RELEASE (Wattys2017)

Chapter 3

"Cal..i'm so sorry," said Mandy as she got up and hugged me. I gave her a questioning look and she jutted her chin towards the couch where my dad and the mysterious woman were sitting. 

They both got up and turned around, facing me. The air suddenly felt thin, my heart wanted to fall out of my chest and the coldness inside me resurfaced. 

The mysterious woman staring back at me had shoulder-length brown hair, similar to mine, thin lips and a slender figure. We looked almost identical. The only physical feature that we did not share were the colour of our eyes. Hers were a dark brown while mine were grey, like my father's. Reality hit me like a bus as I realised this woman was the exact same person that abandoned me thirteen years ago.

"My-my beautiful baby girl!" She rushed towards me and held me in a tight embrace. The sweet smell of her perfume filled my nostrils and her silky hair brushed against my arm. After not seeing my mother in over ten years, I thought her touch would warm me, comfort me and my cold feelings for her would go away, but I was wrong. I felt nothing! All I could focus on was the fact that she abandoned me and that I wanted nothing to do with her. She let go and before she could say something, I did.

"What is she doing here?"

Susana's smile fell and her expression turned into one of hurt. I ignored her.

"Your mother thought it would be a good idea to spend some time with you before you went to Pennsylvania for Spring Break," my father announced.

"Who said I was going?" I hissed. 

Mandy's face was one of pure shock and my father's expression hardened.

"Cali, my dear, don't be mad at your father, I insisted on coming, I really want to get to know my little girl."

"Well maybe you should have tried thirteen years ago when I was an actual little girl, abandoned by her mother."

"I'm sorry," she began, but I cut her off. My turn.

"Save it...I really don't care!"

Mandy interrupted. "Cali your mom is trying to mend things with you, give her a chance." 

I shot her a nasty glare.

"Oh, so you were mending things right, is that why you were avoiding me today?"

"Well," she said guiltily, "I wasn't in school yesterday because I was picking your mom up from the airport since Mr. Hale didn't have any vehicle because you had taken it to school."

Susana sat on the sofa and placed her hand on the seat next to her, signalling for me to sit there. I stood my ground and did not budge. I was not giving her that satisfaction. She sighed.

"Okay Cali, be like that, but I want you to know I love you. I have never stopped loving you! Leaving you was the hardest thing I had ever done and-"

"Hardest thing you've ever done?" I cut her off and scoffed,"your life must be really good because you seemed to have left me pretty easily!" 

She looked pained and began to speak again but I stopped her. 

"Don't waste your breath!"

"CALI!" My father practically shouted,"how dare you speak to your mother like that, I don't care what she did, she is an adult and I thought you respect, did I not?"

He's not even taking my side.

I shook my head. "I can't do this!" I span on my heels and was about to exit the room when a gentle hand stopped me. I turned to see Mandy giving me a small smile.