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I think back to the moment I walked into the hallway last night and just how powerful my defiance made me feel and shake my head.

“I was so proud of you standing up for yourself like that. I’ve been waiting for it. I’ve watched you edging closer over the past few months as you finally had enough of their crap. You need to embrace that, Calli.”

“It’s not that easy,” I murmur.

“Anything worthwhile never is, sweetie. That’s what makes life so…”

“Hard.”

“Challenging. Fulfilling,” she corrects.“You need to talk to him. There’s no way that boy believed a word of what he said to you before you left that house. He’s just as scared about this as you are. Love is terrifying, Calli. Opening up his heart is by far the scariest thing he’s ever done. And from the things I’ve overheard, he’s done some alarming things in his short life.”

I nod, aware of just a few of them.

“He’s been through a lot.”

“I don’t doubt that in the slightest, sweetheart. And that is exactly why he needs you to fight for him.”

I nod, unable to disagree with anything she’s said.

“He’s spent his life trying to fight his own battles, to not have to rely on anyone. He’s expecting you to walk away because he doesn’t believe he’s worthy of something as beautiful and incredible as you.”

“But he is,” I argue.

“So prove it to him. Don’t prove him right by listening to his fears and allowing him to walk away from something I think you both need.”

My phone starts ringing on the bed between us, lighting up with Stella’s smiling face.

“You’re almost eighteen, Calli. You’ve got your whole life just waiting for you. You need to decide if you’ve got the backbone to make it what you want it to be, or if you’re going to be pushed into the life your mother wants for you.”

I nod, on the verge of losing my grip on my emotions once more as my phone continues ringing.

“I’ll leave you to it. If you ever need me, I’m right here, okay, sweetie? Judgement-free zone. Always.”

She leans forward and presses a kiss to my brow before getting up and walking toward the stairs.

Stella cuts the call before I get a chance to answer, but I ignore it for a few more seconds.

“Thank you. I really appreciate everything you do for me,” I say, my voice cracking.

“I just want to see you happy, sweetheart. In whatever form that is.”

She’s gone before I get a chance to say another word, and I’m left wondering why I wasn’t gifted a mother more like her. Understanding, compassionate, loves me for who I am, not the version of me she wants me to be.

My phone starts ringing again, and this time I swipe the screen and answer it.

“About time,” Stella mutters. “We’re ready to leave here, you good to go?”

I glance down at myself. “I’m gonna need like, thirty minutes. I’m hanging.”

Laughter floats down the phone. “Who knew Jerome was a party animal. I hope he treated you good, baby C.”

“It was nothing like that, so don’t even think about suggesting it. We just talked and got wasted.”

“Well, to be fair, I didn’t know he had that in him, so colour me impressed.”

I can’t help but laugh.

“Okay, I’m going to shower. Just don’t expect me to be looking my best.”

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