I cry into her shoulder for a long time. Zinnia eventually pulls away, but I can’t stop. I can’t help the overwhelm in my body.
Finally, the guard clears his throat. “Ma’am, you need to finish processing.”
My mom nods and wipes her face. “Give me five minutes.”
She completes the paperwork, gets her belongings, which is a plastic bag with the clothes she was wearing six years ago. Seeing those clothes makes the guilt swim further in my stomach. I’m shaking, trembling. I had no clue I would have such a physical reaction to seeing her, but it’s like my mind is reliving everything again.
Then we walk out to the parking lot and into the sunlight. And I’m reminded that this isn’t a dream. I may have put my mom into prison, but I also got her out.
We drive home. Zinnia chatters the whole way. About school. About her friend Sophie. About Gary the turtle. She really loves this turtle story. My mom listens and smiles.
When we pull into the driveway, she looks at the house. “This is where you’re living?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s nice.”
“We’re going to move somewhere else soon, so it’s temporary until we can find something better.”
“Lily, it’s nice.”
Zephyr and Callum are waiting for us.
My mom sees them, and her smile falters slightly.
“Sorry, Mom. I didn’t introduce you to Jax.”
She smiles. “I thought he was just a taxi driver.”
Jax forces a smile. “Nope. I’m the boyfriend.”
My mom looks up at the house and says, “And who is that?”
Zinnia says, “That’s Zephyr and Callum. They play hockey together.”
She looks at me. Then at them. Then back at me. “Hockey?”
I nod, gulping.
“Like your dad?”
I stare forward, feeling my face heat. I recount all the times that Damien would scream at me:Hockey players, really, Lily! Fucking hockey players!
“Do you remember that, Lily?” my mom asks.
I shake my head, still staring forward. Jax doesn’t respond.
“Is that why––”
Callum opens the back door for Zinnia and says, “Hey, Zinni. Hi, Mom.”
“Oh,” she says confused.
“I’m Cal. This is Zeff.”
“Cow and Seff?”
Jax is staring at me. I can’t even take a joke. This is a lot harder than I thought it would be.
