Her Broken Wings

Chapter 10

(Updated 06/2026)

Siren's POV

The drive back to the house had given me entirely too much time to think. Mauve's company had been the perfect, grounding distraction, but pulling into the driveway and shutting off the truck's engine brought the looming reality of dinner crashing back down on me. 

Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the front door and walked into the house. The quiet stillness from this morning was completely gone, replaced by the savory aroma of a home-cooked roast and a soft, unfamiliar female laugh echoing from the kitchen.

​When I stepped into the dining room, my dad and Del were already at the table, but my attention immediately locked onto the woman sitting next to my father.

​Amanda.

Seeing her in person made the concept of a "fiancée" finally feel real. She was of medium height, with a slim, toned build that made her look both elegant and entirely capable. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a casual, stylish clip, revealing a face framed by a soft dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks. When she looked up, her solid brown eyes caught mine, instantly warming with a genuine, welcoming brightness.

​My dad looked lighter than he had in months, his hand resting comfortably near hers on the table.

​"There she is," Dad said, a proud smile breaking across his face. "Siren, come sit down."

​"Hi, Siren," Amanda said, her voice smooth and carrying an easy warmth as I moved toward an empty chair across from her. "It's so incredibly good to finally meet you. Your dad has told me so much about you. He's deeply proud, you know."

​"Thank you," I said, offering a cordial, tentative smile as I sat down. "It's good to meet you too. I heard you just got back from a long business trip."

​"I did," she nodded, leaning forward slightly. "Scouting out a new location for the boutique a few hours away. It's a lot of work, but exciting."

​I studied her as Del began passing around the platters of food. I was still on the fence about Amanda, but it wasn't out of resentment. I didn't see her as some cheap replacement for my mother, nor was I harboring any bitterness about her presence. The truth was, Amanda and my dad had been childhood best friends long before my mother ever entered the picture. When my mom arrived in Riverside as a young adult, she fell right into their tight knit circle, staying until she suddenly packed up and took me away when I turned five.

Growing up, my mom rarely spoke about her past life with my dad. The memories seemed too painful for her to touch, so the stories I got were small and fragmented. All I got were brief, fond glimpses of the unbreakable trio they used to be. My mom had loved him fiercely, but she told me he had died when I was little, a tragic loss that was simply too devastating to talk about. I had spent my entire life grieving a ghost, never questioning her reasons for leaving this town, because I truly believed he was gone. Now, sitting across from him, the weight of the lie hit me all over again. I was starting to realize that everyone in this house, especially my dad and Tank, was harboring a massive web of secrets. It seemed I was just waiting for it all to hit.

Of course, back then, my mom never could have predicted that her old childhood friend and the man she left behind would find their way to each other all these years later. Because Amanda had been part of that original history and knew exactly who my mother was, there was no weird, unspoken tension or attempt to erase the past. I just didn't know her yet. But seeing how happy she made my dad, and the open, hopeful way she looked at me, I knew I was willing to give her a real chance.​

"So," Amanda started, shifting the conversation with a bright smile as she helped herself to the roast. "Since we're all finally at the same table, I think it's safe to lightly touch on the upcoming chaos. The wedding is only a few weeks away."