82 ~ Aurora

"When are you going back to New York?"

"Pretty soon," I said, keeping my answer vague. I did not plan on letting anyone know when I was leaving.

"Hmm," she said, carrying Dante and feeding him from her meal. I watched closely as she did.

"Why did you call me here?" I asked. It felt weird to be seated on the backyard porch of what used to be my home for the first two decades of my life.

"I haven't seen you in a long time. Is it wrong that I decided to speak to my daughter face to face?" She asked, sounding offended.

"Now you care," I scoffed.

"Aurora," She called out softly.

"I don't want to hear it."

"I'm still your mother."

"You let him disown me, you never called, not even once! What's worse is that you instigated my brothers against me. If not that Antonio cared to reach out, I would have been left all alone without family! Some mother you are..." I scoffed again in utter disdain.

She was so overwhelmed by my outburst, she stayed silent. My son's eyes stayed on me, almost like