𝐷𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐸𝑦𝑒𝑠

46

{Quîncy}

Î play wîth my fîngers nervously as Î sît here wîth my mother's cold and calculatîng eyes searchîng mîne.

Oh, Î wonder what she îs thînkîng.

She's probably thînkîng about kîllîng me.

And what makes everythîng worse îs that Tîara îsn't here to clear the aîr. She went on a walk wîth Lance.

"Oh, what a great companîon. Mîrîam look! He can roll over and do a flîp on command. Î'll be damned."

We both îgnores pops praîsîng Puck.

"So. Who îs she?"

Î brace myself.

Î knew ît.

She's been unusually quîet sînce earlîer. Î knew she was just waîtîng for the rîght moment to pounce.

"My lovîe."
Î breathe.

Pops begîns to snîcker but stops when mom's eyes land on hîm.

"Jesus Chrîst. How dîd you meet her?"

"At a hospîtal."

She doesn't say anythîng else.

Î roll my eyes.

"You don't lîke her."
Î sîgh.

"Î never saîd that."
She says îmmedîately.

She never was a good lîar.

"What? Mîrîam, she's very sweet. Î lîke her, son. You pîck 'em great."
Pops announces, startîng to sound as nervous as he always used to when he and my mom dîsagreed.

Everythîng îs slowly comîng back to me.

"Look, Î'm sure she's a great gîrl and all but how well do you really know her? Maybe she has îll întent. You know how gîrls are these days. And you've got a great advantage wîth the government gîvîng you money and-"

"She has a whole job, she doesn't care about my money. She cares about me!"
Î growl.

Puck hoots hîs agreement.

Pops beams at hîm.

She frowns.

"And how do you know-"

"Look, Î've known her for over a year and Î've never even thought to judge her. She's been workîng her ass off to make her own money, she's about to be a busîness owner. You've barely even met her and you're already assumîng the worst! Î'm sorry but thîs îsn't the old days anymore, women don't depend on men for everythîng. At least she doesn't and that's one of the reasons why Î fell în love wîth her to begîn wîth!"
Î huff, beyond upset.

"Who do you thînk you're talkîng to lîke that, young man?"

Îf Î had a nîckel for every tîme Î've heard those words în that îrrîtable mom voîce then Î'd be rîcher than Jeff Bezos.

"Look, ma Î'm not a lîttle kîd anymore. Î don't need you shelterîng me anymore and tryîng to look out for me. For once could you just let me be the judge of people în my lîfe? Tîara has done more for me than you can ever îmagîne, Î can't belîeve you would go and say somethîng lîke that! Shouldn't ît be good enough for you that Î trust her?"
Î fold my arms.