I blinked, my body halting at the sound of Mom’s voice, but I didn’t turn to face her. I wasn’t sure I could look at her and not break down even more than I already was. I wasn’t sure I could open my mouth and say a word without self-destructing.
“Aria!” Her hand clutched my shoulder, and she spun me around. My gaze hit her bare legs and drifted over her body to the dress she wore. It wasn’t her usual diner uniform but similar. Maybe she was trying on the new uniforms for her new diner.
Her mouth was moving, but all I could hear was buzzing, a static that wouldn’t pause. Then she shoved her hand in my face, waving her fingers at me, and I finally saw it. The ring on her finger that could only mean one thing—
“Sal asked me to marry him!”
I blinked and blinked again, sure I’d heard her wrong. She wouldn’t do that. She wouldn’t say yes. She wouldn’t—
“And I said yes!”
My nostrils flared, and I looked away from her, not able to bear seeing the happiness on her face. Why did she get to be happy when I was so sad? Why did she get to start over? Why did she get to replace my dad?
My dad.
I placed my hand over my chest, feeling like I couldn’t catch my breath. All the men in my life always left me, and it would only be a matter of time until Sal did the same, and I’d be left to pick up the pieces.
The paramedics strapped Dad to the gurney, but he didn’t stop fighting.
“Where are they taking him, Mommy?” I clutched on to the back of Mommy’s dress, staring with wide eyes as they started to wheel Daddy out of the apartment.
“It’s okay, sweetheart.” Mommy’s hand drifted over the top of my head, and when I looked up at her, tears were streaming down her face. She was sad, just like Daddy had been the last few days. Only when Daddy got sad, Mommy worried, which made me worry.
“I’ll be back, Aria!” Daddy shouted, still trying to get out of the tight straps wrapped around his body and to the bed. “They can’t get you while I’m gone! Remember to cover your window at night!”
I nodded, silently promising I’d do as he said. I wasn’t sure who “they” were, but Daddy was always worried about them.
Everything was bubbling up inside me, but I had to push it down. If I let it come to the surface, it would boil over, and I wouldn’t be able to stop it.
“Cong…” I cleared my throat and tried a second time. “Congratulations, Mom.”
Mom grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hallway and into the living room, seemingly oblivious to what was going on with me. I went willingly, not able to get up the courage to tell her I was hurting. I couldn’t voice what I was feeling, so I did as I was told and sat on the sofa.
I listened to her talk about how Sal had proposed at the new diner last night after the cookout. She told the story of a perfect moment, and all I could think about was what I had been doing last night. I’d thought I was safe. I thought I’d put my trust in someone who deserved it.
I was wrong.
I’d been stupid.
I’d let my guard slip.
I’d let him break each of my walls down, and now I was scrambling to put it all back together again.
“So? Will you?” I shook my head and widened my eyes at Mom. I had no idea what she was talking about. “So that’d make you my maid of honor, and I was thinking Belle could be my flower girl. What do you think?” I opened my mouth to reply, but she beat me to it. “Yes, that’d work well. We could get you matching dresses.” She screwed up her nose. “Maybe not fully matching, but you get the idea.” She clapped her hands and jumped off the sofa. “I need to call Lola!” She scrambled across the room to her cell.
I kept my gaze on her as she pressed it to her ear and started talking a mile a minute to Lola through the line. I was happy she was happy, but that didn’t mean I didn’t envy her. She was making a new life for herself, and I didn’t think I had a place in it anymore.
“An engagement party?” Mom’s brows flew high on her head. “Yes! That’s a perfect idea!”
I stood, my muscles aching more than they ever had, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of last night or because I was losing myself. I was lost in the wind with no branch in sight to grasp.
One last look at Mom told me she hadn’t even noticed I’d moved off the sofa. She never noticed anything, but it wasn’t anything new.
I shuffled down the hallway, opened my bedroom door, and shut it behind me, determined not to come back out.
Chapter Fourteen
ARIA