Our Kind of Love (32 page)

“I’m so sorry, Mitchel. Truth is, I was afraid,
and I felt like I didn’t deserve to see you,” she says, tears stinging her
eyes. She reaches a hand out and strokes Cassie’s cheek. “I’m sorry I didn’t do
this sooner,” she mutters to her.

Cassie pulls away from her touch, glances at me,
and then stands. “I can’t…I have volleyball practice.”

She turns and starts out of the living room. Mom
slants on the chair and calls out to her. “Cassie, please stay. We should talk
about this.”

My sister’s out the door regardless of Mom’s
pleas. She shuts it with a thud and I hear her frustrated footsteps bustle down
the front steps.

Straightening back in the armchair, Mom fixes
her gaze on me. She glides over my face, studying my features. “You hardly look
like me,” she utters. “You have my eyes, but everything else is your father.”

I turn away from her so I can find the strength
to ask, “Why were you looking for me now? Why after so many years?”

She sits out and reaches a hand to touch mine.
“Because I finally found the courage to see you,” she tells me. “I know I’m
terribly late, but I still want you to know that I didn’t just give you away. I
loved you and I wanted the best for you. I still love you, Mitchel. Seeing you
now, I don’t feel guilty anymore because Annie raised you right. You turned out
pretty good.”

The guy I am can’t hate her. I don’t even know
what I wanted from her in the first place, because it certainly wasn’t for her
to fall into the role of mother. I already had that from Grams. I guess, maybe
I came to her house for the answer she just gave me. I feel like that’s enough.

I rise to my feet to take off. Mom gets up as
well. I start to leave when she touches my arm and says, “Will you come by for
dinner tomorrow? My husband will be back from his business trip by then and
he’d love to meet you. I’ve told him about you a while back.”

Peering at her, I start to refuse when she cuts
me off. “I’d love for you and Cassie to talk.” She’s asking for a lot. What
should I do?

“I don’t know,” I mutter. “I have to go back to
Rhode Island.”

She blinks in her surprise. “That’s where you
were? Are you going to school there?” A smile crosses her lips in spite of how
flabbergasted she is now. “Gosh, I should have asked you all those things, like
what you’re into, favorite food, if you’re dating anyone—”

“I am,” I blurt out. “She’s waiting for me back
there.”

“Oh, I see…”

I make to reach for the front door. Mom stops me
again. “At least stay a few more days. Please, Mitchel. I know I have no right
to ask anything of you, but please, this is all I’m asking, that you stay a few
more days, for Cassie…for me?”

Reign will be upset. I promised I’d return to
her soon. But I’ve met my mother, found a sister I never knew I had. Dad’s back
in my life. Maybe I should stay a while longer, at least until I feel contented
to leave.

Inhaling deeply, I press my eyes shut for a beat
then open them as I tell her, “Okay, only a few more days.”

Smiling up at me, Mom hesitantly reaches in for
a hug. She decides against it when she realizes I’m not reciprocating one. I
slant to walk out the door but then figure why not, I’m tired of being mad at
people when someone like Lewis could forgive after what happened to him.

If my parents are trying to make a mends, then
it’s time for me to let go of the hurt too. That’s the only way I can leave
Haxtun burden free.  

I twirl back to her and give her a gentle hug.
Her embrace is warm, loving, and above all else motherly. It’s what I’ve wanted
all these years. I just hope deep in my heart that Reign will understand.

Thirty
-
Six

Reign

“DON’T CRY,” I whisper to myself for the hundredth
time, while standing in front of the dresser mirror in my room. I’m wearing my
blue, sleeveless fit and flare cutout dress that’s a little above my knees. My
hair is loosely curled and let down into my back, and I’m wearing heels for the
first time in months.

It’s the night of my birthday, my family and
friends are downstairs waiting for me, but I’m not feeling happy. Micah still
isn’t back from Haxtun. I don’t understand. He said he wouldn’t stay because
I’m not there, so why is it so hard for him to leave?

Perhaps he’s mending his relationship with his
father and building one with his mother. Whatever the case, he doesn’t seem to
care that he’s missing my birthday.

“Ugh,” I blow out a razor-sharp breath and
straighten my posture. I don’t want to ruin tonight wallowing in my sadness. I
want to smile and be grateful to everyone for wanting to help me celebrate.

Stepping out of my room, I inhale and exhale
then meander downstairs. Everyone’s in the living room: my parents, Mrs. Nunez,
Aislin, John, Clark, Claudia, her dad Andre and stepmom Eleanor. They’re all
waiting for me with broad smiles plastered across their faces.

I stand in the arch doorway and take in the
moment, mentally telling myself that I won’t feel sad. Micah isn’t here, but I
won’t feel sad.

“Oh honey, look at you,” Mom gushes. She strides
over to give me a hug. “You beautiful birthday girl you,” she says as she
kisses my forehead.

“Gosh, you’re growing up,” Dad says, walking
over. “You mind if I still call you my little girl, even though you’re nineteen
now?”

Dad cloaks me in his big bear hug that always
comforts me. I need it right now.

“I’ll always be your little girl,” I tell him in
a whisper.

“Happy birthday,” he cheers, everyone follows.
 

“Okay, okay,” Claudia hauls me over to the
couch. She plops down beside me, handing me a gift. “Open mine first,” she
pleads, her eyes sparkling like a disco ball.

I take the box from her and glance at her face,
a bit hesitant to see what she bought. “It’s nothing inappropriate, right?” I chuckle.

Laughter breaks out in the room. She lightly
jerks my arm. “No silly. Actually, I would have but your parents are here too.”

Her dad clears his throat and Eleanor scoffs,
flipping her hair off her shoulder. “Gosh,” she mutters under her breath.

I cut my eyes away from her and open Claudia’s
gift. It’s a sweet feminine collection, which includes a body lotion, shower
gel, body mist, bronze charm bangles and matching earrings.

“Aw,
Claudes
,” I lean
over and kiss her on the cheek. “This is so nice, thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.”

While I’m being showered with gifts from
everyone else, I notice that Dad slips out of the living room. Shortly after,
he returns with something large and rectangular, concealed in yellow wrapping
paper.

“Whoa, Dad, what’s this?”

He and Mom are grinning with each other all
sneakily. “Hope you like it,” Dad says as he sets the gift down at my feet on
the rug.

Mom clasps her hands over his shoulder and they
both smile at me as I sit out on the couch to peel off the wrapping paper.

My mouth drops open when I see what it is.
“Dad!
So this is why you told me to stay out of the
workshop.”

He shrugs, acting modest.

Dad’s made me an antique-looking oak wood
treasure chest. I notice he’s added his own uniqueness to it too. My name’s carved
into the lock, and there are sunflower designs on the inside out, which happens
to be my favorite flower. My heart flutters when I notice the picture of me and
Mary at the bottom. She was seven and I was five at the time. Written at the
bottom of the picture in her handwriting is a funny line Mary used to say to
me:

You can always Reign on my parade, little
sissy.

I stifle back my tears, getting up to give Dad a
hug. “Thanks, Daddy,” I breathe into his chest. Then I tow Mom in and the three
of us clutch to each other. It’s nice to not think about Mary and feel guilty.
And I’m more than happy that my parents decided to put out her photos again
without worrying they’ll upset me. We can all have some closure.

When we pull apart, Mrs. Nunez switches some
indie music on and everyone shuffles about, indulging in Chef Clark’s exquisite
refreshments and drinks he prepared for the dinner.

As the night progresses, I stop thinking about
Micah for a minute and push myself to entertain my guests. Oddly, I end up talking
to Eleanor, Claudia’s stepmom. This is rare for me because I find her so
uptight and she always manages to make everything all about her.

I hate how when she talks to people she eyes you
from head to toe, as if she’s horrified at how cheap your attire is compared to
hers. And Eleanor never wears anything that’s worth less than a hundred dollars
so it’s no wonder she’s frowning at my thirty dollar dress from Marshalls.

“If Claudia had reminded me sooner I would have
picked up a nicer gift for you in Italy,” she says with a pretentious smile,
showing off her pearly whites. Like I’ll complain about the designer handbag
she gave me. “Gosh, it’s such a lovely country,” she goes on, “I just didn’t
want to leave.”

Then why didn’t you stay?
I
wanted to ask her; instead I smile and nod politely. I spot Aislin over her
shoulder and notice she’s looking a bit frazzled because John isn’t paying her
much attention.

I direct Eleanor to her. “Have you met Aislin? She’s
really interested in visiting Italy; she studies all things Italian in school.
I’m sure she’ll love to hear about your trip.”

Eleanor perks up. “Is that so?” She twists and
starts toward Aislin without even excusing herself from me.
Whatever.

Quietly sneaking out of the living room, I walk
around to the passage and sink down on the built in seat under the staircase. I
don’t think I can keep up the façade much longer. My heart’s too sad.

Only a few seconds later, Mom steps out of the
kitchen, she catches me at the corner of her eye before going into the living
room.

“Why are you hiding out here by yourself?” she
asks, coming over with a glass of wine in one hand and a plate of crab cakes in
the other.

I shake my head but say nothing.

She sits down beside me, offering me a crab
cake. “They’re really good,” she prods. “Clark made them.”

“I’m not that hungry,” I reply in a low tone.
“Thanks though.”

She sets her glass and the plate down on the
small table beside the seat then turns back to me. “Oh honey, what’s the
matter? It’s a nice dinner. Not too big, not too small.”

Resting my head against the wood, I sigh deeply
before telling her the truth. “Micah’s not here. He’s not coming back.”

She’s quiet for a moment then says, “I’m sorry,
Reign. But I’m sure he has his reasons, and you’ll probably see him real soon.
Don’t get too upset over it.”

“I don’t think so,” I breathe. “He saw his dad
again after so long, and he’s going to meet his mom for the first time. He’ll
probably want to stay there and get to know them.”

Pursing her lips, Mom reaches over to stroke my
hair. “I hate that you’re so sad on your birthday. I wish there was something I
could do.”

“No, I’m sorry for being this way. I should suck
it up and enjoy myself. You and Dad put this together for me. I’m just being
selfish.”

“You don’t have to force yourself,” she retorts,
touching my shoulder. “But at least come cut your cake. I swear Clark has
outdone the last one. It’ll definitely cheer you up, if only for tonight.”

She stands up first, sticking her hand out for
me to take it. “Come on honey.”

I push up off the seat and hook my arm around
hers, walking towards the living room with her. Then suddenly someone rings the
doorbell and we stop in our tracks.

My heart smashes against my ribcage. A chill
trickles down my spine. I glance at Mom and look at the door, swallowing hard.
She pulls away from me to go answer it. I remain by the arch doorway,
anticipation building up fast.