Whitethorn Academy

Chapter Eighteen

The rest of the day passed by too slowly. Every minute I spent agonizing over whether or not to send the letter felt like an hour. Too many thoughts tumbled around and around in my head.

Would my mother even read the letter if I sent it? Or would she throw it away the second she pulled it out of the mailbox? Would she be relieved or angry to hear from me?

When my last class before lunch dismissed, I was no closer to a decision than I was before. I was trapped between a rock and a hard place, with no room to move.

I moved quickly across the quad, hurrying toward Whitethorn Hall.

The dining hall was packed full of students as usual, though it felt louder to me for some reason. Across the room, I spotted Naomi's bright red hair, sticking out like a beacon.

She waved to me and I waved back as I headed into the line. Once I grabbed my food, I made my way over to her.

We ate in silence for a moment, just listening to the sounds of other students as they chattered and laughed. I chewed on a fry.

"So, I did some more thinking about inviting my mom to Parent's Day."

Naomi raised an eyebrow as she took a bite of her salad. "Yeah?"

"And I wrote a letter. But now I don't know what to do with it."

Naomi's face softened in empathy. "I know it must be hard, not knowing where you stand with your mom. But wouldn't you rather send the letter and know? Rather than hanging in suspense either way?"

Her words made sense, logically. But emotionally...

"What if I don't like the answer?" I'd always known that my mother would choose Vincent over me in a heartbeat. He was her soulmate, her reason for breathing. And I'd never forced her to make a choice before because I didn't want to deal with the pain after.

But Naomi was right too. How could I live my life without knowing for sure if my mother was gone for good?

"I'm scared," I told Naomi. "I'm scared she doesn't love me anymore."

"If your mother doesn't love you, Selene, then that's her loss, not yours. And no matter the outcome, I will always be here for you."

"I'd love it if you could help me mail it." I was thankful for Naomi. Even though my nerves were beyond frayed, it was nice to know I'd still have someone if everything went south.

Her face lit up with a smile. "Yeah, we can head to the mailing office right after lunch. If we hurry, we won't be late for gym class."

"But I don't have an envelope or stamps or anything like that. I just have the letter."

Naomi waved her hand dismissively. "The mailing office has all of that stuff on a desk for students to use."

I picked up another fry and chewed thoughtfully. I was glad Naomi was willing to help me, but I was still nervous about sending the letter. There was no way to know how my mom would take it when she received the letter.

"Hey, new girl."

Jason's voice cut off whatever Naomi was about to say. She visibly stiffened and poked at her salad. She always seemed to be ultra shy around most other students.

"Have you decided whether or not you're going to mail that letter to your folks or not?"

"Naomi and I are going to head over to the mailing office after lunch, actually."

Jason smiled. "That's great news. And remember, my offer still stands. If she stands you up on Parent's Day, I got your back."

"Thank you. It really does mean a lot."