Dad’s already in the driver’s seat. “Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?” I open the door and climb into the back seat.
“The garden centre. I want to get some seedlings for the new vege patch,” Mum says.
“We could go for lunch afterward too. Maybe somewhere down by the beach?” Dad starts the car.
The beach.
Where Patrick made it clear he wanted me. What a joke that was.
I buckle my seatbelt and then slouch in the seat, crossing my arms.
Mum and Dad chat all the way across town, but I stare out of the window. Every day things get a little easier, but after the weeks I spent with Patrick, it’s like I’ve lost a limb.
It’s so hard to wrap my head around the cruelty.
I should have spoken to him before he left, but at that point, I couldn’t see past the pain. Not just that he didn’t love me, but that he went as far as having sex with me just for what? A bet?
I’m usually a fan of Bunnings—there’s so much to look at—but one thing blurs into another as we walk down each aisle and Mum and Dad pick out what they need.
It’s not until we’re on the way to the beach that I relax. It’s a good half an hour away from home, but it’s enough that I don’t usually run into anyone that I went to school with.
We park near the burger place that Patrick usually took me to when we came down here. I say nothing to Mum and Dad because there’s no point ruining their afternoon out. Besides, it’s good food.
“Do you know what you want?” Dad asks, looking at the menu.
“Just a hamburger and fries,” I say.
“And a drink?”
I nod. “If you get the burger and fries deal, it comes with a drink. I just want a coke.”
“You got it.” He smiles. “I’ll get the same.”
“Me too,” Mum says.
“Why don’t you ladies go and find a seat?” Dad’s eyes are back on the menu.
Mum and I walk the short distance to a picnic table nearby. She takes a deep breath of sea air.
For the first time since the party, I feel like I can breathe again.
“It’s good to see you smiling.” Mum grasps my forearm.
“It’s nice to be outside.”
“I’m so sorry he broke your heart. I really thought he was a good one.”
Tears well in my eyes, and she shakes her head.
“You’re about to leave home and live your best life.”
“I hope so,” I whisper.
She pulls me into her arms, and I relax into her embrace.
“I loved him, Mum. I thought he loved me.”
