UNCONTROLLABLE TEARS

CHAPTER 5 A Different Home

The boy stayed beside me while I cried.

After a while, he looked down at my knee.

"You're bleeding."

I looked at it and noticed the small cut on my knee. I had barely felt it.

"It's just a little," I whispered.

"It should be cleaned."

Before I could say anything, I heard someone calling my name.

"Maya!"

I looked up and saw Dad running toward me.

He quickly knelt beside me, his face filled with worry.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

I shook my head, but my tears started falling again.

The boy stood up.

"She almost got hit by a car," he explained. "I pulled her back."

Dad looked at him, then back at me.

"You saved her?"

The boy nodded.

"Thank you," Dad said sincerely.

"It's okay."

The boy looked at me one more time before taking a step back.

"I should go."

I watched him turn around.

"Wait."

He stopped and looked back at me.

"What's your name?"

"David."

I nodded.

"Thank you, David."

He gave me a small smile before walking away.

Dad watched him leave, then looked down at me.

"Who was he?"

"He helped me."

Dad reached for my hand and held it tightly.

"You've been crying for a long time."

I looked away.

He didn't ask anything else.

He simply held my hand as we walked back.

When we returned to Grandpa Richard and Grandma Vivian's house, Dad noticed my knee again.

"We need to clean that before we leave."

He looked toward Grandma.

"Mom, could you get the first-aid box?"

Grandma brought it over, and Dad gently cleaned the cut on my knee.

I stayed quiet as he carefully wiped away the dirt before placing a small bandage over it.

"There," he said softly. "Better?"

I nodded.

Dad gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

"Come with me."

He took me to a quiet corner near the hallway where we could talk without everyone listening.

He crouched down so we were at the same level.

"Maya..."

I looked at him.

"I'm sorry."

"For everything that happened today."

I didn't answer.

"I should have told you myself," he continued. "I should have explained everything before bringing you here."

"Why didn't you?"

Dad looked down for a moment.

"I didn't know how."

I stared at him.

"Did Mom know about Elizabeth?"

Dad was quiet.

"Your mother knew there were problems between us."

"Did Mom know about Suzita?"

His face changed slightly.

"She knew I had made mistakes."

I didn't understand.

"Did you love Elizabeth?"

Dad looked directly at me.

"I loved your mother."

"Then why is Elizabeth coming to our house?"

He took a slow breath.

"I made a decision."

"Because of Grandpa and Grandma?"

Dad didn't answer.

That was enough for me.

"I don't like them."

Dad looked at me sadly.

"You don't have to understand everything today."

"I want to go home."

He nodded.

"Okay."

We left soon after.

The next day, Elizabeth and Suzita moved into our house.

I stood at the top of the staircase and watched as people carried boxes through the front door.

Elizabeth looked around the house.

"It's beautiful," she said.

Dad nodded.

"Yes."

Suzita walked beside her, looking around curiously.

Then she noticed me.

"Mom..."

Elizabeth looked at her.

"Is that Maya?"

"Yes."

Suzita looked at me again.

"Why doesn't she talk to me?"

Elizabeth paused before answering.

"She's used to having her father to herself."

Suzita frowned.

"She may not be very happy that we're here because she might think we're taking something away from her."

"We're not," Suzita said quickly.

"I know."

Elizabeth smiled at her.

"But not everyone sees things the way we do."

Suzita looked at me again.

"Is she angry with me?"

"You didn't do anything wrong," Elizabeth replied.

"Don't worry too much about what Maya says or does."

Suzita nodded slowly.

Elizabeth gently touched her shoulder.

"And don't let anyone make you feel like you don't belong here."

Suzita looked at her mother and nodded.

I couldn't hear everything they said from where I stood, but I could see the way Elizabeth spoke to her.

And I noticed the way Suzita looked at me afterward.

Dad looked up and noticed me.

"Maya, come downstairs."

I slowly walked down.

Elizabeth smiled.

"Hello, Maya."

"Hello."

Dad looked between us.

"We're all going to try to get along, okay?"

Elizabeth smiled.

"Of course."

Suzita smiled at me too.

I forced a small smile back.

That evening, I went into my room.

I looked around at my books, my clothes, and all the little things that had always made the room feel like mine.

I could hear voices downstairs.

Before Mom died, this house belonged to Dad, Mom, and me.

Now Mom was gone.

Elizabeth was here.

Suzita was here.

And Dad had allowed it.

I picked up the small pillow Mom used to sleep with and held it against my chest.

"Mom..."

My voice broke.

I wished I could hear her answer.

I wished she could tell me what I was supposed to do.

Then I heard Suzita laughing downstairs.

I closed my eyes.

For the first time, I realized that things were not going back to the way they used to be.

Mom wasn't coming back.

Elizabeth was here.

Suzita was here.

And Dad had allowed it.

I didn't know what my life was going to look like anymore.

I only knew that the home I had known before was slowly becoming a place I no longer recognized.

And I was still just a little girl trying to understand why everything had changed.