The Blossom of Rose

17 • Loving

On the way home, I pick up food to please my rumbling stomach. My eyelids feel heavy and I hope for some peace and quiet when I enter the house but am met with shouting coming from the kitchen. Sometimes I hate this family.

"...I'm 17! I'm not a little baby anymore!" That's Calla. And when I enter the kitchen, she's screaming and flailing her arms around in frustration at Dante while Aunt Brie sits with her head in her hands. They've all changed out of the clothes they wore to lunch and Calla is wearing a short, tight dress with her hair and makeup done. No doubt wanting to go out.

I plop down on a seat next to where they're arguing. Dante is about to speak but all attention turns to me when I accidentally rustle the bag, getting my food out. "I would ask what's happening but I'm too hungry to care," I sigh, taking a sip of my drink.

"Rose, please tell him," Calla starts again, "all I want to do is go out for the night and have some fun with my friends but he's stopping me." Her eyes narrow in Dante's direction.

"Of course, I'm going to fucking stop you. You're not supposed to go into that part of town. You're going to end up laying dead in the fucking street, Cals," he stands in anger from his seat. Well, damn.

Calla sends a pleading look to me at his outburst and I hold my hands up in defence, "I just want to eat my food. But if he's telling you not to go then it's for a good reason." Her green eyes blaze with annoyance but her features twitch as if she's concocting a plan.

"Wanna know something?" There's an evil smirk on her face and she turns to Dante. "The day we got raided, your precious sister wasn't even here."

My heart drops. "Shut up."

"She spent the night screw-"

"That's enough, Calla!" Aunt Brie exasperates and even I jump at the volume of her voice. She's never been the type to get angry like this. She's usually calm and collected but I guess Calla is working her up. "I'm sick and tired of your attitude. You can't speak to your older brother and sister like that. Dante is only trying to protect you and whatever Rose does is none of your damn business."

Calla runs a frustrated hand through her hair and turns to Aunt Brie. "You can speak, where the fuck have you been? You can't tell us what to do after being absent our whole lives. What makes you think you have the fucking right to order us around?"

Aunt Brie bites the inside of her mouth and takes a calming breath. "Because I'm your mom."

The air feels as if it's being sucked out of me and I freeze mid-air. An edging silence surrounds the four of us as we all stare wide-eyed at her.

"No," Calla shakes her head, "our mom is dead. She died-"

"Olivia," Aunt Brie - well mom? - cuts in loudly and then quietens, "was not your mother. I carried and birthed all three of you." 

"Thank God, I always hated that woman," Dante exhales a breath of relief and takes a seat. I hit him on the arm, "it's wrong to say that about people who have passed on."

"I don't care. She stood back and did nothing while her husband beat the crap out of you, stabbed you and burnt your fucking hand for something you didn't even do, Rose." He snaps and Calla tenses near me. Each component of his list feels like a hand tightening on my throat.

"Dante," Brie scolds softly. Shaking my head, I say quietly, "we're still related to her."

"Well, I have a feeling I'm going to like her a lot less after hearing what mom has to say." he declares turning to Brie not before stealing my drink.

Brie pulls out a bottle of whiskey from the decanter and pours herself a glass before sitting down.

"Olivia was the golden child. While growing up, she got everything. My dad loved her the most and he made that pretty clear. I started dating Ricardo when I was 17, he was 24. I know it's ridiculous but I was immediately drawn to him. Olivia was jealous because I finally had something that she sought so hard to find. Love. Because I was madly in love with Ricardo and he told me he was too. I later found out that wasn't true because...well, I caught them together."