"Just what the hell are you doing this early in the morning?" Katy's mother asked with a frown as she walked up to her and looked at the cosmetics in Katy's hands while also noticing the state of disarray her dressing table was in.
Katy felt a choking sensation in her chest when she saw the healthy complexion on her mother's face.
An involuntary smile filled with relief appeared on her face the next moment.
Seeing Katy's silence, her mother drew her own conclusions and said, while rolling her eyes, "I know you're excited to attend your graduation ceremony, but does it make sense for you to make such a scene for it at six in the morning?"
Katy's smile widened as she heard her mother admonishing her as tears started collecting in her eyes.
"Why are you smiling like tha-" before Katy's mother could finish her next sentence, she was stopped by a tight embrace from Katy.
"I missed you, Mom," Katy said in a choking manner as the tears finally streamed down her face and soiled the sleeves of her purple pyjamas.
Concerned, her mother embraced her back and asked while massaging Katy's back with her palm, "Katy, what's wrong dear? Why are you crying like this? If there's something troubling you, tell me."
"I-It's nothing Mom. I j-just had a terrible nightmare," Katy answered as she tightened her embrace a little.
"Silly child, you're already 19 years old, yet you're crying like this," Her mother snorted with a smile on her face while her hand never stopped massaging Katy's back.
It was only after a few minutes that Katy separated herself and fondly looked at her mother's expression.
Suddenly remembering something, she hurriedly said, "Mom, you should get your heart checked in the hospital."
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Her mother asked with a frown.
The day her mother had collapsed from a heart attack became vivid in Katy's mind, and a sense of worry overwhelmed her the very next moment, and she blurted out, "Mom just listen to me. If you don't do it, then you'll have a heart attack in the-"
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Before Katy could finish her words, she felt her mother's hand strongly pinching and twisting her left ear as she said, "You little rascal, cursing your mother like that just after waking up!"
The little moment of love they shared a few moments back had evaporated like water, leaving only anger in the eyes of Katy's mother.
"Mom! I'm sorry…Ow! I didn't mean that! Really!" Katy struggled to escape her mother's tight grip, but it seemed to only increase her pain rather than relieve her.
She finally thought of something and exclaimed, "It's that nightmare! You had a heart attack in that nightmare, that's why I told you to get a checkup, Mom!"
"Really? You're not lying are you?" Her mother asked with narrowed eyes.
"Yes, Mom! That's why I hugged you when I saw you enter my room in the first place," Katy's reasoning finally convinced her mother, and she was finally able to escape her clutches.
She stared at her mother while rubbing her left ear with a grievous expression.
"I'm sorry," Her mother pursed her lips apologetically and helped Katy rub her ears, but that didn't erase the pained expression on Katy's face.
"If you're truly sorry, then come with me to the hospital for a checkup today," Katy said in an aggrieved fashion. She wanted to use the advantage of this opportunity to take her mother to the hospital.
'If I let her be, then she'll definitely try to delay it as long as possible just to save money,' Katy thought to herself while staring at her mother.
"Today? Don't you have your graduation ceremony to attend, though?" Her mother pointed out the next moment.
"Graduation ceremony?" Katy muttered in realisation. It was only now that she was reminded of her mother's earlier words. Today was the day she was going to graduate.
"You were so excited about it last night, and look at you behaving as if you had almost forgotten about it." Her mother shook her head and continued, "Sleep for another hour to get your mind in order. I'll wake you up after finishing my morning exercise."
Her mother stated and left for the living room. A yoga mat was placed in the living room, and she was about to start her online yoga classes as usual.
Katy just nodded at her mother's words and saw her out before closing the door. The next moment, she turned around and leaned her back against the door as an excited expression formed on her face.
'It's my graduation day today!' She thought in exhilaration while controlling her urge to jump from joy.
A while later, her excitement calmed down, and a sense of seriousness took over her being.
"This time I'll follow what my heart says and not anyone else!" Katy muttered to herself as she was reminded of an incident that would take place after the graduation ceremony today.
Sleeping was the last thing Katy wanted to do right now, so she walked to her study table and sat in her chair.
Seeing the pile of scripts, a sense of nostalgia swept over her. She had gone through these dozens of times in her previous life, and thanks to that, was able to graduate with distinction from her acting school.
Her gaze then lifted up towards the wall to her front, and several posters of actresses she used to admire became visible to her.
"I had almost forgotten about them…" Katy muttered under her breath as she looked at striking and flashy pictures of the women actors.
They were a symbol of strength and motivation for her during her early days and a source of her courage in difficult times, but things changed after Victor came into her life.
Katy's mood soured the very next moment because of this, as a scowl appeared on her face. To remove those unpleasant thoughts and freshen her mind, she decided to take a shower and went to the bathroom.
By the time her mother came to wake her up, Katy was sitting in front of her dressing table and was almost ready for the day.
Her black, fluffy chin-length bangs invited focus to her triangular chin and perfectly complemented each other.
She wore a beautiful blue Skater dress and a simple pearl necklace on her neck, which further accentuated her looks.
To add a cherry on top, a confident smile was plastered on Katy's face as she looked at her young appearance in the mirror.
"Did my daughter suddenly become more beautiful? You didn't look as radiant in the dress last night when you showed it to me," Her mother commented when she looked at her daughter in an impressed manner.
"It's only natural for me to inherit my mother's looks, isn't it?" Katy replied cheerily and chuckled when she saw her mother's blushing look.
Seeing Katy laughing at her, she snorted a little and said, feigning anger, "If you keep laughing like that, then I won't be giving you any breakfast today."
"Anything but that, Mom! You know how much I like your cooking, don't you?" Katy requested with puppy-like expression and managed to get her mother giggling like a young woman.
"Alright, alright, I won't. Come to the table after getting ready. The breakfast was almost finished." With that said, she left Katy's room in a jolly mood.
'I don't know why, but she feels more lovable today,' Katy's mother thought to herself in a bright mood as she hummed her way towards the kitchen.