10 things i noticed after going back home
oriental acupuncture set laid out on the table, mom tucks my hair to the side as she carefully undos a semester worth of knots.
empty water bottles all around the kitchen, mom prefers to drink out of the tap but she keeps the fridge stocked with poland spring anyways.
dozing off on the couch after dinner time, mom drapes a red cat blanket around me. it feels warmer.
mom comes home from getting groceries. it’s all snacks and junk food. she knows i hate eating healthy.
sleeping in bed well into the afternoon. i’m woken up by a foot massage. mom silently cries as she pads my heel. i pretend to keep sleeping.
mom notices i forget the order of the days. she brings the calendar to the dining table and tells me what happened with each day that passed. she uses my nicotine device as a pointer. we laugh.
mom wakes me up–it’s time for lunch. she makes fun of my morning dragon breath. it’s really stinky.
mom goes to work late and leaves work early to make sure i eat. we talk as she ignores her business calls.
mom notices i’ve been getting more plymp at home. she tells me i look better with more weight on my bones.
loving my mom has never been so easy.
