Page 71 of Wicked & Wildflower

“About your parents.”

She pauses, hands stilling on her desk as she slowly raises her eyes to me.

“Dahlia had a call with your dad yesterday, and it sounds like he wrecked her pretty bad. I…” I run a hand through my hair, suddenly nervous. I don’t know that Dahlia would want me talking about this behind her back, but I’m at a fucking loss. “I just want to help her, and I don’t know what to do.”

Darby sighs. “I don’t either. Sometimes, it’s hard for even me to talk to her about it, like she thinks it’s something she has to battle on her own.”

“Why does she feel that way?” I ponder.

“I don’t know,” Darby breathes defeatedly. “When you spoke to her, did she mention anything about my mom? Or has she only talked to my dad?”

“She only mentioned your dad. I don’t think she’s had contact with your mother at all.”

“That’s what I thought.” Darby chews her lip. “My mom has been reaching out to me, and I want to talk to Dahlia about it, but I’m afraid to bring it up.”

“Why?” I ask.

She looks at me, sadness in her eyes. “Because she thinks our parents love me more.”

She thinks your parents don’t love her at all.

“I’m afraid it would hurt her feelings if she knew my mom was trying to make an effort with me and not with her.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Darby,” I say. “Butisyour mother trying to make an effort with you? Or is it your dad using her as a means to an end?”

“No, you’re right.” Her tone is sad, and it breaks my heart that either of them has to go through something like this. I couldn’t imagine being unable to trust my parents. “I don’t know either. I’ve always had a soft spot for my mom, though. She has one for me too, so I guess there might be part of me holding out hope that she’s really trying.”

“Why would she try for you and not Dahlia?” I ask. I don’t mean for my tone to come out cold and rough, but it does.

“My mother is terrified of Dahlia.”

That takes me by surprise.

“I think she always has been, but even more so after Lou was born,” Darby continues. “Dahlia has always been so…so fearless. She always stood up for herself, refusing to cower beneath the influence of our father.” She sighs. “But when Lou was born? She became unbelievably brave and strong, something our mother never was. Our mom used our dad as an excuse to check out and leave us to protect ourselves, and when Dahlia became a mother too… Well, our mom’s weaknesses became glaringly apparent. She watched Dahlia protect and nurture, and love—all the thingsshe had never done—and Mom knew she’d never be forgiven for it.”

Darby shrugs, looking at me with sad eyes. “I was weak like her. I craved his acceptance, did whatever I could to please him, bit my tongue and hid my tears. I won’t call my mom a victim, and I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive her either, but Iunderstandher. We never had the strength my sister possesses.”

“You’re strong, Darby,” I say.

She gives me a shallow nod. “But not like Dahlia.”

No, not like Dahlia.

But perhaps if she hadn’t lost the things she had, if she’d ended up in the same position at seventeen, she would’ve found that strength for her child too.

There is a longing on Darby’s face that makes me wonder if she’s thinking the same thing, so I don’t voice that thought out loud. Instead, I ask her, “What can I do to help Dahlia?”

Darby gives me a soft smile. “Listen. Don’t push. Be a safe place for her to land, because I don’t think she’s ever had one of those before. I think she trusts you, which is a foreign concept to her. So just…keep being that.”

“I can do that,” I say, even though I’d already planned on it.

“And don’t tell her about my mom,” she adds. “I’ll tell her myself.”

I nod. “Speaking of siblings, Leo is supposed to be around here somewhere, isn’t he?”

“He’s picking up dinner. We’re eating down at the pier tonight after I’m finished here.”

Well, fuck. I planned on breaking some not-so-great news to my brother while I was here. I figured why not have two shitty conversations back-to-back so I could get them over with. I hate the thought of ruining their date night, but I’d rather not hang onto the information.

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