I didn’t want him to, but he could.
We didn’t have a guest room, our house smaller than Levi’s, so I wasn’t sure where Levi would be sleeping. Probably the couch in the living room. For now, we set everything in my room.
“Your dad seems nice,” Levi remarked, turning his head to view my room. He took in my dark comforter with its constellation-galaxy print, and all of the photographs I had shoved into the mirror on my dresser. My room was a thousand times smaller and fuller than his, and I felt, for the first time in a long time, a tad self-conscious.
He moved to the mirror, studying the pictures. Me and Ash, back before she started dying the bottom of her hair pink. Both of us smiling like idiots, blowing kissy faces, hugging each other. Small pictures taken at the local mall in the photo booth. Nothing too fancy.
God, I missed those times. Things were simpler for me back then.
“Is that Ash?” Levi asked, glancing at me.
I moved beside him. “Yep.” My heart still hurt when I thought about what I did, how I hadn’t spoken to her since then, how shitty it all was, but I had to push it aside. Now was not the time to be miserable while thinking of Ash and my mistake. Now was the time to let my dad play host, I guess.
When we walked back downstairs, my dad had the cheeseball out in the living room, along with a tray of crackers. I noticed the TV had the parade paused…did he tape it for me? Way overkill, but we’d watch. I did love the parade in New York with the floats and performances.
Levi and I sat on the couch, and my dad sat on his favorite reclining chair; its leather was old and worn, and it had seen better days. Still, my dad looked like a kid in a candy shop. I wasn’t used to his happy, grinning face.
Made me feel like a shitty daughter, having never noticed how miserable he was before.
“So,” I said, causing both Levi’s and my dad’s eyes to turn to me, “where’s Mom?”
The smile on my dad’s face faltered, and his gaze glanced down. “She’s…she should be on her way here.”
“Did she have to go to work?”
“No, Kelsey. Your mom moved out.”
The words hit me like a wall, knocking the air out of my lungs. Of course, I’d known this would happen eventually, but…I didn’t know. I guessed I always hoped they’d reconcile, that they would change their minds about their divorce. A silly thing to hope.
Her moving out just made it more official.
“Where?” I asked.
“That’s something your mother should tell you,” he said, and I got the not-so-subtle hint.
I quieted down. I ate the cheeseball. I watched the parade, trying to act like it was the good old days, just with Levi instead of my mom. All the while, Levi and my dad got to know each other. Dad asked Levi about his classes, what he wanted to do with his life, and I zoned out. I was hardly in my own head.
The hours ticked by, and Dad got up to finish cooking and do whatever it was he had to do. Eventually, after a long while, a car pulled up, parking behind Levi’s Escape. I was able to see it through the windows, and Levi grabbed my hand, squeezing hard.
I knew it was his way of telling me to calm down, that everything would be okay, but…I just didn’t think it would.
The world outside had pretty decent weather for the day after Thanksgiving, but it wasn’t enough to make me feel better. My stomach was in knots as my mom made her way to the front door, stepping in after knocking.
Knocking, as if this wasn’t her house.
It…it wasn’t, not anymore.
When my mom walked in, she looked…good, too. Her black hair was curled, her green eyes sparkling and vibrant with new life. She looked like she was thirty years old, like time itself had reversed. Suddenly I understood why so many people said my mom didn’t look like she was old enough to have a kid in college.
Compared to her I was a freaking potato.
“Hello, Kevin,” my mom said, being polite as my dad told her hello. She took off her jacket and her shoes before meeting us in the living room. Levi had gotten to his feet to shake her hand, but I remained sitting, my arms crossed.
“Hello, ma’am,” Levi spoke, “I’m Levi.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” my mom spoke. To me, she added, “Very handsome.”
I rolled my eyes. This sucked ass, and I was not mature enough to hide my displeasure. Once Levi sat down beside me, my mom still staring at me expectantly, I asked, “Why are you even here? You apparently don’t live here anymore.”
“I’m here so we can have one more Thanksgiving as a family,” she said, frowning at me. “I’m here for you, Kelsey.”
I got up, saying nothing as I stormed upstairs, closing my bedroom door before falling onto my bed. For me? She was here for me? I didn’t ask her to be here. I didn’t ask for any of this. They were the ones who weren’t content with me spending my entire break with Levi. They had to make me struggle through nearly two days at his house with his unbearable mother only to come here and face the fact that everything had changed.
How was that supposed to make me happy? Why did I want that?
I didn’t.
It wasn’t long
