Page 104 of The Fallacy of True Love
“Juan,” Mama repeated, sharper this time. “There’s no need to move out, Alonzo.”
“So Papa won’t be upset that I’m staying over at a friend’s house tonight?” I asked in a challenging tone.
Her expression didn’t change. “No.”
“We don’t know who this friend is,” Papa argued.
“We didn’t know everything Tala and Luna were up to in college either,” she told him. “At least Alonzo’s just in Manila.”
Papa snorted. “Maybe right now. With the way he’s been behaving?—”
“If me coming and going is an issue, I’d rather just move out,” I interrupted. “I can take out a loan.”
“No,” Mama declared. “This is your home, and you shouldn’t get a loan when you don’t have to. As long as you let us know ahead of time that you’re going out, that’s okay. Right, Papa?” She gave him an expectant look. When he didn’t answer, she added, “We already talked about this.”
Papa shook his head. “If you fail law school?—”
“I won’t.” It was as promise to him as much as it was to myself.
He glowered but didn’t say anything else.
I shoveled in my scrambled eggs and rice. After I cleared my plate, I said, “Thank you for breakfast, Mama.”
“You’re welcome.” She gave me a small smile, and I took my dishes to the sink and washed them along with the pans and utensils she’d used to cook.
After I finished, I excused myself and headed for the shower. The water helped cool down my anger, but it didn’t erase the sting of Papa’s clear lack of trust. I was walking on a tightrope with him, and one wrong move would get me either grounded or thrown out.
I had never felt least at home in my own home than I did now.
Good thing I was seeing Maya tonight. I’d have to get through my shift first, but she was the bright spot at the end of my day. This time around, I wasn’t leaving until I absolutely had to.
Cam
Cam
r u taking ur meds?
Inang
Yes. Stop nagging me.
Cam
jst making sure. il b back early sat am
Inang
You’re not staying longer? Nikki said you saw Lonzo
Cam
no
Inang
Just making sure
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