Page 59 of The Masks We Wear

My eyebrows knit together, but I nod again.

“Where is everyone? Robert, your mom?”

My previously warm fingers start to tingle, and I lean into the counter deeper to keep myself steady. I should lie, but it burns on my tongue. “I don’t know. They haven’t lived here in months.”

Her lips pull into a straight line, and her jaw clenches, but she doesn’t say anything. Instead, her throat bobs with a swallow, and she clears her throat. “Ask whatever you need to know, mi amor.”

And I do. I ask her everything.

“HOW ARE YOU?”Blaze grips the heel of my foot, squeezing and kneading it through the thin blanket.

I called him after the day with my aunt, and as always, he came. The perfect knight.

My mind is still reeling from the day, and thankfully since it’s Thanksgiving break, so I have time to shift through all the shit I’m still processing. I lean back into my pillow, letting my head thunk lightly against the wall, and stare down the bed at Blaze.

“I’m still not sure. Just a lot to take in.”

“Summary?” His dark brow lifts, his gray eye shimmering under the soft light of my lamp.

I peer out the window and watch the snow tumble around, dancing with other flakes as they make their descent. It’s so graceful, it’s almost like watching an intricate ballet. The whole ensemble is peaceful, lulling me into a sleepy daze.

I’m so tired.

Blaze squeezes my foot lightly, drawing my attention back to him.

A summary. Where would I even start?

“My mom never wanted kids,” I choke out the hardest part. Maybe then it will be easier to say the rest. “She never wanted me.”

He sighs and stands, flipping off the side table light. He scootches me over and slides under the sheet beside me. The warmth of his body soothes the ache a little that’s radiating across my chest.

Blaze leans in close, rubbing my cheek with a calloused finger, and I realize I’m crying. “You don’t have to do this today.”

I sniff, shaking my head. “Can we lay for a bit?”

Even in the dark, I feel his soft smile as he pushes me on my side and curls up behind me, wrapping a strong arm around my waist. Blaze knows better than anyone the pain of having shitty parents. We share that commonality, and I think that’s why we have such a special bond. Somewhere between best friends and siblings, sharing a connection no one our age should have to.

His deep hums vibrate my body, calming my mind, and thrusting me into a comfortable sleep, his words echoing as I fall.

“I’ll sit with you in the dark until you’re ready to find the light.”

TWENTY FOUR

“Don’t forget to get a list of all the emails and learning portals.” My dad’s voice booms through the speaker as I finish plating my mother breakfast.

I nod even though he can’t see me and make sure I have it all listed on my day’s agenda. “Yeah, I got it, Dad. Anything else?”

He sighs, and I picture him scrubbing a hand down his face before scratching the stubble on his chin. He sounds as tired as I am. Thanksgiving break wasn’t as relaxing as I’d hoped—most of it was spent finishing things I wouldn’t be able to over the Christmas break. I uploaded the majority of my science data into the cloud so I could work on it anywhere and finished organizing some binders for next semester’s classes.

“No, son. I just want to make sure you finish strong, even with our new circumstances.”

A sting seeps from my heart, rolling around my chest and pinching the muscle. I rub at it absentmindedly, peering up as my mother meanders toward me. Her long gown is too big on her now, leaving the bone structure of her shoulders poking through the fabric. She moves slowly, and I don’t miss the way her thin arms trail across the back of the couches as if to help steady her.

“It will be fine, Dad. Mom’s up. I got to go.” I turn back to my mother, setting her bowl down on the bar. “I’m running a little late today, but I have your alarms all set, and lunch and your sticky notes all done. Your favorite shows are programmed and all on timers so you don’t have to worry about a thing. Nurse will be here any minute.”

Her lips stretch into a smile and relief surges through me. She knows me today.

“My sweet boy. You always take such good care of your momma. You’ll make some women very happy someday.”

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