A Simple Folded Paper

69

Camila's mom left work that day determined to do something, something important. There were 5 days left until the trial of her possible-future-daughter-in-law and her soon-to-be-ex-husband, and Camila's mom herself couldn't bear the atmosphere anymore.

She hadn't been much present in the house since her work hours were a little...hectic, but every time they had a meal together, it was obvious that everyone was nervous and anxious. Probably no one else noticed but Lauren wasn't eating much, she just moved her food around in her plate until everyone was finished; Camila didn't eat almost at all and every time she did, she ended up throwing up with the nerves; Lauren's dad was just tired, dark bags under his eyes, beard to shave and always with something to do; and last, but not least, little Hannah who didn't exactly comprehended what was happening but was caught up in the heavy atmosphere.

Camila's mom decided to do something for the people who have done a lot for her already and so, when she left work, she made a stop before going home.

She stood outside the house that she once called hers, the one where she lived for 20 years and thought that could only give her good memories. But she was wrong, shivers were what the house was giving her.

The woman got the courage, rang the doorbell and waited a few seconds for the door to open. She could just open it with her key but she was scared of what was inside if she found the man she was once in love with. So she waited, and then the door opened revealing the man that had ruined 25 years of marriage.

"What are you doing here?", the man asked when he saw his wife on the other side of the door. His voice tone had changed, he didn't look as mad and angry as he did the last time Camila's mom was there. He almost looked...sad.

"We need to talk.", the woman simply said.

Camila's dad opened the door wider and motioned for the woman to come in. "Do you want coffee, tea... anything?".

"No need, I don't intend on staying for long.", Camila's mom said, sitting on the couch.

Camila's dad sat in his armchair on the other side of the living room and waited until the woman in front of him spoke.

"I need you to take down the charges against Lauren.", she stated. "She's a good girl, don't you think you already ruined enough lives?". The tone in Camila's mom's voice was getting angrier by the second, and she suddenly couldn't stop. "We were married for almost 25 years, that's half of our life, I should have expected to know you a little bit more than this. What did our little girl ever do to you? How were you capable of doing what you did to her? Did you know she couldn't even be touched by her own girlfriend? She literally had a panic attack one day when I got home and hugged her. Are you happy now? Now that you made a little once-happy girl be scared for the rest of her life? And oh, that wasn't enough, right? You still had to press charges against her girlfriend who was nothing but perfect for our daughter, just because she defended our kid from a monster like you!". Camila's mom felt tears form in her eyes, but she couldn't cry. She couldn't let that man know that he had fucked up her life too.

The man in front of her didn't mutter a word for a few seconds but when he did, Camila's mom couldn't believe what he had said. "I'm sorry.", he mumbled, "I'm sorry for what I've done to Camila and to you, I'm sorry for everything. I'll call my lawyer and I'll take the charges down."

Camila's mother just stared at him, not quite believing him. Her husband, as if understanding, grabbed his phone from the coffee table and called someone, the woman only knowing who it was once he heard her husband talk about taking down the charges against Lauren. Camila's mother felt her chest become lighter and she rested her head back against the couch in exhaustion. She didn't know how pressured she felt with this until now, until the pressure left her body.