A different kind of mother

Zoe

I stared at Sonia Moore and suddenly understood where Arman got it from.

Not the face. Standing together now, they did not resemble each other as much as I thought they would. But there was something in the way she occupied space that reminded me of him. The ease. The confidence. The unconscious expectation that people would look at her and stay looking.

She was beautiful in a way that made me straighten my back.

"Mom, stop.” His voice wasn’t harsh but there was something guarded about it. “Why are you here?”

For the first time since she arrived, Sonia looked at him properly. Her smile softened.

“Oh, darling.” She touched his cheek. “We came because you got into a terrible accident.”

The answer sounded right.

But something about it felt incomplete.

Arman seemed to notice too, his brows pulled together slightly. “You came now?”

Sonia blinked. “What do you mean?”

Arman looked confused. “I’ve been awake for over a week.”

The room became strangely quiet. Sonia laughed softly.“You know how things are.”

I didn’t know how things were. Arman looked like he didn’t either.

She smiled and linked her hands together.

Before I could say anything, she smiled and held my arm.

“Come, sit with me. I feel like I already know you but I want to hear everything directly.”

I glanced at Arman. He looked uncomfortable, l

I squeezed his hand lightly before following Sonia into the sitting room.

His father had already wandered off, disappearing into the house with barely more than a greeting.

Sonia sat and crossed her legs elegantly while I took the seat opposite her.

Arman stayed standing.

She looked at me with open interest.

“So tell me, Zoe. What were you doing before acting?” She was playing me. my story was all over the news.

I smiled. “Medicine.” Two could play this game.

Her brows rose. “Seriously?” oh. not it seemed like she knew but hadn't believed it.

I nodded. “I had just gotten into residency.”

Her expression changed briefly. Not impressed. More surprised. “And you left?”

“Yes.” Confirmation, that was what she wanted.

She tilted her head. “Your parents allowed that?”

I laughed awkwardly. “Not exactly.”

She looked at me for a moment before nodding.

“That’s brave.” For a moment, It felt like she could relate, like she could understand what it was to do something without the parents support.

The word caught me off guard.

Brave.

People usually called me impulsive. Irresponsible. Reckless.

I didn’t know what to do with brave.

Sonia leaned back comfortably. She seemed satisfied to have rattled me. “You know, everyone thinks choosing entertainment is easy. They think people come here because they’re lazy or because they want attention. That’s not always true.”

I looked at her properly for the first time.

She smiled. “Sometimes people just want to live their own lives.”

Something tightened in my chest.

Before I could respond, she turned to Arman.

“So when are you going back?” She knew how to be the centre of a room, wielding every conversation.

Arman frowned. “Back?”

“To work.”

The room became quieter.

Sonia continued naturally.

“You disappeared suddenly. The accident has everyone talking. People are sympathetic right now. You should return before attention shifts.”

Arman looked down briefly. “I’m recovering.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “You recovered enough to date.” That was one mean offensive strike.

Her eyes flicked between us.

I immediately looked away. Defense was all I knew.

Then she looked back at me. “Do your parents approve?”

I blinked. “Approve of what?” Sonia conversed like a tsunami, swinging here and there.

She smiled. “You and Arman.”

My throat tightened.

I looked at Arman. He looked calm. Trusting.

Like the answer didn’t matter because he already knew it. My parents wouldn't care if he fell off a plane. I opened my mouth.

A phone buzzed.

Sonia glanced down and suddenly smiled.

“Oh finally.” She stood. “Your manager replied.”

Arman looked confused. “Bridget?”

Sonia nodded casually.

“Yes. I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for weeks.”

The sentence made me pause.

Arman looked confused too.

Sonia continued.

“She kept saying you wanted privacy.”

Something changed in Arman’s face.

Only slightly.

Like something deep inside him had reacted before his mind did.

Then the front door opened but nobody had knocked.

We all turned to see Bridget walked in.

She looked exactly like she always did—polished, beautiful and perfectly composed.

But the second she saw Sonia standing there— she stopped.

Only for a moment.

Then she smiled.

“Arman." She crossed the room quickly.

She stopped in front of him and held a shoulder.

“You should have told me your parents were here.”

Arman looked at her.

“You know my door code?”

Bridget paused. Then smiled again.

“I’m your manager.”

Nobody spoke.

Sonia laughed softly.n “How interesting.”

Bridget turned.

Sonia continued pleasantly. “Because I’ve been asking for this address repeatedly.”

The room went still.

Bridget smiled. “He needed rest.”

Sonia nodded slowly. Then she said, still smiling— “You seem to make a lot of decisions for my son.”

I looked at Arman. His expression had changed.

He wasn’t looking at either of them.

He looked somewhere far away.

Then he looked at Bridget.

And asked quietly—

“How long have I been unreachable?”

Bridget’s smile froze.