Chapter 61 Chapter 61

Chapter 61 Chapter 61


Paris

I shifted my gaze to Cynthia to ensure she was on the same page with me, and she gave me a slight nod of agreement. 

My dad was already staring at mom, and when she peered at him, I saw a silent agreement that I may never understand. 

They spoke to each other with their eyes, finally breaking the marriage with no words. My dad was the first to break their stare with a slight rise and fall of his shoulder. I pained for him. No matter how ‘dead’ their marriage had been, she was still his wife. 

This must’ve been a nostalgic moment for him. I left mom’s side to engulf my father in a hug again. It felt like heaven when he hugged me back. He squeezed me to his chest, and I knew—just knew—that we would be okay.

Mom decided she would be the one to leave. It didn’t take her too long to pack a suitcase, as I assumed wherever she was going had necessities that she already needed. 

My dad watched her all the way, every move as she folded her clothes, to the very revolution of the zipper when she closed the suitcase. She never stopped crying. I could hear her silent sniffles as she grabbed whatever she needed. Cynthia stayed in her room, and I stayed with dad.

It was so ironic. After everything that I’ve been through—after all the anger and pain this had caused—I was strong for them when I thought I’d be the one to suffer the most. 

I guess I could get used to it. Now that mom was leaving, I’d basically be the woman of the house. It was a weird image for me to grasp, but I was somewhat ready to at least try.

Cynthia hugged mom when she stopped by her room. They didn’t share any words, not out loud at least. It all seemed like it moved in slow motion. Dad and I followed her to the front door as she wiped her tears and pulled the bag on wheels behind her. Dad reached out to open the door for her, and she spun on her heels to peer at us both.

At first, I was unsure what to say or do. Is this goodbye? Will we still have dinner together on Christmas? We needed to figure out how to move forward and adapt to the change. Maybe we weren’t ready. Perhaps we were. But the only way to know was to try.

Dad hugged her. It was short and swift, but it was something. I assumed they would discuss the terms of their divorce when everyone wasn’t so emotional. 

It was my time to hug her, and she ran her hand through my hair before pulling me flush to her body. I closed my eyes as I squeezed the life out of her. Again, we exchanged few words, yet it was the perfect farewell.

I opened my eyes as she pulled away, and across the road, there was Fabian, watching me with sympathy and regret, probably for not being here with me. But I offered a small smile of reassurance and silently told him I was okay and would spend the rest of the day with my family. He seemed reluctant at first to leave, but soon pulled away. 

I made a mental promise to call him later if he didn’t call me first. But I knew he’d always be there. So, for now, I had to be with my family.

With a deep breath, I watched as my mother descended the steps and walked towards the taxi. She paused at the door for a minute, looking back at us as we stood on the porch. Her eyes drifted above us to Cynthia’s room. Then, with one last nod as if accepting this new reality, she ducked inside the taxi.

And just like that, she was gone.

I closed my eyes and heaved a breath as dad wrapped his arms around my shoulder. We reentered the house, and oddly, it felt light and free. That bloody elephant finally left, and I didn’t mean mom. The tension that sat in our home had lifted, and it felt great.

My dad left to go to the kitchen, probably for a drink, as I stood at the door and gazed at everything. Each wall held emblems of memories of growing up and the happiness we once had. 

As I shifted my gaze from furniture to furniture, flashbacks of moments we’d had as kids resurfaced in my mind. A smile teased my lips as I walked further inside.

I ran my hand over the couch, remembering how we had countless movie nights right here and would always fall asleep before we were even halfway through. I trailed my finger over the wall where my and Cynthia’s heights were marked, remembering how mine stayed at the same height for four years straight. I chuckled at the memory.

Finally, I stood at the entrance of our dining room. This was where we shared every meal, even when we weren’t that much of a family anymore.

I rested my head against the wall and found the will to smile. This house had good and bad memories, but most of it was good. Things don’t always go the way we want them to. That’s just how life works. We might have to live in a single-parent home from now on, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make new memories.

Colton always told me to make lemonade anytime life gives me lemons. I always laughed, only because he sounded like an uncle from an old movie. But he was right. Life as we know it can change any day. We can either wallow in it or rise from it. 

I, for one, wasn’t in the mood for wallowing. This is and will always be my home; no matter what memory I make, whether good or bad, I’ll always hold onto them. Because one day, when I am miles away, those same memories will make me find my way back home.

With that final thought, I pushed away from the wall and headed upstairs to Cynthia’s room. She was lying on her bed, and I plopped beside her with a sigh. We didn’t talk for a while. I assumed we were still letting it all sink in.

“What’s up?” she finally whispered, keeping her eyes on her white roof.

I smiled. “Nothing. You?”

“Same,” she mumbled, and silence fell between us again. “Is your boyfriend gone?”

“Yup.” I caught her movement from the corner of my eyes as she turned her head to look at me. “You have a nice boyfriend.”

I couldn’t help but smile at this. “Yes, he is, isn’t he?” Pride swelled in my chest for him. He is the best.

“Colton and I are friends again, too,” I told her.

“That’s awesome. Now he’ll come around more often again, and I can finally date him,” she said, and I couldn’t help but laugh as I playfully nudged her. “As if.”

Another moment of silence sat between us as we allowed the entire day to soak in.

“So, what now?” she asked in a small voice, and I knew she was no longer talking about boys. If I was honest, I didn’t quite know the answer myself. But I told her the only thought that came to my mind, knowing that there wasn’t anything else we could do but this.

“Now we live, baby sister. Now we live.”