Page 27 of The Breaking Pointe
“Sorry, but I’m afraid it’s too late. I hate Daniel. Any man who tries to take you away from his grasp is a man I will heavily consider approving,” she says without a care.
She’d do anything to get rid of Daniel completely.I bet Tony would, too. Who can blame them? I clearly wanted the same damn thing myself. Now, I’m learning to live with his stalking antics.
Eventually, Lauren finishes violently stirring the food in the pan and we both do our usual:eat together, watch an episode of something relatively interesting, and then we both migrate to our bedrooms for the evening.I typically reserve this time to stretch and lie down in silence so that my aching toes and legs can become as relaxed as possible. That’s still on the list of things to do but talking to my mother is also on the list. I try to talk to both of my parents at least once a week, and today was Mama’s day.
I value each call like our lives depend on it, ever since I moved away from Chicago and into New York.I love living in Chelsea—it’s made my dreams come true in numerous ways. Yet, sometimes, there’s nothing more in this world I want than for my parents to be here with me. They can’t exactly afford such a trip as often as they’d like, and it doesn’t help that I can’t, either. They take one trip a year, and so do I, if I can take one at all.Ever since I got the dance studio, it’s made it even harder to fit into my budget.
So, the phone calls will simply have to do.
“If I come for Christmas, I won’t be able to afford the studio payment. Not unless I ask for another extension, and I’m pretty sure that would be my fourth time doing that, Mom.I’ll have it figured out, but…it stresses me out,” I confess to my mom as I sit on my bed, pressing my fingers against the tops of my feet, applying pressure.
“Elle, don’t worry. What if you let us help you? Can we?” she asks, hesitation in her words.
Mineslipoutlikebutter,runningintohers.
“No. No help. I’m a big girl, remember? You and Dad have enough to figure out. I promise I can figure it out myself,” I assure her, not believing myself in the slightest.
I can hear her taking a deep sigh on the other end, sound- ing dissatisfied with my argument.
“Just tell me something, hon,” she says. “Anything.”I furrow my brows, as if she can see.
“Is Daniel coming this time?” She softens her voice now. “Mom, no,” I begin, collecting myself before getting un- reasonably offended. “We aren’t together anymore.I’m way
beyond that now.I thought we talked about this…”
It’sembarrassingthatsheevenhastoaskmethat.That
man successfully has made my parents think that I’m never going to beat the accusations of being his little shadow. Fucking great.
“I’m sorry, Elle, I’m only asking as a concerned mom.You seemed to really be hellbent on him for a long time.You remember the last time he came around,” she says shyly.
“I promise.You guys don’t have to think I’m that stripped of my own abilities that I have to keep him around.I am never going back.Not after what he did,” I say, my voice cowering.
“I know, baby,” she responds, followed by short silence. “You’re stronger than you know—and too beautiful to be alone.Someone’s going to see it the way your dad and I do. You’re our special gift for a reason.”
“Mom, stop.”I start to giggle.“Now you’re just being cringe.”
“I don’t care how cringe you think I am. Whoever left you on our doorstep gave us the best gift that the world could offer.”
She laughs.
I stare at my comforter for a couple of seconds, weighing if I should let her in on my little date secret. I’m genuinely curious what she’d think. She always says she’d like to see me with a better man, but the day it really happens is the day her motherly instincts might change that opinion, and telling my dad is signing up for a field day of bitching. He’d probably ask me a million and one questions and then stress- watch football until my mom makes him take a Melatoninto force him to give up the grudge on a man he doesn’t even know.
I’malmostpositivehishatredforDanielwillbeappointed
to whichever man decides to try to involve themselves with me next.His faith in my choice of men isn’t strong at all anymore, which is painful to tell myself.He might not say it, but it’s quite evident that he would rather I stay away from all athletes for the rest of my life.
“Are you okay? You’re quiet all of a sudden. Did you hang up?” my mom asks, disrupting my thought process.
“Yeah, I’m great, actually,” I answer her speedily. “I’m just thinking…well I wanted to tell you something,” I say into the phone, straightening out my legs as I focus on her tone.
“Okay…”Sheelongatesherenunciation.
“I have a date in the morning, and I don’t know if I should be worried—please don’t be mad at me,” I say as fast as possible, biting at the gel paint on my nails directly after.
“Now what about that would make me mad?”she asks with a breathless laugh.
“He may or may not be another boxer.”I bite harder, revealing more.
