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Chapter 35: Never again
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2024-10-20 06:00:56"You can wait a little while."
I had hung up before she could say a word; the jarring click of hanging up was almost slyly satisfying. She could wait; she'd always expect me to come running, but those days were over. I was no longer her puppet.
I went to the restaurant in time, accompanied by the heel strike on the pavement. The world outside waited for a breathless second as I emerged from the car; sunbeams danced on its glossy metallic surface. Heads turned, and I didn't care. I had not come here to be adored.
I entered the dining room, my footfalls needing no words to command attention. There she sat -- my so-called mother -- already seated, nervously fidgeting with her napkin. She looked older, fragile than when I'd last seen her. Life hadn't been nice to her; and then, a part of me took satisfaction in that fact.
I barely nod to her when going to the table. I sit slowly, unleashing my quietness on her; she squirms under its pressure. Sh
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