Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
KIMBERLY COULDN'T REMEMBER the last time she had seen her mother. Not properly, at least. There were a few phone calls here and there, but that was far from the nurturing presence a child needed.
Kimberly's mind drifted to the day her parents divorced, when her father sat her down, and told her everything she needed to hear.
"Your mom's career is taking off, Kimberly, and I can't keep feeling like I'm a second choice. We're not happy anymore, and I don't want you to grow up thinking this is how a marriage should be."
She had cried herself to sleep that night, wishing things could go back to how they used to be. Before the long working hours, and the constant ringing on her mother's cell phone that always stole her attention.
And now, in her living room at the Palm Woods, Kimberly faced the woman who used to be the center of her world.
"What are you doing here?" Kimberly asked, her voice tinged with anger and sadness.
Anastasia took a deep breath, attempting to compose herself. "I just wanted to see you, Kim." she finally said, her voice strained.
Kimberly scoffed. "Really? After all these years, you just wanted to see me? Give me some credit, Mom."
Anastasia's lips pressed into a thin line. "You know I wouldn't have come if I thought it wouldn't be welcome."
"Maybe not," Kimberly got up from the sofa and started walking around, "but you wouldn't have come at all if it wasn't convenient. You left me with Dad, remember? Sacrificed your family for your precious career."
"Kim," Benjamin said, his voice a calming balm, "let's not..."
"No, Dad," Kimberly interrupted, her gaze fixed on Anastasia. "It's time she actually heard this. And how did you even know I was here?"
Anastasia's eyes flickered to Benjamin, a flicker of pain crossing her face before it was masked by a glacial composure. "Please, Kim," she said, "let's not rehash the past."
"No, we are rehashing the past," Kimberly insisted, her voice trembling with hurt. "The past of missed birthdays, empty holidays, and a father who had to pick up the pieces while you chased your dreams."
Benjamin got up and tightly grasped around Kimberly's hand. "Kim, please," he pleaded, "don't make this harder."
Tears welled up in Kimberly's eyes. "It's already hard, Dad. Every day is so hard, wondering why she chose her ambition over me, her own daughter."
Anastasia stood abruptly, her eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and regret. "I made a choice, Kim," she said, her voice sharp. "A choice I wouldn't take back even if it meant losing you."
