In no way did the blonde think that things between she and Norman would be the way that they currently were. She knew they would both be happier and better off if they could just get along for more than 24 hours again, but she wasn’t exactly sure on how to fix their issues. They just seemed to be coming back up when she thought they had been washed down the drain. What happened to them? What changed? They were attached to the hip, two pieces of fabric sewn together with the strongest, most unbreakable thread. All they used to need was each other to get by. No one else could break them apart. They had a passion for each other, more than any couple she had ever met. It was an unconditional, unbiased, non-judgmental kind of love.
Being home with Norman was all Mother had ever wanted. He was the only man she needed, the only one who quenched the fire in her soul. She could never replace him. He had her heart and he understood her in a way that most failed to comprehend. No one else “got her” the way that Norman could. He didn’t have to try to see things through her eyes, it just came naturally. Others didn’t know nor care about her opinions or her thoughts, let alone her past. They didn’t give a shit how much pain she had been in and experienced, the things she witnessed. All they did was see a wacky, stressed out lady and her crazy son. They had no idea what was really lingering under the surface that was their world.
Did the “dead woman” not want her pride and joy to have friends? A social life? Not exactly, but she didn’t want to have to worry about him and what he was doing with said people, either. If she wasn’t around him to see what he was up to, how could she possibly protect him or intervene if need be? If anything bad ever happened to him, the whole town of White Pine Bay would feel her wrath. So far, the “friends” that she had heard of weren’t really too impressive to Mother’s taste, especially not that Loomis chick. First off, she’s a married woman and should be spending time with her husband and not bugging Norman. Second, the fact that she did have a spouse made Mother very concerned that she was going to do something to hurt her kindhearted son and take advantage of his sweet nature. If she did go that far, Mother would have no choice but to step in and take care of her it.
Mother wasn’t really thinking much when she slammed the cleaning tool down. She had allowed her anger to guide what her hands were doing. “It better not be broken…” She muttered under her breath, biting her lip. Norman would be so mad at her. What if he shoved her in the closet again and not just when there were visitors who stopped by? Took away her privileges that she was rewarded? He really could just buy a new one, but business wasn’t doing as well as they had anticipated for the time being, so a new sweeper would just be another added on expense for Norman to think about.
“Good…I’m glad it hurts…” Mother thought to herself, not allowing such words to slip off of her tongue in front of Norman. Somehow though, she was sure he knew exactly what was in her mind without even moving her lips to talk. She wondered if she had taken things too far, did too much. No, of course she didn’t. She was his Mother, his legal guardian even if she wasn’t physically present according to the public and if she had to take harsh measures to make sure he wouldn’t think twice about making the same mistake more than once, so be it.
The pictures on the walls in the hallway shook with a fury from the weight of the door being slammed and her feet kicked across the carpeted stairs, being careful not to trip on her own shoes. She yelped upon hearing Norman’s bedroom door open and searched around for somewhere to hide. He couldn’t find her. He was going to yell at her, maybe even hurt her back or worse. She never knew with him. Options being limited to where she could go, she ran into the living room and pulled back one of the curtains, making sure all of her was concealed. She held her breath with a pinch to her nose and a hand covered over her mouth while she waited for her fate to be revealed.
Through everything, through bothof their whole entire lives together, the outsiders had always had gluttony for judgement towards them. Nobody ever understood that their bond was special, not something to ponder on or double-take and wonder how it could be so unbreakable. People had always liked to make up delusions and build reputations for them, as if there was something mad and unspeakable going on in their home (which sometimes, there was) but Norma and Norman NEVER let that phase them and break them apart. Why now had the way their life been adapted to caused something bitter between them? A threat to clip the cord between their hearts to send the both of them never able to use it again? It was a dark water that Norman refused to drown in.
Norman had too much FAITH in the both of them to let Mother drown in it either.
But what the son didn’t realize was that perhaps it wasn’t all Mother who needed to do the changing. Perhaps his own vices were tainting their paradise as well as hers. They were EQUALS in the end, of course (something Norman had always been a firm believer in), and sometimes Norman tends to be one for not fully considering how his mother will feel in these sorts of situations. How she’ll really feel from his actions. Yes, he THRIVES in empathy for her and her only but he’s naive as well. Still in the end, it’s hard. It’s more than simply being home as much as he can and cutting off his new friend. The friend that reminds him of Mother so very much (a part of Mother that has somehow gotten lost ever since they had to begin faking her death).
It’s something much more. It’s about letting GO of this hostile behavior on his side and making Mother see that it was time for her to accept that a life was something Norman had to lead outside of their life at home. In this house. People would surely get suspicious if the young man was stuck at his property all the time, wouldn’t they? At least that had to be the excuse for now. If Norman admitted he felt a deep attraction to Madeleine, everything would go bad. Mother wouldn’t like that. Right now he had to focus on WHY Mother felt enough anger to do this. Enough spite.
To hurt him, physically, it was a new low. A low that had Norman feeling the burn mentally too.
Norman didn’t know if he felt more angry, frustrated, or sad. Of course the temper and shades of red that he saw were overtaking his being currently, but through every line of anger was a SADNESS. A sadness that Mother would actually hurt him like that. Somehow it was easier to recognize this kind of hurt rather than the mental kind of hurt she had ever put him though. The guilt trips and smothering. It was both childish and cruel, something that Norman should just shrug off because he knew these days Mother was on an emotional roller coaster; But the young man was sensitive, more sensitive than most men, and of course he was quickly taking it to heart but not wanting to let her see that.
Storming down the stairs where he had seen a sliver of her disappear down, Norman retreats to the kitchen quickly whilst shaking the hand that was beating with a swell as if it was his HEART that had gotten slammed into the drawer. “Mother---- you’re only following one immature action with another! Hiding will do nothing for either of us.” Every exhale was a temperature higher to blacking out. The sound of his nicest work shoes clacking against the wood is the only sound besides his breathing as he makes his way into the living room. Eyes scan around as the young man’s bottom lip quivers in frustration. Then it’s as if everything clicks as he takes a glance at the curtains and sees the FAINT outline of a silhouette that could belong to nobody else other than Mother.
Mother running away was something he quickly found he hated; More than hated. More like something he could not stand. Norman’s ONLY determination was to see her face again now, to look into her eyes and have his Mother. This conversation was certainly NOT over. A few stomps are taken and without another conscious thought he’s yanking the curtain open to find Mother. Of course he did. She was hiding just as he had suspected. Eyes were on fire with conflict as he stares at her.
“Did you honestly think you could hide from me forever, Mother?” This time his voice came out quieter than the way he had been shouting before. “---Is that what you want? To run away like a child? I’m not one anymore, and you certainly aren’t. I think we should be capable of having a conversation of conflict without you running off like that after doing something so foolish.”
origamiaround
yousharknotpass
theartofmadeline
turnnoffyourmind
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