Chapter 14
1144 Words
Richard didn’t reply. He had no idea what to say. The silence left in her absence was unbearable. The house no longer felt the same. The once warm, glowing rooms felt hollow—lifeless.
He paced the garden, staring at the spot where they once sat under the tree during the picnic. He remembered how she laughed that day, her eyes catching the sunlight just right. He remembered how her hand felt when he tucked her hair behind her ear. How her lips had tasted that night in the kitchen—sweet, hesitant, and addicting.
She wasn’t feeling good and she hadn’t even told him.
⸻
Tracy leaned her head against the bus window, watching the familiar streets of her hometown roll by in a blur. Her heart ached in her chest, heavy with confusion, with guilt… and longing.
Ray.
She had been with Ray for years—he was her first everything. The boy who saw her when others didn’t. The one who made her feel beautiful, cherished, protected.
But then came Richard.
Richard, with his cocky smile and deep, unreadable eyes. Richard, who held her like she was fragile but kissed her like she was his entire world.
She felt like two people in one body. One clinging to the comfort and loyalty of Ray’s love. The other slowly unraveling in Richard’s presence.
By the time the bus pulled up in front of the small, weathered gate of her childhood home, her eyes were already misted. She tried to put on a brave face, but her heart wasn’t having it.
Her mother was outside, watering the small row of potted flowers by the porch. The moment she saw Tracy descending the bus, dragging her bag behind her, she turned off the tap and walked toward her daughter with open arms.
“My baby,” her mom whispered as she hugged her tightly. “You didn’t even tell me you were coming.”
Tracy clung to her mother a little longer than usual, letting herself soak in the warmth, the safety… the familiarity.
“I missed home,” she murmured, blinking fast to hold back the tears.
Her mother pulled away and gave her a good once-over. “You look exhausted. Come inside.”
Inside, the air smelled of fried plantain and fresh laundry. Her younger siblings were at school, and the house was peaceful, filled only with the quiet hum of the fan and the occasional chirp from outside.
Tracy barely spoke during lunch. She picked at her food, her thoughts miles away. Her mother noticed.
“You haven’t even eaten two spoons,” she said gently, sitting across from her. “What’s bothering you?”
Tracy bit her lip, her throat tightening. “It’s nothing, Mom.”
Her mother reached for her hand, squeezing it. “You’ve never been good at lying, Tracy. Talk to me.”
That was all it took.
Tears spilled from Tracy’s eyes before she could stop them. She covered her face with her hands, shaking her head as sobs wracked her small frame.
Her mother was beside her in an instant, arms wrapped tightly around her. “Shhh… it’s okay. Let it out, sweetheart. Let it out.”
Through tears and hiccups, Tracy told her everything—about Richard, about the necklace, about the spa day, the kiss in the kitchen… and how she felt like she had betrayed Ray, the boy she had always loved.
Her mother didn’t interrupt once. She just rubbed her daughter’s back, listening closely, eyes filled with concern and love.
“I don’t know what’s happening to me, Mom,” Tracy whispered brokenly. “I feel… like I’m in love with two people. I feel guilty. I feel ashamed. I can’t even look Ray in the eye anymore.”
Her mother leaned back, brushing Tracy’s hair gently from her damp cheeks.
“Tracy,” she said softly, “do you remember when you first told me about Ray?”
Tracy nodded slowly.
“You were sixteen. You had stars in your eyes, and you believed in forever. I didn’t stop you because I saw how much he cared for you… and I still believe he does.”
She paused, then added, “But you’ve grown since then, baby. You’re not that little girl anymore. You’ve seen more of the world now. Your heart is allowed to… question. To wonder. To be pulled.”
Tracy looked up at her, eyes red. “So I’m not a terrible person?”
Her mother smiled gently. “No, sweetheart. You’re human. And hearts… they’re complicated. We don’t get to choose when someone touches it in a way we didn’t expect. But guilt doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. It means you care.”
Tracy sniffled, nodding. “I just don’t know what to do. Ray has been so good to me. He wants to marry me someday. But Richard—he makes me feel like I’m coming alive.”
Her mother didn’t offer any rushed advice. She just placed a hand on her heart. “So what does your heart tell you?”
Tracy closed her eyes.
“I… I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I love Ray. But with Richard, it feels like I’m flying.”
“Then don’t rush,” her mom whispered. “Breathe. Take your time. You owe no one a rushed decision, especially when it comes to your happiness.”
They sat together like that for a long while—mother and daughter, two women bound by blood, navigating the messy terrain of love and choices.
⸻
Back at Mrs. Regina’s mansion, Richard was falling apart quietly.
He stood outside in the garden, running a hand through his hair as he replayed their kiss over and over. He hadn’t meant to kiss her like that again—not like that. But he couldn’t stop himself. She had ignited something in him.
But now she was gone. And he feared he had pushed her too far.
He went to his mother again that evening. “Did she say when she’ll be back?”
“No, darling,” Mrs. Regina said. “But she’ll be fine. She just needs a little time.”
Mrs. Regina arched a brow, she wondered what the sudden interest in Tracy was all about but didn’t press further. She knew her son well enough to know when he was brooding—and right now, he was sinking into it.
Later that night, Richard found himself calling her phone over and over again but there seems to be no response from her. He thought if Ray had called her she would pick up with no hesitation, he had a bitter smile playing on his lips.
“I guess she doesn’t feel the same way I do after all.”
All he could think about was her.
- Writer
