The Divorcee's Redemption

2: Shell

"It's beautiful, it's bittersweet
You're like a broken home to me
I take a shot of memories and black out like an empty street"

~-~-~

Dad and I took a long nap in our rooms because I was terribly jet-lagged while he... He looked like life had been sucked out of him.

I woke up in the evening and found the missed calls in my phone left by Jay. He was usually fun to be around and that was the only reason I had agreed when Dad sent him to accompany me in college.

He would always stay around me like a bodyguard 'cause Dad strictly prohibited boys and other forms of 'bad influence'.

Jay was cool though, he always found ways to turn the mood and sometimes Mathew— Dad's long-lasting PA— visited us to make sure that I was doing alright. Secretly, I knew that Mathew was coming around just to meet Jay. After all, they were happily married now.

The both of us stayed in separate rooms at a posh apartment all through college and that cut my chances of making friends completely. I was pretty sure that the rest of the kids thought that I was dating Jay. I never even got a chance to correct the misunderstandings.

All thanks to Dad.

At least Mom would listen to my watered-down complaints. After the divorce, she began calling me a lot more. Now that my parents weren't in each other's company, they wanted my affection. I honestly felt sorry for them.

After texting Jay and attaching a picture of my bedroom to confirm that I was safe at home, he let me go without another text message.

Alvarez still cooked for us and he always knew what I loved to eat. A very delicious fruit cake was waiting for me in the kitchen. I turned to Alvarez after eating, "When Dad wakes up, tell him that I'm with Mom"

He nodded and I took my car from the garage. The silver BMW was something that Dad gifted me for my graduation. I loved driving it around whenever I was home.

I parked outside Mom's apartment and hurried up the stairs. After frantically knocking, she opened the door beaming, "Sweetheart!"

She squealed and pulled me in the biggest bear hug ever, "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too Mom" I laughed.

"The room is as messy as always huh?" I chuckled while stepping inside. There were buckets of paint everywhere and a canvas was fixed in the middle of the room.

"Is this your new one?"

"Yep!" She put down her paintbrush and stood by me, "It has a long way to go"

"It's beautiful Mom" I kissed her cheek before lying down on the bed.

"Have you eaten yet?" She asked.

"Yeah, Alvarez made a really good cake"

"Don't make me drool" She sighed and continued painting again.

I told her that I was done with my internship and that I'd start working at Xander Corp now. Dad had already offered to give me a directorial post but I had denied him. I wanted to start from the bottom and make my way up. When I was ready to take over his second child, he would know. But now I needed experience.

"You're such a beautiful successful girl, Lucy" Mom smiled at me.

Unlike Dad, who always made sure that I wasn't spoiled, Mom was different. It felt like she was doing it on purpose. She knew how much Dad had always kept me restricted, yet he provided me with everything. She told me that it was his way of showering love but I didn't like it.