𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐎𝐟 𝐌𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐲?

𝟒𝟐

(Next Day)

Ariana's POV

I was waiting at the park for Lisa.

She should be here by now, it's already 10 o'clock.

I'm... nervous.

But I'm not nervous.

I have mixed emotions about this whole thing.

We talked a bit yesterday.

Though I did have to stop because Billie had come back home at like four in the morning for some reason.

I told her I couldn't sleep so we stayed up together watching Spongebob.

Of course, I did eventually fall asleep with my head in her lap but now my whole body hurts because I was on the couch.

But before that happened, I had quite the vague interaction with Lisa.

I didn't ask much from her.

I simply said to meet me at the park so we could talk face to face.

Asking her why she left me over text message isn't really the way I wanted to do this.

If I was gonna do this, I was gonna do it right.

"Ariana?"

I looked up from the floor and saw her.

She looked just like me.

... Or I looked just like her.

My only question is - is this the Lisa mom was talking about or is it just another Lisa on Instagram that looks like me.

I mean- Billie..

The one Billie was talking about.

Not mom.

I don't know.

Grande is a common last name but not really.

"Hi," I mumbled, standing up and holding my hand out for her to shake.

She looked like she was about to cry.

"Hi." She smiled slightly, shaking my hand.

She was studying me. Eyeing me down. It felt like I was looking in a mirror.
We looked more similar than I thought. She has really strong genes.

Her nails were pretty.

Almond shape nails.

A simple, pink color.

She was a little bit taller than me but like- everyone's taller than me. I'm literally 5'0.

But it makes sense, Billie's short too.

Apart from that, she seemed just as nervous as I was.

We both sat down on the park bench, keeping some space between us.

"So um-"

"Why did you leave me?" I cut her off.

My question caught her off guard. "I didn't leave, I just... It's complicated. It was a really complicated and fucked up situation to have been in at the time. I never left. I just.. Couldn't come back."

I find that hard to believe.

"Lisa, Billie Eilish is a pretty big name. I highly doubt that you haven't seen her name in articles or on billboards or something. You didn't even care. You left, you didn't come back, you don't care about what happens to me."

"I do care about you. I care about you so much.." Her voice was now shaky, tears threatening to fall from her big doe eyes. "I care about you more than anything on this planet, Ariana. You're my little girl. I know I missed out on your childhood. I failed to protect you. I know.

I had just assumed that she was keeping you out of the spotlight. She's famous so she's well off. That you're well off. I was under the impression that you were taken care of.. I'm sorry if I was wrong.
I was so convinced Billie had raised you right since I saw you were doing okay and that you were into acting. You're doing so good.

Then I looked you up. I got a bit confused when I saw the name Joan Grande as your care giver. And then it clicked. Billie wasn't with you.

I'm not saying that my leaving you with someone like her under those circumstances has any excuse, or that my apology should be forgiven.
You've been put through enough already and I most certainly don't deserve your sympathy. I'm truly sorry, Ariana. I mean that with every ounce of being in my body.

I know you've probably heard those words all to often from so many people this year but pleasd trust me when I say I mean it from the bottom of my heart. I carry so much love and care for you always. I'm sorry."

If I were her I would've taken my kid with me...

But I could tell she meant it.

And she's right.

There's no taking it back and there's no changing the past.

What's done is done and the damage is here to stay.

But there's time to heal and there's time to forgive.

To shine light on a dark situation.

"May I ask you something?" I questioned.

She gave me a faint smile and nodded her head.

"Why did you stay with her? After everything she put you through you made the choice to stay for so long... Why?"

She was slient.

But only for a moment.

Until she started to take what looked like a wedding ring off from around her neck.

"I saw this everyday and thought we could go back to what we were." She mumbled, handing me the beautiful, diamond ring.

Billie gave this to her?

But she was broker than a homeless person times ten.

"What was she like back then?" I asked curiously.