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My father chuckled.
“Don’t encourage her,” she warned, as she leaned in to give him a peck on the lips.
“Don’t act like you have no idea where she gets that sarcasm from.”
She wore a smirk as she quickly grabbed her purse. She waved one last time to me. Then, she was out the door. I often compared her to a tornado, blowing around the house looking for her misplaced belongings whenever she was running late for something.
I pretended not to notice my father’s expression as he slumped back down onto the couch. “I’ll get the snacks!”
It was a usual Thursday night hanging out with Dad, while Mom went out with her friends. She had been a stay-at-home mom for the first eleven years of my life. This past year, she began working as a receptionist for a law firm in Manhattan. She even joined a gym, and bought a new wardrobe to match her new physique. I couldn’t blame her for wanting to feel good about herself, or for wanting to pursue her own interests. If my dad could work and pay for things, why couldn’t she? He didn’t say it, but I think my father took it personally, as if her newfound independence meant she no longer wanted to stay home to be with him. Things seemed different between her and my father lately. Then again, I couldn’t tell if they were always this way, or if I was just old enough to finally take notice.
Together on the couch, my father and I laughed throughout the movie. I loved the sound of his laugh; it was a hearty chortle that was contagious to anyone who was in earshot. My mother and I were close, but I was a daddy’s girl through and through. Whether we were watching movies, or restoring the old Chevelle in our garage, we were an inseparable duo. Hard-working, loving, and smart, I looked up to him in so many ways.
“Alright, kiddo,” he said when the movie ended. “Go wash up for bed, and I’ll tuck you in.”
Once I was under my covers, I opened my favorite book to the dog-eared page where I had left off the night before.
“Again?” my father asked with a smile, as he sat down on the edge of my bed.
“Again,” I replied, running my fingers over the cover ofRomeo and Juliet.
“You’re a sucker for a love story, like your old man.”
“I’m just fascinated with how they could love each other so much, that they were willing to die without one another. That’s just crazy to me.”
“Love can make you crazy, sometimes.”
“What was your love story with mom?”
“Tenth grade Biology class. She walked in the room, and sat in the seat right in front me. She was so beautiful. I tried for days to get up the nerve to talk to her, but I couldn’t figure out what to say. So one day, I tapped her on her shoulder and asked her for the time.”
“What did she do?”
“She turned around, looked down at the watch that was around my wrist, and said, “I don’t know. Why don’t you check your watch?” Then she smiled, and turned back around. That was it for me.”
“What do you mean, that was it?”
“I fell in love with her.”
“You didn’t know anything about her! How could you be in love with her already?”
“Love isn’t logical.” He shrugged. “Some things you just know.”
“I hope I have a romantic love story to tell one day.”
He touched my cheek. “You will, my girl. Just make sure he’s worthy. Don’t let anyone near your heart unless he deserves to hold it.”
“Will you help me, and tell me if he’s worth it? In case I can’t tell?”
“Of course,” he replied with a smile. “I’ll always be here to help you.”
Chapter One
The Bitch is Back
Igripped the doorknob to steady myself as I felt my knees threatening to buckle from underneath me. My throat felt dry. Staring into her eyes – the same golden brown color as mine – I remembered how much damage the soul behind those eyes could do. It was no wonder that fear was the first emotion I felt upon seeing my mother for the first time in over eight years. Standing before me was the human equivalent of Pandora’s Box. Just like that, all of the demons I had fought so hard to lock away were suddenly set free. They came rushing towards me, tightening their claws around my lungs so that I could barely breathe. I took one step back, and swung the door shut with all of my might. I prayed that the powerful slam would send her back to wherever it was that she came from.
“What are you doing?” Chase reached for the doorknob, but hesitated, thinking twice.
