“I blocked you. You were annoying me. When someone doesn’t return calls or texts, it means they don’t want to talk to you. Take the social cue, Ginny.”
Daylen subtly places his hand on the small of my back in solidarity. Knowing he has my back, both literally and figuratively, means everything to me right now. It’s giving me the strength I need to have this conversation with words and not fists.
Tears well in her eyes. “What can I do to repair our relationship? I’ll do anything. I love you. You’re my daughter.”
My anger bubbles over. “Daughter?” I shout. “Funny how you care most when my star is on the rise. I haven’t been your daughter in ten years,” I yell at her. “Frankly, I was barely your daughter before that. We both know that.”
“How long are you going to punish me for it?” she asks with hardly a shred of remorse. “I made a mistake. People make mistakes.”
“Amistakeis forgetting to pick me up from school. Amistakeis mixing up my game times and missing a game. Amistakeis forgetting to pack my lunch. Bending over so my boyfriend can stick his dick inside you is not amistake. It’s diabolical. It’s not something any real mother would ever do. Mothers are supposed to support and protect. You never did either. Mothers shouldn’t get off on stealing their teenage daughter’s boyfriends.”
“You don’t know what I was going through at that time with your father. I was a mess. You don’t have a husband or a child. You can’t possibly understand. Maybe you will one day in the future, and then you’ll have some compassion for me.”
I can feel heat emanating from Daylen’s body. He grits out, “She’ll be a million times the wife and mother you were when the time comes. She willnevertreat her daughter like you treated her. Mothers are supposed to be the only women who hope their daughters are better than they are. Were you happy about Kennedy’s successes?”
My mother stiffens. He hit the nail on the head. “Of course I was happy,” she lies.
“No, Ginny, you weren’t,” I snap. “You were jealous. You were jealous that I got what little attention Dad gave our family, you were jealous that I was prettier than you, and you were jealous that I was a superstar. I should have been your pride and joy. Instead you saw me as your competition. While the day you fucked Nick was the day our relationship officially died, in reality,it was never there to begin with because you were too insecure and selfish to ever be a real mother. You weighed social status over your kids every single day of your life. We all have choices. You made yours, and now I’m making mine. I have nothing else to say to you.” The tears are starting to form, but I won’t give her the satisfaction. As if sensing my need, Daylen wraps his arm around my shoulders and kisses my head. I lean into him before giving her one more parting statement. “To be crystal clear, you willneverbe welcome to be around my family when I have one. Stay away from me. Stay away from the people I love. Stay out of my life. You’re toxic, and it’s time to take out the trash. Goodbye, Ginny.”
I turn and walk away from my mother with Daylen standing right by my side.
I hold it together until we get to the parking lot, when I start sobbing. Daylen takes me into his arms. “I’m so fucking proud of you. You were amazing.”
I mumble into his chest. “I want to go home.”
I can feel him deflate. “If that’s what you want, but I wish you’d let me take care of you. I was hoping you’d stay with me tonight.”
I look up at his eyes and know for a fact in this moment that I’m in love with him. He’s my home.
I nod. “That’s what I meant by home.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
KENNEDY
We’re now into the playoffs, and we won our first round of games. The Camels have won their first few games of the season. Things are good professionally. Personally, things are even better. Daylen and I rarely spend a free moment without each other. We’ve achieved another new level of intimacy, especially since that night with my mother. His unwavering support unlocked something in me. I’ve almost completely thrown caution to the wind.
The only thing I’ve held back is telling him that I love him. I’m still scared. Those words have never left my mouth in my life, but I know the feelings are there. I know I can no longer imagine my life without him in it. I need to build up the courage to say those three little words out loud.
Alyssa and Shay are hosting a girls’ night. I wasn’t going to go because hiding the fact that I’m not drinking is hard in such a small group, but Sulley said she’d abstain with me under the guise that we’re focused on the playoffs. Having a best friend is pretty awesome.
It’s not like anyone will be getting rip-roaring drunk anyway. We’re all locked in.
I knock on the door, and Alyssa opens it. I notice she got a haircut. It’s a cute bob. “Your hair looks great. You didn’t go full lesbian cut, but I like it.”
She smiles. “Do you know why so many lesbians have such short hair?”
I shake my head. “I don’t.”
She wiggles her eyebrows up and down. “Because we get really excited about scissors.”
I let out a laugh. She cracks me up, but I came with an arsenal of my own. “What do you call fifty lesbians and fifty politicians in the same room?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure. What?” she asks with an amused expression on her pretty face.
“A hundred people who don’t do dick.”
She giggles. “Nice. And very true.” She waves her hand. “Come in. Sulley and Palmer are here. Layla is running late. She said she’s having monster-in-law issues.”
