“Mommy sad?” she asks, patting my back with her little hands.
“I’m okay, baby.” I sniff.
Presley’s voice softens. “Do you want to get out of here?”
I look up at her, eyes watering. “Yeah.”
“I’ll be right back,” she says as she walks out the door.
“You ready to go home?” I set Sera down on the floor so I can start to pack up for the day.
“Ready.” She gives me a wide smile.
Presley walks back in seconds later. “A car will be here any minute.”
“Thanks,” I reply.
“I’ll be right back. I need to go get my bag from my office.” She walks out the door again.
Once I have my bag and my daughter’s backpack, we make our way to the lobby to wait for my sister.
Thankfully, I don’t see my dad when I leave because I have no doubt I look like a wreck. Then he’d have questions that I don’t want to answer yet.
Presley joins us, and we walk out just as the driver is pulling up.
“We could go stay at the house tonight instead of going to the city,” she suggests.
My parents have a home in Alpine, New Jersey, that we stay at sometimes too.
“Nah, I just want to go home.”
“Okay,” she says as she holds my bag while I get Sera into the car.
Once she’s locked in her car seat, I stand and take the bag from my sister.
“Do you need a hug?” She holds her arms out to me.
“No, not yet. I don’t want her to see me crying.” I touch her arm, though, before I get into the car.
Presley gets into the car on the other side, and as soon as we start to drive away from the complex, she looks over Sera at me.
What happened?she mouths.
I shake my head and mouth back,Not now.
“Mommy songs?” Sera grabs my hand.
“Sure, we can play some music.” I reach in front of me and turn on the music player, letting theFrozensoundtrack fill the silence.
I stare out the window the rest of the way home, lost in thought and regret.
It’s been a long day, and Sera was definitely feeling my emotional upheaval because she didn’t want to go to bed tonight.
When I make my way to the family room, my sister is sitting on the couch, waiting for me, scrolling on her phone, wineglass in hand.
She sees me and sets her phone down on the cushion beside her. “I got you a glass too,” she says, pointing to the glass on the coffee table.
“Thanks. I think I need about five of these tonight.” I pick up the glass and take a sip.
