Carolina Wren

Chapter 41

Wren's POV

I can't remember a time in my life where seeing Sheila brought me joy and this moment isn't any different. I'm sure at some point I did when I was really young. The feeling of abandonment had been overwhelmed by a desire to know my mother, like the little kids on my morning cartoons did. Those memories are overshadowed by the reality of her cruelty, even in the two or three times I was around her while my dad was still alive.

By the time Uncle Tony had parked me at her front door, I knew not to trust my mother, although my imagination wouldn't have been able to cook up just how low she'd be willing to go now that my dad wasn't there to threaten her with jail time. I had still been hopeful that maybe she'd like me better if she was around me more. I was a little kid—I wanted to love her and have her love me in return. My hatred had come later, silently in the night where I didn't recognize it until it was too late.

Small children may want to see the best in their parents but standing here, it's as plain as day to me that the woman who gave birth to me is just as much a monster now as she was the day she dropped my still breathing, newborn body into a dumpster with the intention of leaving me there. There's no room in her world for anyone but herself and the children she brought into it only hold her back.

"Get your ass in the house!" she snapped, her eyes wild as they stayed locked onto me. With Keegan's hand gripped in one of mine and Juni in my arms, I had no way to protect myself when she raised her hand except to jerk backwards as swung her hand out to slap me across the face, her fingers barely grazing me. It didn't stop her nails from scratching into my skin as she realized mid-strike that she wasn't going to get what she wanted and curled her fingers in aggravation.

Letting Keegan go with a shove towards the main part of the house, I cradled Juni into me as I twisted away from her, rage burning in my eyes. "What the fucking hell?" I yelled, cradling Juni's head against my chest as fear had her starting to wail. "You could have hurt her! You can't just hit someone who's holding a baby!"

"Then you'd better go put her the fuck down, because I'm not done with your ass!" she yelled right back. "What the hell were you thinking, going to a fucking doctor?!"

Fresh waves of betrayal overwhelm me as I stare at her in confusion. No one but the guys were supposed to know about me getting Keegan and Juni help. Dr. Green had said that it was covered. Had they fucking called my mom?! "I don't know what you're talking about," I responded, shouldering my way past her and into the house as I fell back on old faithful—pretending stupidity. Maybe the daycare called her and I can just tell her that I lied to them so they'd let the kids come back.

I don't get far before she's grabbing my ear by the upper cartilage, yanking me back towards her. "Don't you walk away from me! And don't fucking lie!" She twists my ear, trying to get me to cry out as I grit my teeth together. Sober Sheila is always the worst. "I get a call from your damn principal telling me how concerned he is because precious little Wrenny-Poo missed three days of school and now she's skipping classes! You wanna tell me what fucking possessed you to think that going to a goddamn doctor was a good idea?"

Okay, the guys didn't call her and while that gives me a confusing bubble of relief, this isn't much better. In fact, it may be worse. "I didn't go to a damn doctor!" I half-lied. Technically, he'd come to me and he never treated me in a medical setting. "One of my teachers is a doctor, I forged his signature."

She let go of me, the threat of me going somewhere that could draw attention now lessened. "So, you weren't sick. You were skipping school just to be skipping school. If you get arrested for truancy, it comes back on me!"