salty but sweet | alternative

f o u r

"Hey I'm so sorry, I didn't check my phone because I was tutoring, shocking—I kn—" I walked into my apartment and immediately stopped when I realised it wasn't just my dad and Franco in the living room.

"What is she doing here?" I turn to my dad and completely ignore my moms presence. "I tried calling you to let you know she's coming but Olivia, she's just here to talk" he answers. "This is bullshit" Franco mutters under his breath and I agree with him.

"Franco," Dad calls out harshly. "No he's right. This is bullshit. What are you doing here?" I face my mom and she takes a step closer to me but I take one further back.

"Olivia, you're turning 18 soon.." she pauses. "So you've come to wish me a happy birthday? Message received, thanks! You can leave now." I reply. "You know that's not what I meant." No I didn't know that's not what she meant, because what else could she have fucking meant?

"I have custody over you until you turn 18 Olivia, after that the choice is yours," my dad steps in and I scoff, this is fucking unbelievable. "So you've come to give me this choice? Is that what it is? After not being here for the past 13 years of my life, you decide now is the time I need a mom?" I ask, masking the pain in my voice that's creeping up on my neck.

"It's not like that, it's not as simple as you th-" this time dad cuts her off. "I let you come in without having the chance to tell her beforehand so you better not finish that sentence. I have always given you the freedom to contact her or see her whenever you'd like but you never made the effort. So don't you dare stand in front of my daughter and lie to her because it was as simple as it looks, I'm letting you give her a choice so she has one, so don't even think about making her look like a fool for having every right to call you out on your bullshit."

I give a small smile to my dad because he took the words right out of my mouth and put her in her place, and everything he just said is completely true. He has always told me and given me the option to contact her or arrange to meet with her if I wanted to, he even offered to let me go if I wanted to live with her for a while because he knew I needed a mom.

It was me, me who was given the option to make the effort because she never had.

But I never did, not once because even though papa was consumed with work constantly and he had two kids to raise on his own, he played both parental roles in the best way he could. I never wanted her because he gave me everything I needed. And that hasn't changed, nor will it ever.

"The answer is no, not now, not ever. I can't even believe that you have the fucking audacity to give me that choice. What makes you think I want anything to do with you after all this time? Maybe when I was a naive child I would've considered it. So thanks, but no thanks. I don't want anything to do with you." I tell her and then I pause. Franco.

"Did she do the same thing to you?" I turn to my brother, if she has, it's definitely been when I've not been home because it's never been mentioned. "Just a few days after my eighteenth birthday," Franco answers confirming my suspicions and I scoff. "You wanted us after 18 because that's when we're adults right? Because you no longer have the responsibility to take care of us at that point, you wanted us without the dirty work." I confront her. "Olivia—"

"Get out" Franco and I both say at the exact same time and papa gets up. "You said your piece and they don't want you here, so you need to leave Lily." He holds open the door for her, this time she doesn't argue and quietly exits the apartment.

The second she does, the atmosphere in the room completely changes. "What the fuck just happened?" I breathe out. "I'm sorry Olivia, the second I knew she was coming I tried calling you," dad said and I shook my head, "You have nothing to be sorry for," I correct and he gives me a hug.