Page 71 of Papers Don't Lie

“I don’t think she’ll recognize her, but it’s for the best,” Tristan adds, and Kiaran leaves with no other words.

When Mom left, Lacey missed her presence the most out of all of us, but she was also too young to remember her existence years later. Even though we might think that’s the case, we have to make sure they won’t meet and risk Lacey remembering her.

As far as she knows, her mother is a teacher in Europe.

“I’m sorry, Ryke.” I look at him and the way his long hair falls over his eyes. He looks like a man already even though he’s only nineteen, but in this suit, he seems far older. “I’ll get rid of her.”

He shakes his head at me. “I don’t care.”

Ryker was a different person last year. I don’t know what’s changed since then, but he’s so much quieter and distant now than he was before. It’s like he’s not here anymore.

“How’s your health?”

He huffs, dropping a hand on his knee. “Fine.” Ryke stands up and leaves the room after making sure he slams the door shut.

My feet carry me forward. I'm itching to go after him, but a hand gripping my shoulder stops me. Tristan turns me to him. “You’ll make it worse, I promise.“

I don’t fight with him about it because he knows Ryker better than I do, despite how badly I want our relationship to be like theirs. Ryke chose to move in with Tristan, and since then, they’ve been inseparable.

“Okay,” I agree, letting my shoulders slump. “Do you know where she is?”

“She’s where the rest of the girls are, I guess,” Tristan says, and I don’t waste another second before bursting out of the room.

Ryker and Dad are at the table placed in front of the bride and groom’s rooms, and when my father looks up at me, I just shake my head and turn left to Esmeray’s room. If she went to her… I swear I’m going to lose it. What is she trying to do?

I round the little house and spot my mom in her wheelchair, with her back to me and her hair loose on the backrest, just as Kiaran walks out of Ray’s room with Lacey, their backs to us. Mom is alone, far enough from the room so no one will notice her.

“Mom,” I murmur, taking a step forward so I can stand in front of her.

She’s much skinnier than the last time I saw her, paler. Her cheeks remind me a lot of Dad’s, with no color in them. She looks at me with a smile, her eyes tearing up as soon as she sees me.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, not able to contain myself.

Her hand reaches to caress mine, and I don’t take it away, surely not intending to be a dick to the woman who birthed me, even after everything she did.

“Kai, you’re a man now.” She tears up, her lashes fluttering against her cheeks. “And your wife is so, so beautiful.” Mom tugs on her floral dress, respecting the color code I chose for the wedding without Esmeray knowing.

My shoulders tense. “You went to her?”

Mom shakes her head, taking her palm away from me. “I saw her when she walked outside to greet one of her friends,” she tells me. “Kai, I know you don’t want me here, but I couldn’t stay home when I knew my son was marrying.”

“But you could leave when your son was crying in the hospital for you.” I attack without meaning to, my words faster than my mind. If she did that to me, I would’ve probably forgiven her, but no one hurts my family, no matter if it’s one of my parents or not.

She doesn’t have any reaction besides taking a wipe from her purse and wiping her tears away. “I’ll stay away from everyone, but let me stay and be part of this moment.”

The last thing I want is to cause a scene on my wedding day, especially with someone who doesn’t deserve a bit of my attention. She’s free to do as she wants as long as my family is not affected.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t have dared to show up, but then again, your morals have a strange way of working,” I say, sizing her up. “Ryker already saw you. Make some effort so Lacey won’t.”

I leave her behind because there’s no point in engaging this conversation further when I know there’s no way I’ll be able to stop her, and that also, she’s not worth the try. She does what she does because the only person that she cares about is herself. I’ll get a confirmation about that if she decides to stay.

She’s a coward. You don’t make mistakes like this, ever. Especially not when it’s about your child, who already had a hardlife, living sixteen years of his life unmoving on a bed. Mom left him when he needed her the most.

Now she has to live with that choice. It’s not my job or anyone’s to give her the closure she’s looking for.

When I walk to the path where my brother and Lacey disappeared, I stumble upon them taking selfies. I squint my eyes, trying to understand what’s going on.

My sister sticks her tongue out, clearly excited about the idea.

---