Affliction

43

Demi

I smile with pride, watching my daughter stride across the stage to accept her honor award. Annie is my biggest accomplishment in life. Being able to call her my daughter means more than any Grammy, or any award, ever could.

I'm waving at her from the doorway as she's smiling, searching the seats. It's not until her smile fades that I realize she's looking for me and I'm not there.

"Oh no," I mumble to Marissa whom is standing right next to me.

My mouth is agape, knowing how much of a terrible mother she thinks I am right now. Wilmer bows his hand, running a hand down his face: something he only does when he's beyond frustrated.

Instead of sitting back down when she gets off the stage like the other students, Annie makes a beeline to Wilmer. I want to jump up and down and wave my hands everywhere so they knew I saw it, but it's too late.

"Should we go down there?" Marissa whispered to me, pointing to the two empty seats they saved for us.

"Yeah, I guess-"

But just as I said that, they closed the ceremony and a gush of people began to pour out of the auditoria. My chest seized as I stood back, peering over the crowd, searching for my family.

"I see them coming this way with Annie's friends," Marissa pointed in the opposite direction of where we were.

I sighed in relief, and began to walk that way when I got spotted.

"Demi! Can we get a picture?" A girl Annie's age asked.

"Of course," I said, already giving a toothless smile as she handed the phone to Marissa.

Once she left, it was like the domino affect. One teenage girl, led to the other and I was growing impatient. Every time I thought the photos ended, they started up again.

"Hi Demi!" A brunette said, embracing me in a hug. I gently hugged her back as my heart sank seeing Annie from the sidelines, staring with sad eyes.

'I'm sorry' I mouthed to her, but she looked away and started a conversation with somebody else.

"Okay, I'm sorry guys, but I got to go," I said to the group of people eagerly waiting to snap a picture with me.

I turned away before I could see their upset faces and ventured off to the side. I can only imagine how douchey that looked, but I can't just diss my fans.

"Hey," I tapped Wilmer on the shoulder.

He spun around and gave me half assed- one armed hug. Great, he's still shitty. "Hey."

"Where's Annie?" I asked, noticing her absence.

"Making plans with her friends," he pointed a few feet away to a group of girls that I've seen thousands of times at my house.

"Aw, Annie will probably be upset she isn't going," I sighed. Oh well. I've got so much planned for us tonight-

"What do you mean?" His eyebrows furrowed, "I told her she could go."

"You what?" I asked, "No, I haven't seen her all day!"

"That didn't seem to concern you until now, did it?" He asked, enraging me.