Slicing My Flesh

17

Amelia = Mum

Lara = Maman

My gran-aunts requested I join them for dinner. It was JoJo's turn to pick the restaurant. She picked a French restaurant, causing her sisters to groan. I assume she always chooses French restaurants.

It was nice to sit back and speak with them. They wanted to check up on me and ask what the hell was going on between Acacia and I. They were aggressively shipping us together. I rolled my eyes when they admitted to using the guise of punishment to get me to spend time with Acacia. Those three women are unbelievable.

Their goal was to get us in more cramped spaces where we'd be forced to brush shoulders. I told them they needed to get a life. They answered that they didn't have a life until I came into the picture. I was now their entertainment whether I liked it or not.

"Any tips on how she can woo Acacia?" My maman smirked.

"Hard to say since she's like an ego centered maniac." Bridey stated.

"She's guarded and doesn't let many in." Franni said. "It's hard to say what she's like under that hard exterior she shows the world."

"My best guess is to ask her friends." JoJo sighed. "But I'm not sure how willing they would be to disclose information about their friend."

"She doesn't trust many and you can understand why... her being the heir and everything." Franni added. "She'll be tough to crack, but she values resilience."

"When does persistence turn into annoyance?" I turned to my maman. "What's the fine line?"

"I don't know, petite chou." She placed her hand on my shoulder. "But I wouldn't give up easily if I were you. Although, I think she should also be putting in the effort." She mumbled.

The rest of the dinner consisted of my aunts annoying my maman. Hailey could feel my dismay, so she gave my thigh a comforting squeeze. I gave her a soft smile and finished my dinner. I was planning on going back to my dorm, but my maman asked for some alone time with me. We waved bye to Hailey and my aunts.

My maman and I walked down to the beach. It was past midnight, so there weren't many people around. The part of the beach we explored was empty. It felt calm and peaceful to only hear the waves. I took off my shoes and walked barefoot along the sand.

"Your mum told me you recently visited her."

I nodded and sat down. I began to play with the sand grains between my fingers. My maman copied me and sat across from me. We watched the gentle waves wet our feet.

"Can I ask you something?" She nodded at me. "Franni wanted me and Acacia to clean out some old supplies. I came across some old paintings and a diary. I flipped through the pages and read about how grandfather murdered his brother." My maman sighed and nodded. "I saw a family painting of all of you and... I didn't get to read more about you in the diary since Acacia had an incident. I was just wondering if you could... umm..." I didn't know how to phrase my question.

"You want me to speak about the atrocities I committed against mankind?" I awkwardly nodded. "I don't know what to say... other than I used to be crueler than him. I thought every other person was beneath me and I was so, so wrong. I didn't realize how evil I was becoming until Alec and I witnessed our father almost kill our mother. That was a turning point for me. I started to try and become better." She rubbed her forehead. "We started a pharma company to try and provide healthcare products to people and..."

"You're not the same person you were once before." I squeezed her hand and smiled. She seemed grateful that I wasn't forcing her to relive her greatest regrets. "I am curious what your mission is."