[COMPLETED BUT WONT LET ME PRESS THE COMPLETED BUTTON AHAHHA]
Aurora Lockheart was once the sunshine girl-bright, kind, and full of life. But one night changed everything, leaving her a shadow of who she used to be.
A year later, just as she's be...
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"Tell me about your mother and father. I understand that you and your siblings don't share the same mother, correct?" Amanda said, clicking her pen and settling into her chair, ready for another session.
"Same dads, different mams," I deadpanned, already feeling the familiar tightness in my chest at the mention of my parents.
"Tell me more about them two," she said gently, her tone softer, like she knew this was going to be a sensitive subject.
What was there to say?
"Not much to say really," I muttered, glancing at the floor. "They had a one-night stand. She kept me, he didn't want her to, and now I'm here."
"What about after your birth?" Amanda asked, her eyes steady, not looking away even though I was trying my best not to meet her gaze.
"They detested each other. He hated my mam. When I was younger and she used to drop me off at his, they'd always argue. Every single time." I paused, feeling the familiar ache rising in my throat. "He'd start it every time. It was pathetic."
"What would they argue about?" she asked, her pen poised, ready to scribble more notes that I wasn't sure would help anything.
"Why my mam decided to keep me," I said, feeling the weight of it all sink deeper. "He'd yell that she should've kept her legs shut. Just... cruel stuff. Over and over, like he couldn't let it go."
Amanda nodded, not pushing but clearly waiting for me to continue.
"And how does this affect you?" she asked, her tone careful.
"Really?" I shot back, a small, bitter laugh escaping before I could stop it. "You really want to know how it affects me?"
"Yes, I do," she said, not backing down. "It's important."
I rubbed my face, trying to keep my emotions in check. It was exhausting keeping all of this bottled up, but saying it out loud made it feel too real. Still, the words started spilling out.
"I-I wanna give Gibsie a family one day," I admitted, my voice trembling. "So bleedin' badly, but I'm terrified. Not just because there's a low chance I can get pregnant, but because..." I trailed off, trying to find the right words. "Because I'll be a shitty mam."
Amanda didn't interrupt, just waited for me to continue.
"I've never had good role models," I said quietly. "Where relationships are involved, anyway. My mam and dad? They were a disaster from the start. He was always angry, and she was always crying or pretending everything was fine. I never knew what normal looked like. I still don't." I shrugged helplessly. "Everyone I've seen—everything I've experienced—always ends badly."
Amanda's pen hovered over her notepad, but she didn't write anything just yet. "You're not your parents," she said gently. "You know that, right?"
"Yeah, but what if I'm just as bad?" I whispered, my throat tightening. "What if I make the same mistakes? What if I mess up my own kid's life like they messed up mine?"
