- 12.
The happy days flew by.
Soon, it was the eve of the national piano
competition.
Leaving the gym, I bumped into John outside
the massage parlor next door.
He’d gained weight, a noticeable beer belly
straining against his shirt. His face was pale
<
dark circles under his eyes.
Less sleep deprivation, more…
overindulgence.
But Ashley was pregnant.
I glanced up at the sign above the massage
parlor. “Happy Endings.” It all made sense.
He stared at me, surprised. “Tammy? Is that
you?”
I nodded politely, turning to leave.
He lunged forward, reaching for my arm. I
sidestepped, putting distance between us.
“What do you want, John?”
く
“I’m not your Tammy anymore. You have a
wife. Please don’t bother me.”
He grimaced, launching into a self–pitying
monologue. “Don’t even get me started.
Ashley’s useless around the house.”
“After Lily ran away, she and my mom fought
constantly. The house was a war zone.”
“Every time I had a business trip, she’d throw
a fit. I had to take a less demanding job to
keep her happy.
95
“And then, last month, they laid me off. I
haven’t told them yet. I’m dreading the
fallout.”
“I realize now how good I had it with you. You
always took care of everything, never
complained…
وو
“Tammy… would you… consider coming
back?” He looked at me with pleading eyes.
I felt a wave of nausea.
“I look good because I’m not wasting my
energy on a family of ungrateful leeches
anymore, John.”
“You’re not happy with Ashley because now
you have to deal with the day–to–day realities
of living with her.”
“Frankly, you’re a selfish, self–righteous,
irresponsible excuse for a man, and I can’t
stand the sight of you.‘
وو
く
“By the way, I recorded that whole pathetic
speech and sent it to Ashley. You’re
welcome.”
I turned and walked away, leaving him
speechless.
I had no interest in whatever drama unfolded
next.
They were dust motes in my rearview mirror.
The day of the competition arrived.
I sat in the audience, watching as Emily,
radiant in a white gown, glided across the
stage and sat at the grand piano.
The music flowed from her fingertips,
effortless and pure.
<
The white piano, the white dress.
Like our shared dream, untainted, pristine.
I saw a swan, wings bloodied from the
struggle to escape its cage, soaring into the
sky on the wings of the music.
Tears streamed down my face.
The results were announced. Emily won the
gold medal, a landslide victory.
A renowned international pianist, moved by
her performance, offered to take her on as
his student.
Offers poured in from prestigious music
schools around the world.
Г
Her future was limitless, a world of
possibilities stretching before her, a chance to escape her parasitic family forever.
The emcee invited her to speak.
She mentioned her hard work briefly, then
dedicated the rest of her speech to thanking
her “mom” for her unwavering support.
The emcee invited me onstage.
I spoke from the heart.
“Perhaps everyone faces dark times in their
lives. But if you persevere, there’s always
light at the end of the tunnel.”
“It’s never too late to pursue your dreams
<
Lily’s Epilogue:
My mom was famous now.
The old TV buzzed and crackled, her face on
the screen.
The two sentences she’d spoken at the piano
competition had gone viral, inspiring students
across the country.
Even my old classmates called, gushing about
how lucky I was to have such an amazing
mom. So poised, so eloquent, her words full
of power.
“I know, she’s great,” I’d mumbled in reply.
But… she didn’t want me anymore.
く
It had been three days since graduation, but I
felt no sense of relief.
I hadn’t even taken the final exams.
I rubbed my swollen belly, sighing softly.
In just a few short months, I felt like I’d aged
decades.
Night had fallen, and my boyfriend was still
out drinking. Who knew when he’d stumble
home.
When he did, he’d be belligerent, violent.
He’d nearly caused a miscarriage several
times.
Г
Sometimes, I wished he’d just finish the job.
Then, at least, the pain would end.
I looked down at the empty pill bottle on the
floor.
I’d swallowed the entire bottle of sleeping
pills. My eyelids were heavy.
I forced myself to focus, picking up my
cracked phone, replaying Emily’s performance
and acceptance speech.
A strange feeling gnawed at me.
I felt like… that should have been me.
The gold medal, the scholarships, my mom’s
love
all mine
Г
Why wasn’t it?
When had everything changed?
Maybe it was when I started complaining
about her stained apron.
Maybe it was when I started finding her
constant reminders to practice annoying.
Maybe it was when I grew tired of her
ordinary life.
My mind grew foggy, numb.
Finally, release.
I forced a smile, closing my eyes.
I forced a smile, closing my eyes.
Too late.
My life was a train wreck.
Beyond repair.
I just hoped…
That if I saw her again, in some other life,
she’d forgive me.
And maybe, just maybe, she’d say,
“Lily, dinner’s ready.”
