It's between the lines

Amber

I was there, smoking in the cold, hiding, trying to find some kind of relief in the smoke that rose and disappeared in the freezing Denver air. Everything has felt so out of control lately. The Morton family was falling apart before my eyes, and I, in the midst of this chaos, felt more lost than ever. Cigarettes had become a crutch, an escape. I knew it wasn't the best solution, but it was what I had at the moment.

When I saw my mother approaching, my heart skipped a beat. Shit! She had seen it. I threw the cigarette on the floor, stepping on it, as if that would erase the evidence of my addiction. But there was no hiding it, not from her. I knew she noticed.

I tensed, expecting some kind of scolding, or maybe even worse. Nancy was never a woman with sweet words, especially when she was hurt. And I knew I had hurt her deeply. What I did in the past—selling my own mother, betraying her trust—was unforgivable. But I had no choice – or at least that's what I told myself every night