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“I don’t have a familybecauseI don’t want to have to make the same choices as you,” I say. “I’d never want to put a child through what I had to go through. I was lonely. I didn’t want a big house or all the latest gaming consoles or whatever it was you bought to keep me distracted while you were gone. I wanted my parents.”
Mom lowers her head as Dad pulls her in closer to him. For the first time in years, they look like a unit. A true partnership. If only I could witness this under better circumstances.
“I’m sorry, Carter,” Mom says, wiping a few tears away. “I never realized how badly our actions hurt you.”
To be fair, I’ve kept that in all this time. That doesn’t mean I’m giving them a free pass. They should have been more self-aware all those years.
Dad rises. Our heights are similar, so when he faces me, we meet one another’s gaze.
“It’s too late for us to change the past. Can’t you just let us get to know you the right way?”
I rub the back of my neck. That’s too loaded of a question for me to answer right now. “I don’t know,” I say. “I just want the two of you to leave. Next time, call in advance.”
“Very well then.” Dad places his hands on Mom’s tiny shoulders. “Let’s go, Charlotte.”
Silence fills the room as I walk them to the front door. When I open it, they each give me one last pitiful look.
“We’re here for you whenever you’re willing to forgive us,” is the last thing Dad says before they step outside.
God, I feel like an asshole. I shut the door behind them, wishing they hadn’t shown up like this. But at the same time, it feels good to have let that all off my chest. They may never understand me like I want them to, but at least I finally said what I’ve been feeling out loud.
Once my parents pull onto the street and are out of sight, I head upstairs in search of Mia. I find her laying in my bed, her back facing me when I step inside.
When she hears me open the door, she turns around.
“Hey,” I say softly.
As I peer into her beautiful green eyes, I’m more certain than ever how I feel about this woman. I love her. More than anything.
“Are they gone?” she asks, oblivious to the thoughts of commitment swirling in my head.
I nod. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner.” I crawl into bed beside her. “Are you okay?”
She wraps her arms around me and gives me a swift kiss on the lips. “I should be asking you that question. I heard you yelling.”
I set my hand on her waist. “Don’t worry about it. I had a lot of things to tell them, and I’m glad I’ve finally got everything off my chest.”
“If it’s about me—”
I shake my head. “It was about the shitty job they did raising me. But I’m too tired to talk about it anymore.”
“Come here,” she says, pulling me closer to her. Her smile is big and genuine, as if we didn’t just have the worst encounter with my parents.
“May I help you?” I ask.
“You absolutely can,” she says with a chuckle.
Our lips meet briefly before I pull away. “Thank you for staying with me. I hate coming here. LA has this horrible way of making me feel so fucking empty all the damn time.”
“All you have to do is ask, and I’ll be here,” she assures me. “I don’t want you to feel that way.”
I break into a soft smile. “I don’t when I’m with you.”
Our lips meet once more, and I’m engulfed in Mia’s passionate kiss, knowing full well there will be no way out this time.
“Carter, wake up,” Mia says, jolting me awake.
When I lift my head, the sun is already out, but the slight breeze coming in through the window gives away that it’s early morning.
