They’d called her hair unruly and kept it cut very short because they said it was unmanageable. They hadn’t come to her defense when kids teased her about her appearance and instead told her to toughen up.
We’d learned this from her when she ran away from there at fourteen and found her way back to us. She’d only found us because sometimes Ivy and I would sneak off to the side of town where she lived.
We’d wait for her in the park, where she often played alone. Over the years, we’d go there and spend time with her, becoming the only friends she’d had, the only family she had. We’d done that so she wouldn’t forget us.
We’d also told her that if she ever wanted to run away, she could come to us. We’d been young too, unruly teenagers who hadn’t known what kind of trouble that could cause. But years later, when she showed up at our cottage, my mom welcomed her with open arms.
And after Kelly told us how she was living, my mom and the older Petals had been ready to go to war for her. So, when her grandparents and uncle came looking for her, those Petals made sure they knew to never try that shit again.
I could still remember my mom yelling, “Fuck the court and fuck your custody claim. Come near this child again, and I’ll kill you all before you have time to say the word judge.”
Of course, Ivy’s mom had ended up killing Kelly’s uncle a few days later after Kelly told us he’d started looking at her the wrong way, which was why she’d decided to run. She’d been with us since then, living with her mom’s best friend and fellow Petal until she was old enough to live on her own.
But the damage her father’s family had done to her still had its grip on her. They’d beaten her confidence to a pulp and taught her that speaking up for what she believed in, for what she wanted, was a punishable crime.
They’d made her feel like she had no voice. Made her afraid to say what was on her mind. Which was why she’d done as my mother told her to with the Marcel case. She’d been afraid to go against my mother’s wishes.
She’d been afraid of being kicked out of the fold. I was still trying to get her to understand that there was nothing she could do to make us turn our backs on her. Even this mistake wasn’t something I was willing to let her take the blame for.
I would shoulder it for her. Her young shoulders were already carrying enough burdens. I’d bear this one for her and for my mom. That’s why we needed to have this meeting. That was why I needed to leave the state for a while.
It was for Kelly, who’d already suffered more than enough. And for my mom, who was lost in her own mind, unable to stop reliving the mistake she’d made.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
BLOSSOM
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Kelly slid the chopstick back into her ponytail before smiling at me.
"Go on inside," I told her. "There's a drink waiting for you on the center table."
"Thank God," she muttered. "I think I’m going to need one."
I laughed softly. Without another word, she headed into the cottage. Tracy stepped up to me. She was dressed in dark jeans, a short-sleeved button-down jean shirt, and black sandals. Her hair was pushed back into a puffy afro with a black headband.
She stopped and opened her arms. I didn't hesitate. I stepped into them, wrapping my arms around her in a hug that felt achingly familiar. I'd hugged Tracy more times than I could count growing up.
Whenever my mother got onto me for doing something I wasn't supposed to do, I'd end up running to Tracy afterward, wanting comfort, reassurance, someone to tell me everything would be okay.
She’d always been that person. Some things never changed. Here I was, a grown-ass woman, still running to the older Petals whenever I needed help. Whenever I needed comfort. Tracy rubbed my back the same way she had when I was a little girl.
"You okay, Little Flower?" she asked.
I closed my eyes for a second, inhaling Tracy’s signature perfume. It was the same as when I was young. I don’t even know how she still managed to find it these days.
"I don't know," I admitted honestly. "But I will be. I just need time." Pulling back, I met her gaze. "I'll tell you all about it in the meeting." I swallowed. "Don't be disappointed in me after you hear what I have to say. Please."
Tracy frowned and cupped my cheeks.
"Baby girl, there's nothing you can do to make me be disappointed in you. You can kill everyone in this damn city, and I’d still defend you with my last breath. You’ve got that?"
I nodded, tearing up a little.
"I watched you grow up. I watched you blossom into the woman you are today." She grinned. "No pun intended."
A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
