That very same afternoon, around lunchtime, my sister arrived with my niece, all smiles. Melissa had obviously brought Lily along to lay the guilt on thick, just in case I wanted to change my mind. Also, she could’ve fetched the car the next day, but she just had to take it then.
She honked like she was Uber. I stepped outside, and she was already helping Lily get out of her car. “Keys, please!” she called, grinning.
Lily jumped into my arms. “Hi, Auntie!”
“Hello, sweetheart! Happy birthday!”
My chest tightened as I put my niece down and faced her mother.
“You’ll take care of her, right?”
Melissa rolled her eyes like I was a nagging parent, snatched the keys from my hand, and gave me a look. “Obviously. You act like I’ve never driven a car before.”
I watched her blow a quick kiss in my direction before speeding off in my brand-new car.
I was already regretting it. I ended up taking taxis all weekend for my meeting and any errands. Rosie being gone for so long felt wrong, but I tried not to think about it.
I told myself Lily would have a great birthday, and that’s what mattered. The next morning, she pulled into my driveway. I heard tires screeching and rushed outside, my stomach clenched, and I was already nervous.
Melissa stepped out like it was just another errand. She tossed me the keys without even meeting my eyes. “What happened?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
She shrugged. “Kids, you know. We had fun.”Continue reading…
