the ground,
leaving only what was a couple feet in front of us clear. We walked
up the path to stand in front of one of my neighbor’s cars. A
glance over my shoulder told me Clarke’s car was now in its
assigned space.
    “Aunt Beza is going to pick you
up from class today, baby. We’re going to spend the night at
aunt Beza and Aunt Susan. You and me are both going to spend the
night there.”
    “I love you so much, Mom,”
Sarah told me.
    “I love you so much too, angel.”
I gave her a quick kiss on the top of the head as the growl of the
school bus’s engine approached.
    The bus pulled up in front of us, and
when the doors swung open, the loud voices of a bunch of children
speaking sounded out from the