𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬, shawn mendes

five

cassandra mendes
06/05/28
6:30pm
los angeles, usa

"Knock, mommy." Avery whispers, tugging gently on my hand. We've been stood in front of the door for at least thirty seconds, while I prepare myself for the hours to come.

I take a deep breath and do as she says, knocking twice before taking a step backwards. There's an answer at the door immediately, and it swings open without further instruction.

"C-Cassie. Hi." Shawn stutters, looking me up and down. I wouldn't have noticed, if it weren't for the fact I've known him since I was fifteen. That's fourteen years of his subtle glances when he thinks no one's watching, lustful looks from across the room and the way those eyes either darken or light up, every single time he looks at me. Except he doesn't look at me anymore, not in the eyes.

But surprisingly, that look he gives me isn't what I focus on. Instead, I focus on the girl stood next to him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders as if to say 'he's mine, now.'

She can't be older than 25, but she manages to embody everything I was when I was eighteen. Long legs and clear skin and perfect hair and a ridiculously good body, dressed in a silk, pink dress that flatters her perfectly. It's unsurprising that this is Luna, she's just Shawn's type.

I don't stare for too long, overly conscious of my first impression. "Hi, Shawn." I smile, pulling myself together. I'm an actress, after all, so the ability to hide my own feelings comes pretty naturally. "And you must be?"

"I'm Luna. Luna Lee." She tells me confidently, still not taking her hands off Shawn as she leans into him, resting her head into the nook of his neck. I smile politely, ushering the kids inside. "And how are my two favourite kids?" She says, bending down to their level and having a chat with them. That leaves Shawn and I alone at normal height, searching for anything to look at other than each other.

"You look, uh, nice." He mumbles, smiling slightly. My heart does a flip I really wish it hadn't done, still fluttering as I reciprocate the compliment.

"So do you." I smile back. There's an awkward silence for a few moments, before he speaks again. "Drinks! Does anyone want drinks?"

"Ooh, I'll have a glass of white wine please," Luna responds, standing up and holding Avery's hand. It's almost too much to bear, seeing her get along so well with my own children. "Baby." She adds on the end, and I swear I see her give me a side glance.

I resist the overwhelming urge to make a snide comment about if she's even old enough to drink, maintaining my class and dignity no matter how far she pushes me throughout the night.

"And you, Cassie?" He turns to me, pouring Luna's glass.

"Usual, please." I smile, knowing he'll know what I mean. A year and a half wasn't long enough to forget things like that after the years we spent together. We knew everything about each other. For twelve years, we were one person. And now I have to get used to being only a half of myself, without him.

I slip into my seat at the table, pulling out chairs for Ezra and Avery. They sit politely, impeccable table manners just like I taught them. "Can I have an apple juice, please daddy?" Avery asks, putting on her formal voice that she's picked up from the tense atmosphere. She's a smart kid. So was Iris, and she still would be if that morning had gone differently.