Page 2 of You Found Me
“I don’t really care,” he says with a wave of his hand. “You shoulda thought about that before telling her anything.”
Instead of getting defensive, I shake it off. “What time do you want to leave tomorrow? My bag is all packed besides a few toiletries, and I can throw yours together tonight or tomorrow morning depending on what time you’re thinking.”
“For what?”
“We’re supposed to head to Meadow Springs tomorrow to make sure everything is good to go for my parents’ anniversary party on Saturday . . .” I trail off, confused.
Not bothering to look up at me, he replies, “Oh, I can’t go.”
“What do you mean you can’t go? We discussed this last week.”
“Coach added scrimmages on Saturday and Sunday. Your parents will understand.”
Although I’m not entirely surprised that he’s bailing on something this important to my family and me, I’m still upset. “It’s a little over half an hour away. At the very least, you could come after the scrimmage?”
“I’m going to be too tired to come. It’s just an anniversary party. We can visit them another weekend.”
Now I’m actually livid. “This might be hard for you to care about since your parents have been divorced for most of your life, but mine have been married for twenty-five years and that’s something that should be celebrated. They’re going to be your parents, too. Which means you shouldwant to be there.”
“Emma, I’m not going and that’s final. It’s not like Andrew is your real dad anyway.”
I rear back as if he slapped me. “You know he’s the only father I’ve ever known. So how dare you insinuate that just because he isn’t my biological father, it would make me care less about celebrating their marriage!”
He scoffs before saying, “If Andrew is so important to you, then why did you decide to ask your mom about your birth father a few years back? If you were so happy and contentwithyour dad, you wouldn’t have been curious about the man you do share DNA with.”
At this moment my tears are ready to fall. “I can’t believe you're throwing that in my face whenyouwere the one to bring the topic back up. I don’t understand why you’re trying to pick a fight with me? If you didn’t want to go you could have just said so or at least placated me by saying you’d try to make it.”
Our food hasn’t come out yet, but I’m too upset to stick it out and wait. I grab my wallet out of my bag and toss money on the table before standing and hastily adding, “I’m going to leave today, and I’ll be back Sunday.”
He rolls his eyes again. “You’re being dramatic again. Let’s just have lunch so we can enjoy this date you so desperately wanted.”
Shaking my head, I walk away despite Chance calling out to me. As I step outside, I take a deep breath in, wiping the few tears that have started falling. I’m not about to cause an accident on my way to Meadow Springs because my eyes are blurry with tears.
When I walk by the window, I look in to see if Chance is still there or if he’s coming after me. The answer is clear when I see him at the table laughing on the phone with someone.
Something about that rubs me the wrong way, but I push it to the back of my mind to think about later. Getting my phone out, I send out an SOS to Mia and Colette, the two people I need more than anything right now.
Are y’all busy? I’m coming to town in about an hour and need to have a vent sesh.
Colette
Nope. I called into work not feeling the best. So as long as you don’t mind my snotty nose, I’m there.
Mia
I have nothing important going on.
You guys are the best. Lettie, we can come to your house since you’re not feeling great.
Colette
That works for me. See y’all soon.
***
I might have had atiny—okay, maybe slightly large—breakdown once I got back to my apartment, and after the tears all but dried up, I removed my makeup and iced my puffy cried-out eyes.
A little more than an hour later, I’m pulling into Colette’s driveway. This place holds so many childhood memories for me. Colette and her twin sister Cori grew up in this very house with their dad, stepmom, and stepsister, Piper. After we all graduated college, he was going to put the house on the market and get something smaller, but Colette didn’t want to let the house go. She took over the mortgage payment, started working at the youth center in town after school days were done, and has been living there since.
