The Way We Burn

Twenty-One: Gigi

"You got this, baby."

I sighed as I sank further into the driver's seat, staring at the front door of my parents' house. "I wish I was as confident as you are."

Sully chuckled on the other end of the phone. "Look, its been a few weeks. Maybe he's calmed down a bit."

I scoffed as my mother's face appeared between the curtains in the living room. "If you believe that, you don't know my father as well as you think you do."

"Doesn't hurt to hope, does it?"

"It will hurt more when he continues with his bullshit," I mumbled. My peeking mother's face disappeared just to show up as she cracked open their red front door. "Mom's about to come pull me out of the car by my hair. I should probably go."

"Call me when you're done."

"What time do you get off?" I questioned even though somewhere in my brain I already knew the answer. I could hardly keep my own thoughts straight. I felt like I was about to walk in front of a firing squad, everything else was mush at this point.

"Seven. I'll come over as soon as I get done."

"Promise?"

"I promise, baby." Sully's baritone wrapped around me like a favorite warm blanket. I wanted him there. I wanted to feel safe in his arms and ignore the war going on with my father. "It's going to be okay, Gi."

I sniffled, a humorless chuckle escaping my lips. "I wish I believed that."

"Baby, no matter what happens between you and your father when you go in there, that doesn't change us," Sully stated, his tone soft yet authoritative. "I love you and as long as you love me and you want this, then we're good. No one outside the two of us is ever going to affect that."

I couldn't fight the smile his words brought to my face. "You're right," I agreed softly. "You and me against the world."

"Always, baby," Sully replied. "Always."

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Give your dad a chance to get out whatever he... thinks it is he needs to get out, and then you say what you need to say. If he's not willing to listen, that's on him, not you. You can't force him to see the light, so don't even waste your energy trying. Listen, say what you need to say,  and get out of there, alright? This ending with you two screaming at each other again won't do any of us any good."

"I know."

"I'll see you tonight, sugar."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye baby."

I waited until he ended the call before I pulled the phone away from my ear. I was still dreading walking inside my parents' house, but my heart felt a bit lighter after hearing his declarations. No matter what happened behind that door, Sully and I would be fine and right now, that was all I cared about.

I took a deep breath as I finally stepped out of my car. It was gloomy and drizzling, which seemed pretty symbolic all things considered, and I wrapped my arms around myself as I headed up the steps of my parents' porch, where Mama Castellanos was already waiting for me.

"I was starting to think you'd leave," she stated with a weak smile as she wrapped her arms around me.

I gave her a soft smile of my own and squeeze. "Definitely thought about it."

"Nonsense," my mom retorted, giving my cheek a playful pinch before taking my face between her palms. "We will make him hear you, my darling girl. You are happy and that is all that matters to me."