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s why my favorite seasons were fall and winter.
Because I could indulge in all the apple and cinnamon treats I wanted.
It was the only time I ever truly felt free. Whenever I would run around with my brothers outside, I felt like I was in control of my own life. They never told me what to do or how to behave. If anything, they had encouraged my rebellion against my father. They kept telling me that what I was doing was right and how my father treated me was wrong. They went along with his antics because they knew that was what they needed to do, but for men it was different. They had the promise of running father’s business someday. They had trust funds built for them and beautiful women lined up just waiting to be their brides. They got the promise of a future while all I got was the promise to be an accessory to someone’s future.
I pulled up to the five-car garage and put my car in park.
Part of me debated on pulling back out. Taking my car, ramming it through the gate, and never coming back. I took one last breath of the freedom I thought I had before I got out of my car, then I made my way into the house through the back door that lead into the kitchen.
My parents sat at the kitchen table waiting for me. My mother with her straight back, her perfect brown hair stacked high on her head, and a dress that fit her just for the pleasure of my father. He lifted his eyes toward me, the fire behind them scaring me as my brothers fumbled their way down the stairs.
“Ava! You’re back!” Hunter said.
“How was Cassie’s?” Lorenzo asked.
“Did you guys stay up all night talking about boys?” Finn asked.
My three brothers gave me a hug and I was thankful for them trying to cover my tracks. I knew they had always been supportive of me, and I knew they understood that I had been trying to escape. I could feel their pity dripping from their bodies as they hugged me. I could feel it in the way they kissed my cheeks. I nodded and smiled as I told them I had a good time, but I could tell my father wasn’t buying it.
“Why in the world is half of your closet gone?” my father asked.
I looked over at my brothers as they stepped away from me.
“It’s a good question, sweetheart,” my mother said. “I went in there to try and find you something for your date, and half of your clothes were gone.”
I rose my eyes to my father before I sighed, trying to come up with some sort of explanation.
And again, my brothers came to my aid.
“She didn’t want to tell you anything about it, but Ava’s been trying to lose some weight,” Finn said.
I looked over at my brother and gave him a curious look.
“What?” my father asked.
“Yeah. She wanted it to be a surprise for you. For the ball at the end of this year. But she’s been losing it a bit faster than she thought, and some of her clothes were too big,” Hunter said.
“And she figured since Cassie’s a bit stouter than her, that she could use some of her clothes. So Ava packed them up yesterday and took them with her,” Lorenzo said.
I tried to suck in my stomach as much as I could as my father’s eyes raked up and down my body. He got up and walked around me, studying me as I tried to alter my posture. I rolled my shoulders back and tucked in my hips. I drew in my stomach and tried to hide the excess weight I had in my arms. My mother’s eyes sparkled with pride as my father looked down into my eyes, my gaze lifting to meet his so as to not show weakness or shame.
That would give me away in a heartbeat.
“I’m proud of you, Ava. You look splendid. What have you lost? Five, ten pounds?” he asked.
I breathed a sigh of relief as my brothers smiled off in the corner.
“She does look really good,” Finn said.
“She’ll need a new wardrobe, though,” Lorenzo said.
“Yes. Something a little more updated, maybe?” Hunter asked.
“That’s actually a wonderful idea. I just updated my wardrobe and I’ve never felt better,” my mother said.
“You’ve never looked better either, my love. Finally! My daughter shows a little bit of pride in her body. Did Cassie enjoy any of the clothes?” my father asked.
“A few of them. But Cassie’s much more… well-endowed… in some areas. A few fit, but I still have most of them,” I said.
