Page 25 of Piece By Piece

I never know what to do. I don’t want to wake him up, but I also hate that he’s in pain because of me. I’ve told him before that he should just go to sleep in his bed if he’s tired, but he said he looks forward to seeing his little girl all day and doesn’t want to miss it for another 24 hours.

He never learns.

I do the dishes as quietly as possible and clean the kitchen with the same care. Then, I eat a few bites of my cold food before packing up the rest for dad to take to work the next day. I didn’t get the ratio quite right today because mom had unpredictably much appetite. It’s okay though, I’m not hungry and dad needs the food more than I do.

If I eat really slowly and drink a glass of water beforehand, anything can make me feel stuffed, no matter how small the amount.

After cleaning and drying my plate, I cover dad with a blanket before heading into my room where I finish folding all the laundry I haven’t done yet. Earlier, I washed all the bedsheets and towels that have been used. Then I did all our dirty clothes, which took so many turns that it took all day.

By the time I’m all done, my eyelids are nearly too heavy to keep open. I fall back onto my bed like a sack ofpotatoes and curl up in a ball, mentally going through the list of things I had to do today and checking them off. Between attending a few lessons at school, finishing my homework, taking care of mommy, doing laundry, and preparing dinner, it was a busy day. I’m just glad I didn’t stupidly forget something.

I grab a crumpled edge of my blanket and pull it over me, huffing in annoyance when I realize I’m lying on a part of it which means I have to move.

I do so, cover myself up to my nose, and let my eyes glide over my messy room. It’s funny how I make sure the whole house is neat and clean but I cannot seem to do the same with my room. The space is smaller, so it should be easy. But the mess keeps reappearing, and sometimes, I just can’t be bothered to make it disappear. I’m the only one that’s ever in here, after all, so it really doesn’t matter.

Everything that only concerns me isn’t important. Not with all the urgent things going on in this house.

Chapter 15

Aliena

I manage to avoid a confrontation with my best friend until eight pm when I finally leave my parents’ house. On my way home, I decide to pick up the phone when she calls again.

“Oh, so she is alive! How good to know! What the hell have you been up to, A? I’ve tried to reach you all day. I even went to your apartment only to find it empty! I thought you were kidnapped!” she immediately chastises.

“I’m sorry, Lily, I was busy. But I told you last night that I made it home safely and I texted you this morning.”

“Yes, but I still haven’t gotten an explanation as to why you snuck off last night. I think I deserve as much, don’t you? You didn’t even say goodnight.” If I weren’t so tired, hearing my friend’s sad, disappointed voice would certainly make my chest ache with guilt. As it is, I think I’ve felt too many emotions for today already. I’m empty.

“I visited my parents today,” I decide to tell her. There’s a pause where both of us are silent. Then, I go on, “I didn’t feel like talking about it on my birthday, you know how it is, but I figured I shouldn’t stay out all night when I wentthe next day. I panicked and just left, I’m so sorry.” It’s not the truth. Not really.

When I left last night, it had everything to do with Sebastian. I didn’t even know that I’d have to visit my parents so soon. But if there’s one thing I want to talk about less than my parents, it’s Sebastian.

“Do you want to talk about it now? I could come over and bring some snacks,” she offers. Bless her soul.

“I really appreciate it but I don’t think I’m up for it today. I wouldn’t mind a distraction though,” I say, knowing she’ll accept that as an answer for now. No matter how curious she is, she’s never pushed me when it comes to my parents. She knows I need my space.

“That can be arranged. Have you had dinner? We could go to a restaurant with the guys.” Somehow, my stomach knots further at the thought of seeing Sebastian. Despite that, I recognize the anticipation too.

“I haven’t. That sounds great.” I cooked for my parents before I left but couldn’t bring myself to swallow a bite myself. It felt too much like old times and all I wanted to do was get the hell out of that house.

“All right, we’ll pick you up in a minute. Be ready.”

“Aye aye.”

“There’s our little fugitive. How’s it going? Do you feel different now that you’re twenty-two? Other than the urge to retire a lot earlier on a Saturday night?” Andrew teases me when his girlfriend and I sit down at the guys’ table.

Today was one of the rare times Lily used her driver’s license and car to pick me up instead of forcing Andrew tobe her driver. I guess she wanted to make sure I was okay before we met our friends.

I just brush off Andrew’s comment with a laugh and hug the man. I really don’t have an answer for him. Do I feel different now that I’m twenty-two? The obvious answer would be no, but I can’t deny that I feel a hell of a lot more tired than I remember having felt in years.

Still, just seeing my friends helps a little. Even Sebastian, who hasn’t looked at me yet.

Mattheo gets to his feet and I notice how he puts most of his weight on his uninjured leg. That reminds me that he still hasn’t told me how he injured himself.

“Hey, Quasimodo. Do you still refuse to tell me how you injured yourself?” I tease him as he pulls me into a tight hug. He holds me for longer than would be appropriate and I have zero inhibitions to make myself melt into the embrace. It still bothers me that I don’t get a reply.

“How are you?” Mattheo whispers in my ear instead.

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