EIGHTEEN THREE DAYS

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"You can't just wear Oscar de la Renta to Midsummer, it's not worthy," Maude chastised as the girls tried on their dresses in Helena's bedroom, "Plus, the black is a bit much."

"Helena's a bit much," Evie added with a small smile, "Also, the black is perfect, it looks good with her pale ass skin. Seriously, Hels, you need some sun."

"Hey!" Helena gasped, her eyes glued to her reflection in the mirror. "Besides, you say Oscar de la Renta is too much as if Hailey isn't literally wearing Elie Saab, so I refuse to be judged. Besides, as long as we one up Sarah Cameron, I really don't give a shit."

Tanya snorted out a laugh at this, "Okay, fair point, we all look stupid hot. But way to ditch the cute little pastel color scheme, I thought we agreed on pastels!"

"Pastels don't look good on me, I'm too pale," Helena shrugged as she ran her fingers down the tulle layers of her dress. She looked good. Maybe it was self-centered the way her eyes wouldn't leave her own reflection, but that wasn't going to make her stop any time soon.

Hailey came into the room a moment later in her pale gold dress, so light it was almost white. She was tanner than Helena, so it worked for her in a way it wouldn't for her younger sister. There were very few times they got to really dress up on the Cut, so the sisters loved to use this as an opportunity to wear the designer gowns their mother always sends them from California. Running her hands down the dress, she thinks about how much she misses her mother. Still, looking around at her friends, all looking gorgeous in their dresses and glamour, she knows she's anything but lonely.

"Mm," Hailey mutters as she looks over all of the girls, "Yup, we look hot. Hels, I didn't know you were gonna wear the de la Renta, I was looking for that one! Did you take that from my closet?"

"You look better in lighter colors, I was doing you a favor!" the younger exclaimed as she held her hands up in mock surrender. She turns to the other three girls, "Doesn't she?"

"You do, Helena can't pull off pastels," Tanya nodded as she looked over at Hailey, "I like her dress on her more than I would like it on you. Also, that neckline was --"

"Just made for your boobs," Maude cut her off, giving her a nod of approval. When everyone in the room turned to her, she gasped, "What? Is that not what you were gonna say? Why is it only weird when I say it? I know everyone was thinking it!"

All of them burst into fits of giggles, interrupted only by a knock on the door. Moments later, Helena's dad peeks his head into the room, saying, "Girls, can I steal Helena and Hailey away for a moment?"

"We'll be back," Hailey tells the three girls, grabbing her sister by the wrist as the two of them walk downstairs behind their father. Her dress swishes around her heels, running across the ground since she hasn't put her shoes on yet. She wonders what her father wants to tell them, but he didn't look upset so frankly, she wasn't too worried. Her gaze was on the hem of her dress as she walked downstairs, focused on not tripping on it.

"Mom?" she heard Hailey say before she saw the woman herself. As she looked up, she saw her mom standing there, in all her glam and glory.

"Mom!" Helena exclaimed as the two girls ran and grabbed the woman in a hug. It had been so long since they had seen her -- she was supposed to fly home so many times, but things just kept getting in the way and a two-week business trip for awards season had soon become over six months.

The woman held onto them tightly, a smile bright on her face as she rubbed their backs, "Oh, girls, I missed you so much! I wanted to tell you I was coming home so badly, but your father insisted on keeping it a surprise."

"Well, I would have hated to get their hopes up... again," her father muttered through a tight-lipped smile that didn't slip past Helena. Clearly, there was something going on between her parents, but that was something they could deal with separate from their reunion. She would hate for something to ruin this moment.

"How long are you staying?" Hailey asked once the three of them let go of each other. At the question, her mom's face fell and Helena had a feeling they were about to hear something they weren't going to like. Of course, with her luck, something would ruin the moment.

"Uh, well," her eyes darted over to meet her husband's before she turned back to the girls, "I'm... not. I'm only able to be home for the weekend, but I need to fly back out on Monday. We, uh, we don't know when I'll be back. It could be a while."

Helena scoffs, "Monday. Three days from now. Six months we don't see you and the most you can spare is three days?"

"Helena--" Hailey tries to stop her, but she isn't having it.

"No, don't, Hailey. I just... why bother? Why bother sending us all this money and these beautiful dresses and nice things if you don't even care about us enough to actually see us? I would rather be poor, living on Figure Eight if it meant that I could have my mom back. At this point, don't even bother staying the weekend."

She feels like she's being dramatic, but she doesn't even care right now because everything hurts. Three days. That's how much her mom wants to spend with them. She knew things would change once they made their fortune, she knew her mom would have obligations in California, but she never thought it would suck as much as this. She brushes off her sister trying to grab her and runs back upstairs to her friends. Hailey can be heard behind her and she isn't as vocal about it, but she knows Hailey is hurt, too.

Running back into her bedroom, the conversation between the three girls cuts off once they see the expressions on the two sisters' faces.

"What happened, hun?" Evie breaks the silence first.

Helena can't find the words, but it doesn't matter because Hailey speaks first, her voice strained in a way that makes it clear she's about to cry, "Uh, mom's leaving again. We get three fucking days."

"Oh, honeys," Tanya pouts as she stands up from where she had been sitting on Helena's bed, grabbing the two girls in a hug. It's not long before Maude and Evie join as well. Helena was right, what she thought earlier, she's never lonely with her girls. She doesn't need her mom, not like this, not anymore. It's a sickening feeling, to outgrow a parent and not even realize it until it's too late. Still, as she's held by her best friends, she's grateful. And she voices this.

"I wouldn't trade you guys for the world," she sniffles with a small chuckle, leaning into the arms wrapped around her. She's met with a chorus of "I love you's," from the girls and it makes her feel better like it always does.

Her eyes meet her sister's and the girl squeezes her hand. She smiles, no matter how hard it feels. They'll be okay.

very 2014 y/n vibes, but I picked out dresses for all the girls and I wanted you guys to see them because they don't get super described in this chapter, but I'm a slut for designer evening gowns so here's everyone's dresses okay