Claiming California

Chapter 1 - Free Falling Bird

This story deals with adult themes, and is aimed at adult audiances. It's rated R with potentially strong language and sexual scenes. Not for Minors!

Chapter One – Free Falling Bird

When my mother told me she was moving to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, my heart seemed to fall to the pit of my stomach. We live in the city of Stockton, California. The golden beaches iconic of the 'sunshine state' felt a million miles away.

"Honey?" My mother's eyes held nothing by nervousness, as she stared at me warily.

"I guess I saw it coming." I frowned as I absentmindedly began to scratch away the light blue nail vanish coating my nails. I had been aware of my mom's financial situation for a while now. She'd lost her job mid-May and I knew she'd been failing to make the mortgage payments.

"I'm sorry Hunny you know it's been hard lately, and when Pete asked me to move in I – I couldn't say no. I can't afford to live here anymore." She admitted quietly and I nodded. Moving in with her boyfriend seemed the ideal solution, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"I'll have to sort out my accommodation then," I thought aloud, successfully keeping my emotions in check as I returned my gaze back to hers

"Please Bara, don't be like that!" She pleaded.

"What would you like me to be like then mom?" I snapped without thinking only to immediately regret it once I saw the sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm being selfish," I whispered looking down at my hands – afraid that if I met her eyes once more, I wouldn't be able to hold back the tears threatening to escape from mine.

"Oh Honey." My mother soothed, and I heard her footsteps walking around the kitchen island to stand at my side.

"When will I see you?"

"Well visit often, and you will always be welcome to visit us."

I smiled weakly at her. "That's more easily said than done," I muttered. There was a silence after that when she realized I was right.

"Bara, in less than a month you be a freshman at that fancy college of yours. You'll be having far too much fun to miss your old mom." She laughed lightly giving my shoulders a reassuring squeeze. I gave her a half-hearted smile. I hoped she was right. I was close to my mother, I always had been and I'd hoped I always would be. She as the reason I planned to stay at home while studying at college – even if it meant a long commute every day.

Now, however, my plans were going to have to change. As I regained my thoughts I realized I couldn't sit around moaning. I was nineteen – Nearly twenty now, a woman in my own right and maybe now was time to flee the nest, or in other words – be brutally thrown into a free fall.

It was time for me to grow up. Whether I liked it or not.

-

My mother told me later that night that she was leaving for Orlando a week later, oh and that I had to be out of the house by the end of the month – which happened to be in less than two weeks.

"Urg for goodness sake!" I yelled at myself for what seemed like the hundredth time today. I felt like I'd been looking non-stop for student accommodation since mom left. I was failing miserably. I realized with despair that the only suitable rooms left were way over my budget.

I almost cried with relief when my phone interrupted my searching.

"Honey, how's it going?" Bless my mother. She had spent her first week in Florida helping me search the internet.