Chapter 3

3 Mom's phone rang.

It was Dad.

I ran over, wanting to answer it.

But it rang only once, then stopped.

I shook Mom in bed, saying, "Mom! It's Dad's phone! Dad's coming to get us!"

Mom didn't move.

It's true.

Every time Dad comes home, he fights with Mom.

It's okay she doesn't want Dad to come home.

I tucked the blankets around Mom.

And sat quietly on the couch, waiting for Dad to come back.

Dad came back soon.

The key turned in the lock.

I jumped up, running to the door.

Dad opened the door, saw me, surprised, asking, "Where's your mother?"

"Mom's in the bedroom..."

"Never mind, I don't need to talk to her. Lily, go get changed, we're going out."

"Dad..."

I couldn't stop him.

He already walked to the elevator, smoking.

Mom hates smoke.

Dad never smokes at home.

Before, when people came over, he made them smoke outside.

"Go smoke outside, my wife can't stand smoke."

Then, people would laugh, saying, "Jason really loves his wife."

"Yeah, Sarah's so lucky."

And Mom would blush, saying, "It's okay, smoke in here. Don't make them go outside."

And Dad would wrap his arm around Mom's waist, stop her.

Kiss her, saying, "Don't worry about them, let them go outside. See who dares to smoke in front of my wife."

They used to be so in love.

What broke it?

Was it me?

Was it me always wanting burgers?

Was it me always crying?

Was it me not wanting them to get divorced?

Was it me trying to steal Dad away from Tiffany?

Was it my fault?

Did I make Dad hate Mom?

Mom, I'm sorry.

It seems.

Like everything, I messed up.

I put on a white dress.

Mom bought it for me.

She gave it to me on my birthday.

That day, I wore my new dress, waiting for Dad to come home for dinner.

But we waited for so long, so long, until I fell asleep, and Dad never came home.

The next day, at school.

Tiffany wore a cute hairband.

She showed it off, saying, "My dad gave it to me! Yesterday, my dad took me to an amusement park for the whole day, you've never even been to that kind of amusement park!"

At that moment.

I don't know what happened to me.

I suddenly jumped at her, trying to grab the hairband from her head.

No one could stop me.

Tiffany fell to the ground.

An uncontrollable emotion took over.

I cried, yelling, grabbing her hairband, messing up her hair.

"He's my dad!"

"Give me back my dad! Give me back my dad!"

Later, the principal separated us.

They called our parents.

I hid behind Mom, saying, "Mom, I'm sorry, I was wrong, I shouldn't have taken someone else's things."

Mom didn't say anything.

Carol didn't blame me, either, and gave me a candy, saying, "Lily, it's Aunt Carol, do you remember me?"

I did.

Grandma likes her a lot.

I often saw her at Grandma's house.

But, I didn't like her.

Carol ignored Tiffany's crying, took the hairband off her head, handing it to me.

"Do you like this hairband? I'll give it to you, okay?"

I shook my head, saying, "I don't want it."

But she tried to put it in my hand.

We pushed it back and forth, and the hairband fell on the ground.

Tiffany cried even harder.

Mom held me, not saying anything.

Carol stood up, ignoring me, saying to my mom, "I heard yesterday was your daughter's birthday."

Mom held me tighter, asking, "Why are you asking that? What are you going to do to my daughter?"

"Don't be so tense, I'm not going to do anything to her."

"After all, I'm going to be her mother soon, you know."

"You!" Mom didn't have an answer, her chest heaving, clearly upset.

Carol smiled, thinking of something, and suddenly said.

"Oh, yeah, yesterday, Jason took Tiffany to the amusement park, she loved it so much, does your daughter like it?"

"Maybe, next time, she can come with us, okay?"