The Scars That Make Us (Second Generation Book 3)

Chapter 1

CATARINA

“Are you even listening, Catarina?” 

My dad’s billowing voice drags me out of my daydreaming session and I bring my attention back to him. We’re in the middle of our weekly family meeting. It may sound like something normal, but it is anything but. My dad is part of the state senate and is already planning on running for the United States Senate at the next election. Family meetings to us are more about the requirements we have coming up, more like a staff meeting. 

“I’m listening, Dad, I’m sorry.” I take a deep breath and try to center myself once again. I don’t need to get called out for not listening or not paying attention. It is embarrassing that he constantly feels the need to call me out, thinking that he has to keep me in line. A dream of mine would be to just disappear into the background but being part of a political family, you never get to just be in the background.

“Excuse me, sir.” My dad’s personal assistant Margot speaks up and everybody’s attention is on her. “I’m sure that you remember, but after your appearance on Thursday, Catarina is going to be leaving for her week-long trip. Did you want to reschedule your interview with Channel 13 until all the children will be there?”

“I could just skip the trip if, that’s probably easier than changing up the interview, Dad. I don’t mind.”

“Not happening, Catarina. You know how important the Singletary Wedding is. We have discussed it, we’re not going through this again. You’re going to go and you’re going to enjoy yourself and make friends with those other women, do you understand?”

“Yes, Dad.”

After thirty more minutes of the painful meeting, we were finally dismissed to go back to our regularly scheduled Saturday business. For my brothers, that means hitting up the golf course and then probably some fancy bar downtown where they will pick up barely legal girls and take them back to the bachelor pad that they have in the middle of the city. For my oldest sister, it means being seen at one of the popular restaurants in the city with her husband, the professional baseball player, they’ll be featured on all the gossip sites tomorrow, just like they are every week.

For me, though, Saturday means holing up inside my bedroom and working on my writing. I’m not interested in going out. I don’t want to rub elbows with high society people. I don’t want to find meaningless hookups. Not me, I want to sit with my spiral notebook and my favorite pen and release all the feelings that have been running through my brain that I haven’t been able to deal with.

My therapist says it is my emotional release, something that is much healthier than what I did in the pass to feel the same relief. My mom calls it self-care, my dad just calls it stupid. He’ll never understand though. Larry Hutchinson doesn’t understand emotions, he especially doesn’t understand his daughter’s emotions. I get back to my room and grab my writing material, getting ready to curl up in my spot at the window when my phone dings. I smile spreads across my face when I see my best friend Nola’s name on the screen.

Nola: Are you done with your family meeting?

Me: I am, just ready to hibernate for the night.

Nola: Can you do me a favor instead?

Me: I feel like this favor is going to involve leaving the house.

Nola: It is, but only because I need to get some clothes for next week and I want you to come with me.

Me: You don’t need me to come.

Nola: I know, but I want you too. Please? I promise we’re just going to Macy’s and you can wear that floppy hat that you love. We’ll even go to Subway for dinner.