Stars Landing [Book 3]

Chapter 16 - Papa & Mama

Rhea paced in her bedroom and thought about how the conversation with her parents was going to go. Should she start by explaining why she was so mad at them? No! They already knew. Her first month in Toronto, Rhea's mother called non-stop, leaving angry voicemails, telling her only daughter to return home at once. They ended up being ignored because she felt resentful towards her family, but now it was Rhea's turn to reach out. The storm had passed, she was in a much better place, so what else could she do but agree to her brother's conditions?

"Rip it like a bandaid," she told herself.

Warren peered through the crack in the door. "You can do this," he smiled foolishly. "And if you can't then that is also okay. I'm right here on the other side of this door, not sure why--it's not like your parents will know I'm with you when you call."

"It's just principles!" Rhea snapped back. "It would be a slap to their face, you don't get it. It's a cultural thing."

"First of all," Warren scoffed. "Rude, and second I don't think that's the reason you don't want me in there. You're hiding something from me and I want to know what is it! First, it was the whole brother thing and now this, I'm not feeling very involved babe."

Rhea made a face at him. Walking up to the door, she closed it shut, and yelled at her boyfriend to stop being so nosy. Truthfully, she felt bad keeping him out of the loop, but it was for the best. Rhea was in no mood to talk about her past relationships, especially not the one that almost got her an engagement ring. It would blow his mind. It was best for now that he was kept in the dark. He had to keep thinking Rhea ran away from her overprotective parents in order to be independent.

Taking her cell phone out of her jean pocket, she found her mother's contact information first. Rhea thought about reaching out to her father, but remembered his bad temperament and quickly changed her mind. Her mother was no picnic either, but she was a lot easier to calm down than her father. Pressing the 'call' button, Rhea desperately prayed for the voicemail to answer.

"Hello?"

"Damn it!" Rhea mouthed. "Hi Mama, it's Rhea."

"I have caller ID you know," her mother replied in Urdu. Her sass was to be expected, so Rhea was prepared to cool her off. "How did you suddenly remember your mother?"

"Harry said that you were feeling sad," Rhea rolled her eyes. It was annoying to have to state the obvious fact. It was probably her mother's idea to send her brother after her. The woman was always a little more dramatic than she needed to be.

"Your brother had no business saying such things," her mother complained. "I am perfectly fine, thank you very much."

"You are?" Rhea made sure. "Okay then, if you're doing well then I'm going to go."

As expected her mother stopped her. "Where are you staying?" 

The question took Rhea by surprise but she decided to remind her that it was with Tegan, information she had provided her multiple times. Clearly, her mother couldn't be bothered to remember anything before their big fight.

"Well, as long as you're not living with a boy," her mother reasoned. "If word gets out my only beti is turning into a shameless woman who--"

"Mama, don't be ridiculous," Rhea cut her off. "And even if I was living with a boy, which I want to repeat that I am not, how would people in Ottawa find out?"

Her mother told her to change the subject. It was apparently causing her an unnecessary headache. "When is your work program over?" she asked.

"It's a two-year internship," Rhea corrected. "I'm not going to be back in Ottawa for a while, well maybe for a concert in a few weeks, but that's it."