Page 80 of Lucky Hit

"Since I came to see you for the first time," she sighs and looks up from her cup.

Her blazing, emerald green eyes burn into mine. We even have the same eyes, how comical. I vaguely wonder what features I get from my birth father.

"Why come back now? After all this time? Is it money? Are you sick?"

She shakes her head and looks away from me once again.

"I don't need money, and I'm not sick. I just wanted to see my daughter. It's been so long." Her voice cracks.

"Daughter?" I echo incredulously. "I'm not sure who you think you are, but you are not my mom. You're nothing more than the woman who dumped me in the system before I was out of diapers!" I hiss and take a deep breath before continuing, "Do you have any idea what my life was like growing up? Do you ever think of the damage you've done? Do you even care?"

"Ava, can we please go—"

"Outside? Sure!" I make a beeline for the door furiously. Her heeled boots click annoyingly against the tiled floor as she tries to keep up with me. I rush out to the side of the building and whirl on her.

"You have to understand, Ava! I wasn't ready to be a mom back then."

I laugh humourlessly and cross my arms. "And that was my fault? Because I was the one who was punished for you not being able to keep your legs closed. Not you."

She flinches, her mouth agape.

"If you came here with hopes of being a parent, you're about twenty years too late. I already have a mom—a mom who took me in and loved me when you abandoned me. Lily and David gave me everything I always wanted. They cleaned up your mess for you. You're too late!"

"I know," she whispers. She seems so heartbroken. "You got the life you deserved."

"After I spent fifteen years being moved from house to house and being seen as nothing more than a paycheque! After, I spent hours every single night crying myself to sleep because my mom left me. I spent fifteen years believing that I was the problem. You might be happy with your life now, and I'm happy for you, I really am. But I don't want to be a part of it."

She stays silent, eerily so. I blink away the tears rapidly and clench my fists so hard that my nails puncture my skin.

"We might share the same blood, Rebecca, but you're not my mother and I am not your daughter. You don't get to decide when you want to be a part of my life. I'm not going to play happy family just to make you feel better about your shitty life. I'm done making excuses for you. I deserve better. And because of you, it has taken me far too long to realize that."

I ignore the expression on her face and spin on my heels. I walk away from her with my head held high, just like my real mom taught me.

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