I could never bring myself to lie to her; the fear of her discovering a lie terrified me.But now, I was not that little girl anymore.
The sudden vibration of my phone startled me.It was my dad calling.
“Hey there!”
“Hi, sweetheart.I feel awful.I'm really sorry.”
“What's wrong?”
“I forgot to leave you anything for lunch.I know your mom always made sure there was something in the fridge for you.I ordered a pizza; it should arrive soon.Just use the money from the jar to pay the delivery guy.”
“Oh, that's fine.I'm not a kid anymore; I could have whipped up some pasta.”
“I'm really sorry.”
“Dad, please, it's all right.”
“I'll pick up some groceries and think of something for dinner.”
“Sounds good, Dad.Love you, see you later.”
“Love you too, sweetheart.See you soon.”
His voice trembled, and I could sense the weight he was carrying; it was tough to listen to.I made my way to the kitchen.While still holding my phone, I dialed Mom’s number and waited for it to ring.
“Hello, Luna.Is everything okay?”
“Hey.Yes.When will you be home?”
“Oh, I'm stuck at work late tonight and will have to stay over, but I might make it back tomorrow.”
“Alright, Mom.”
“Listen, I know that this is all new for us, but I promise it will get easier.”
“Okay, I understand.See you tomorrow.”
“Bye for now.”
I ended the call and placed the phone on the counter.I opened the fridge to find it empty.However, I discovered some lasagna in the freezer.I decided to let it thaw by the sink for dinner.I cleaned up a bit, and after enjoying my pizza, I vacuumed the entire house.
I had homework waiting for me, so I retreated to my room.Strangely, I felt lost; I had to Google explanations because I hadn't taken any notes during classes.I realized I should stay on top of things this year because there would be important exams coming up in June and July.I wasn't interested in going to university, but I couldn't share that with my parents just yet.
Deep down, I dreamed of moving to Milan, starting fresh, and embracing adulthood.Or maybe, if I'm honest, I just wanted to escape this small town filled with nosy people.
I placed the lasagna in the oven, and I couldn't help but remember the way my mom carefully crafted each layer.She had a genuine passion for cooking—a passion I never quite shared.My culinary skills were limited, but at least I could manage to pop something in the oven.
I lingered in the kitchen, determined to prevent any mishaps.Setting the table, I tried to mimic the way my mom used to do it.The aroma of the lasagna began to waft through the house, confirming that I hadn't ruined it…yet.My phone vibrated again; it was Jessica:
“Hey, next Saturday!You and Em at our café at 4 PM.”
It seemed she hadn't heard the latest.Given the difficulty of updating everyone, I decided to call her instead.
“Hey, I saw your text.”
“Hi!Please tell me you'll be there.I want to introduce you to this guy I'm seeing.”
“The problem is, Em and I haven't been on speaking terms.”
