I offer him a soft smile and step closer, wrapping my arms around him. “You’re the only one who truly understands me,” I whisper against his shoulder.
He returns the hug, one hand resting on my back. For a moment, I let myself sink into it. In the middle of all this chaos, his embrace has always been one of the few things that truly brings me comfort. Uncle Thomas has always been there for me, especially when my world fell apart. I don’t even know what would have become of me if it weren’t for him and his family.
Then I pull back, hesitating just long enough to look unsure. "Uncle Thomas... I hate to ask, but... I’m in a bit of a situation."
He arches an eyebrow, waiting.
“I just need a little help,” I continue, forcing the words out with the right mix of shame and hesitation. “Things have been... complicated, a lot happening all at once, and I just— I kind of feel lost.”
He studies me for a long moment before sighing again. “All right,” he says finally. “But don’t tell your Aunt Cynthia. She’ll think I’m rewarding bad behavior.”
Relief washes over me, and I let it show. A small, grateful smile.
“And don’t worry,” he adds, turning back toward the window. “I’ll keep paying for your apartment, too.”
“Thank you,” I murmur, stepping forward to press a light kiss to his cheek.
Before I can turn to leave, his voice stops me.
“Ama—Maya.” He corrects himself quickly when he sees my hands curl into tight fists. “Use these days here to think carefully about your next steps. There’s only so much I can help you with... and only so much I can protect you from.”
The lump in my throat rises before I can stop it. I turn back to him, my vision blurring as I step closer. This time, the tears are real. They spill down my cheeks before I even think to wipe them away.
I throw my arms around him, clinging tightly. “I’d give anything for you to be my father and not just my uncle,” I whisper, my voice breaking under the weight of it.
Uncle Thomas exhales and hugs me back, pulling me close against his chest. “You’ll always be like a daughter to me,” he murmurs, his voice thick with emotion.
A sob escapes me, small and trembling. He holds me close, his hand settling between my shoulders as he murmurs words meant to calm me, most of them lost in the rush of my own breathing.
For a moment, I let myself feel it. The safety. The warmth. The illusion of being loved without conditions.
It’s almost enough to make me want to stop here. To start over. For real this time.
Almost.
When I finally pull away, his eyes are kind again, but tired. I hear his words now. I understand what he means. But I won’t do what he asked. Not in the way he hopes.
I’ll take these days, just like he said. I’ll think. And I’ll make sure every move counts.
Alicia
Dear Diary,
I think my daddy isa liar.
The other day, some mean girls at school showed me a site that said he had a new girlfriend. Someone younger, prettier, and not my mom.
I told them they were wrong. I told them my daddy would never do that. Becauseno one in the whole world is more beautiful than my mom.
Ashley laughed. She said,“Everyone knows it’s true.”So I grabbed her phone, threw it on the floor, and ran away before she could pick it up.
I’m not proud of it. Mom always says we should treat people with kindness and never let anger take over. But, Dear Diary, I don’t regret it. Not even a little. Because she was being mean. And she was talking about my family.
She and her friends are always picking on me. The clothes I wear. The fact that I still call my mom Mommy. That I was theonly one without a phone until the beginning of this school year. And honestly, I didn’t even care about any of that.
But I do care when they talk about my family. And I won’t let anyone talk about my mom.
When Mommy came home that day, she looked so tired, her face even sadder than it had been the other days. She found me and Ethan sitting on the couch, both of us crying. Ethan didn’t say a single word. Mommy sat down next to us and said she needed to tell me something important. She said Daddy got involved with someone else. And that’s why they can’t be married anymore.
