in her power to wipe that doubt away. She knew what it was like to tell the truth and not be believed, to feel alone and to be betrayed by the one person who should always remain your hero.
She would not do to her daughter what her own mother had done to her.
CHAPTER SIX
MYAH
The moment they entered their home, Keera ran to her room, slamming the door so hard that the picture frames on the walls wobbled.
Myah seethed. If there was one thing she could not handle, it was slamming doors. Yell if she needed. Stomp if she had to. But never slam a door.
She wanted to race after her daughter, open the door, and demand she talk to her. She didn’t care if they had to yell their feelings out until they were both exhausted . . . But instead of doing what she wanted, she hung her coat in the closet, kicked off her shoes, set her purse on the entryway table, and made her way into the living room, where she sank down on her couch and clutched a pillow tight to her chest.
When she was little, she used to scream into a pillow, something she knew Keera did as well. And given the lack of noise coming from her daughter’s room, she was probably doing it now.
Things had been a little tense in the car after she’d picked Keera up from Tricia’s. Myah asked them both questions about the evening, and neither one of them said much, which should have been an indication of things to come. Tricia only shook her head and then changed the subject to the dance recital, while Keera stared out the window. When they arrived at the restaurant where Eddie was waiting, Keera had ignored her and walked in to the restaurant without a backward glance.
What Myah assumed would be a casual coffee with Tricia, in the same restaurant, turned out to be something altogether different.
First, she had to hear about her daughter’s shenanigans the night before. She couldn’t quite believe that Keera would sneak out to meet a boy, in a closed bedroom of all places, but then she had to deal with the angry confrontation of her daughter, who approached their table saying I hate you loud enough for everyone in the restaurant to hear.
The moment she saw the tears streaming down her daughter’s face, she knew Eddie had told her about the divorce. If Tricia hadn’t stopped her, she would have let her Latina temper flare up and told her soon-to-be ex-husband where to go. Instead, she walked out, leaving Tricia alone, and went in search of her daughter. Thankfully, it was a small town, and Keera had only walked a few blocks.
The car ride home had been silent. Myah called a replacement for her dance class and tried to figure out what to say to Keera about getting a divorce.
Not once had she thought Keera would react the way she had. When she and Eddie had first separated, Keera acted like it was the best thing to ever happen . . . so why would she be so upset now?
Yes . . . Eddie had been spending more time with Keera since the separation, but not enough to form some kind of parental bond. Right?
Tossing the pillow aside, Myah decided to find out for herself.
A muffled “ What?” could be heard through Keera’s bedroom door when Myah knocked. She took that as a good sign and slowly opened the door.
Keera sat in the middle of her bed with her pillows clutched tight against her body. She scooted over so Myah could join her and willingly gave up one of her pillows to Myah.
“Are you ready to talk?” Myah asked.
Keera shrugged. Myah took that as a yes.
“I wanted to tell you myself. It wasn’t Eddie’s place, and I’m sorry.”
“I don’t really care.”
Myah found that hard to believe. “So why the outburst earlier?”
Keera’s chin sank into her pillow. “Because you don’t care about me or my future.”
“I’m sorry . . . what did you just say?”
“You don’t want me to dance professionally. I get it. But Eddie sees something in me that you ignore. I think you’re just doing this to hurt me.”
Stumped, Myah just shook
She would not do to her daughter what her own mother had done to her.
CHAPTER SIX
MYAH
The moment they entered their home, Keera ran to her room, slamming the door so hard that the picture frames on the walls wobbled.
Myah seethed. If there was one thing she could not handle, it was slamming doors. Yell if she needed. Stomp if she had to. But never slam a door.
She wanted to race after her daughter, open the door, and demand she talk to her. She didn’t care if they had to yell their feelings out until they were both exhausted . . . But instead of doing what she wanted, she hung her coat in the closet, kicked off her shoes, set her purse on the entryway table, and made her way into the living room, where she sank down on her couch and clutched a pillow tight to her chest.
When she was little, she used to scream into a pillow, something she knew Keera did as well. And given the lack of noise coming from her daughter’s room, she was probably doing it now.
Things had been a little tense in the car after she’d picked Keera up from Tricia’s. Myah asked them both questions about the evening, and neither one of them said much, which should have been an indication of things to come. Tricia only shook her head and then changed the subject to the dance recital, while Keera stared out the window. When they arrived at the restaurant where Eddie was waiting, Keera had ignored her and walked in to the restaurant without a backward glance.
What Myah assumed would be a casual coffee with Tricia, in the same restaurant, turned out to be something altogether different.
First, she had to hear about her daughter’s shenanigans the night before. She couldn’t quite believe that Keera would sneak out to meet a boy, in a closed bedroom of all places, but then she had to deal with the angry confrontation of her daughter, who approached their table saying I hate you loud enough for everyone in the restaurant to hear.
The moment she saw the tears streaming down her daughter’s face, she knew Eddie had told her about the divorce. If Tricia hadn’t stopped her, she would have let her Latina temper flare up and told her soon-to-be ex-husband where to go. Instead, she walked out, leaving Tricia alone, and went in search of her daughter. Thankfully, it was a small town, and Keera had only walked a few blocks.
The car ride home had been silent. Myah called a replacement for her dance class and tried to figure out what to say to Keera about getting a divorce.
Not once had she thought Keera would react the way she had. When she and Eddie had first separated, Keera acted like it was the best thing to ever happen . . . so why would she be so upset now?
Yes . . . Eddie had been spending more time with Keera since the separation, but not enough to form some kind of parental bond. Right?
Tossing the pillow aside, Myah decided to find out for herself.
A muffled “ What?” could be heard through Keera’s bedroom door when Myah knocked. She took that as a good sign and slowly opened the door.
Keera sat in the middle of her bed with her pillows clutched tight against her body. She scooted over so Myah could join her and willingly gave up one of her pillows to Myah.
“Are you ready to talk?” Myah asked.
Keera shrugged. Myah took that as a yes.
“I wanted to tell you myself. It wasn’t Eddie’s place, and I’m sorry.”
“I don’t really care.”
Myah found that hard to believe. “So why the outburst earlier?”
Keera’s chin sank into her pillow. “Because you don’t care about me or my future.”
“I’m sorry . . . what did you just say?”
“You don’t want me to dance professionally. I get it. But Eddie sees something in me that you ignore. I think you’re just doing this to hurt me.”
Stumped, Myah just shook
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