“Not without seeing Wylla.”
“You’ve done enough, Margaret. She gets nightmares when she sees you. I don’t want you near her ever again. So, get the hell out of here,” Remi lashes out.
“What nonsense! I’m her mother. I’m the one who gave her life. You can’t say—”
“You gave her life? You?” Remi takes an intimidating step toward Margaret, his hand leaving his neck. “You’re the fucking reason she has to live like this. You’re the fucking reason she’s in a wheelchair today, and don’t you dare come here and pretend you care about her. You left us, remember?” Remi’s neck strains from all this shouting.
What?
I should definitely not be here. Do I sneak out? Maybe if I slide down, real slow, and get on all fours and crawl out, no one will notice. But Remi … leaving him alone when he’s obviously upset doesn’t sit right with me.
“I’m not the one you should be blaming, Remi.” She grits her teeth, her voice low and her gaze fixed on him.
“Get out,” Remi spits. “Get the hell out before I do something I’ll regret.” He strides to the door and shoves it open.
For the sake of tiny mushrooms. This is not good. This is not good at all.
Margaret picks up her handbag from the chair, slings it on her shoulder, and looks at me. “Just for the record, I’m not the monster in this story. He is.” As her words spread doubt over everything I know about Remi, Margaret sashays out of this house, leaving me with questions I’m in no place to ask.
As soon as she’s out of the door, Remi slams it shut and presses his forehead on the wood. “Fuck,” he expels under his breath.
I hesitate. “Are you … okay?”
He takes a few deep breaths. Stepping back from the door, he turns to me and nods. “I’m sorry you got caught in the middle of this …” Dark circles frame his eyes, and the lines on his face show how tired he is.
I shrug. I’m not sure if I’m welcome to stay. “I guess I should go.” I drop the backpack on the couch.
His lips part to say something, but then he stops himself and exhales a long breath. He pinches his bottom lip and shakes his head. Releasing his lip, he asks, “Do you want me to drop you off somewhere?”
I shake my head. “No, my car is good now,” I explain, tapping my foot on the floor a few times.
He hums but doesn’t say anything, which saddens me. I was hoping he’d ask me to stay.
I give him a small smile and make my way out of the door.
***
After I left Remi’s apartment today, I came back to the dorm with his mother’s words buzzing in my head. I’m not the monster in this story. He is. There’s a voice in my head searching for a hundred excuses to prove that Remi is not what his mother thinks him to be.
My mom’s face appears on my screen, and an immediate smile graces her lips, showing the wrinkles around her mouth and eyes. “Kaci,” she greets, the delight and sadness evident in her voice.
Emotion tickles my throat. “Mom,” I whisper, feeling a pang in my heart. What I miss most back home is Mom. Even though we’ve talked a few times on the phone, the conversations were brief, and this is the first time I’m making a video call.
“How’re you, sweetie?” she asks, her brows rising a little.
I smile and shrug. “Fine. It’s pretty good here,” I tell her honestly.
She nods, happy with my answer. “And what about your roommate?”
At the mention of Candee, my smile widens. “She’s great. I mean, we chatted so much before we met, but now I can tell you she’s even more entertaining in person. Not one day here has been boring.” I laugh.
Mom’s eyes soften. “Good. God, how I miss you, Kaci dearest,” she mumbles, and I grow sad. Mom and I have always been each other’s support. My dad is an amazing person, and people love him, but he’s a difficult man to live with. He has strict rules, and each one of them feels like the iron bars of a cage. College is my escape—both Mom and I know it, and we’re grateful for it.
“I miss you too, Mom.” I gulp, my eyes misting. Candee enters the room, looking gloomy. I want to introduce her to Mom, but she shakes her head and sits on her bed, leaving me to chat.
Mom takes a deep breath and dabs her bottom lashes. “Tell me how it’s all been going. Are you settling in?”
I nod. “I have almost all my classes sorted out. My books and other stuff are here.” I inhale, bringing my shoulders up. “I just need college to begin.” A wonderful sensation glides over my body, the same feeling I have when I hear the music at the dance class—like I’m ready to fly. I’m so ready.
I end up talking about the town, the people, and how hot it is here, carefully leaving Remi out of it—not that there’s anything to say about him. Mom listens, her eyes filled with glee, and I understand the look on her face. She never got to live these moments, and she’s excited that I am.
Mom married Dad when she left high school after graduation. Dad, at that time, was a fresh college graduate, working with my grandpa at the law firm, training as his legal assistant. He had to come to Mom’s place a lot to discuss cases, and that’s how they met. Shortly after, they got married. I’ve never heard the whole story, but from what I could gather, they were once in love with each other.
Mom and I have been talking for the past half hour, and I still haven’t told her the main reason I called. I’m not going to tell Dad—obviously—but Mom is my BFF, and she knows everything about my life.
“Mom,” I start, planting a mild smile on my face. “Candee and I wanted to enroll in some gym to stay fit, and we decided to do Zumba,” I share, squeezing my hand in my lap.
“That’s great,” she encourages. “You’ll get to stay fit while getting to know the town.”
Excitement bubbles inside me, and I nod. “Yeah, but there was a little misunderstanding,” I explain, and her eyebrows knit. “You see, I accidentally enrolled us in the kizomba class.” I shrug, preparing to explain kizomba, but Mom beats me to it.
“The one that dances like salsa but is sexier?” Her eyes twinkle, awaiting my confirmation.
“Yeah, that’s the one. And we’ve been to a few classes since.”
Mom’s hands shoot up, and she covers her mouth. I see tears of joy gathering on her lashes. “Kaci, baby, you’re dancing,” she whispers.
Seeing Mom cry always makes me emotional. I nod vigorously. “I am, Mom, and it’s like I can fly. Like something opens up inside me and makes me want to be myself at that moment. It’s beautiful.”
I hear a soft sob and look up to find Candee’s cheeks wet. She smiles at me before standing and leaving the room. Her reaction confuses me, but I let it go as Mom keeps telling me how happy she is for me. I listen to her every word, letting them seep into my heart.
“Remember,” she finally says. “You were meant to enjoy every bit of your life, Kaci. You deserve this, my beautiful girl. Let no one—no one—convince you otherwise. And when it’s time to fly, you spread those wings wide, and you soar. You hear me?”
I nod.
This is what Mom has always said to me, and each time she’s said those words, I feel like she’s been adding more and more feathers to my wings—urging me to fly. But today, she’s cheering me to fly even higher. And I might just do that.