CHAPTER 6
*PAST*
“The beginning of the end”
Maya
The houses were getting bigger, and the streets were cleaner. The rumble of our old car stopping at the red street light made me look out the window and see my dad’s brown eyes in the rear mirror.
“Tell me about these Willows,”
his rough voice said.
“They were very nice.”
“I heard. They also have a shit ton of money.”
I nodded. “Their house’s huge, and they even have a cinema and a library!”
He whistled. “Do they have a butler?”
he asked with an English accent.
I thought about it. “No, I only saw the kids and the parents.”
“They must be hidden. So no nannies, either?”
I shook my head. “I don’t believe that; they have too many kids.”
I raised and lowered my shoulders. “Then it must be a circus.”
“They were good. A little loud.”
“What about the parents?” he asked.
“They were nice. Mrs. Willow braided my hair. She used something that made my hair extra smooth.”
The red light turned green, and we passed the town’s central plaza. My dad stopped at a crosswalk as my classmate, Peter, and his mom crossed it.
Mrs. Gray said, “Hi.”
Not many people in town greeted us.
“How’s Peter doing these days?”
my dad asked me.
“I don’t play much with him. He’s too loud and is always doing bad things.”
“He seemed calmer with his mom. What about Mrs. Gray?”
“I haven’t seen her in weeks. She started a new job, and his dad is the one who brings him to the park. Sometimes, another woman is with them.”
“He brings the mistress? The balls of that scum,”
he muttered.
“What’s a mistress? I didn’t bring my dictionary.”
“It’s someone who kisses a married man.”
“Peter’s parents are divorcing.”
“Exactly. His sorry excuse for a father was kissing his secretary, and Mrs. Gray found out and is now divorcing him.”
I clenched my fists in rage. “Poor Mrs. Gray. Why would he do that?”
I asked, raising my voice.
“He’s too stupid, too weak, and too selfish—a deadly combination. Now, he has to live with his actions. Doesn’t seem like he learned his lessons, though.”
“Peter told me that he knew his parents were going to divorce because they stopped kissing and were always arguing.”
He made a noncommittal sound. “Are you and Mom divorcing?”
“What? No fucking way. I’d never do that to your mom; neither would she. Couples go through some hardships. They’re like rollercoasters. Do you remember when we went to that fair with the big rides?”
I nodded. “I rode on the big red rollercoaster with you and Mom.”
“That you did, my brave girl. It’s exactly like that. Sometimes, you’re on top, and sometimes, life kicks you in the balls, and you need to regroup. As long as you both keep fighting and there’s no cheating or abuse, you can always come back from that.”
I felt lighter. My parents’ marriage was fine, and he wasn’t going to break my mom’s heart. But I still had some questions.
“That’s why you kiss less?”
“We’re busy and tired, but I’m crazy about your mom. Did I tell you how we met?”
“Only a hundred times,”
I said, smiling and rolling my eyes. “But it’s my favorite story.”
“You loved it when we told you the story for bedtime,”
he replied wistfully. “What I want to tell you, Maya, is that I love Mom too much to divorce her, and I know it’s the same for her. Soon, you’ll be tired of seeing us kissing.”
It was true that my parents looked at each other like the other was everything, but they seemed to be looking at each other less and less.
I looked at my dad, who seemed focused on the drive, but I knew him better than that. He was thinking of something else. His eyebrows were furrowing, deep in thought. He broke the silence and proved me right.
“Breaking your wife’s heart and your kids’ is for people who deserve hell.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in God.”
He laughed. “Dad, how did you know that Mom was the one? You said that you knew, but how?”
“Well, I knew that I only wanted to kiss her. That I didn’t want anyone else to. I talked with her, and I loved how smart and funny she was, how she gave me hell for flirting with her.”
He paused. “So stunning.”
Another one. “But yeah, the kiss part sealed the deal for me. Kissing has its own kind of magic, as well as choosing who to kiss and who not to. It’s fine if you make a mistake, kissing someone who doesn’t deserve it, thinking they were the one, but try to pick the right person. You’re smart; you will figure it out.”
“Then I will know when I find someone funny, smart, and pretty?”
I asked, summarizing his advice. He laughed.
“It’s important that when you see their face, you smile instantly and feel butterflies.”
Aaron’s face appeared in my mind. “What is it, Maya?”
“Maybe that person can be only a friend…”
I said slowly.
“There’s a fragile line between friendship and love. A soulmate’s your best friend, too, but a best friend can be only that. You understand?”
He looked at my face through the rear mirror. “If you’re in doubt, think about the kissing that we talked about. Think if you want to kiss them or just hug them.”
Did I want to kiss or hug Aaron? I didn’t know, but I had time to think about it.
When I looked out the window again, we were in Aaron’s street. My dad whistled.
“You didn’t lie when you said the house was huge. I knew they were remodeling the old Whiteford house, but this…”
He whistled again. “How did you become friends with them?”
I was starting to feel nervous. Aaron’s house made me feel out of place. They had so many things, and all of them seemed so expensive.
His house looked so fancy. At first, I didn’t want to touch anything in case I would dirty or break something.
Their books were stunning. It gave me some familiarity to see that not all of them were brand new. His house was loud, and bright, and had so much stuff.
The chandelier, a new word that Aaron taught me, was bigger than the whole roof of my living room. I didn’t know what his parents worked in, but they seemed to still have time to spend with their kids, braid their hair, watch movies, and even bake cookies all in one afternoon. They all were so lovely and happy.
They were used to spending their afternoons with their parents. I needed to ask Aaron what his parents’ jobs were. Maybe mine could change jobs. It would be great if mine could spend that much time with me.
I looked to my left. I had brought my doll that my parents gifted me when I was little. It had a pretty flower dress and two ponytails. It also had a tiny dog. I didn’t play with dolls anymore—well, not very often. I only had two, and this one was the prettiest.
Maybe the kids would like it. They were so nice to me that I wanted to bring them something. I also had my favorite book. It was worn out, but Aaron told me he hadn’t read it yet.
Today, I decided to wear my favorite romper. It had little fairies on it. I loved fairies. Aaron had a super cool book about them. It even smelled! My mom was happy to hear that. There weren’t any in the library. I needed to talk with Mr. Spencer. He might bring some.
Apparently, there was a whole saga of books with smells, some with fairies, some with pirates, and even one that took place in a circus.
I held the big blue bow that Mrs. Willow had put in my hair the other day. She’d brushed it so delicately, and my hair smelled amazing until I needed to wash it. Maybe she could braid it again today.
My dad brought me to the front door, and said hello to Mrs. Willow. Aaron came to say hello, too. He seemed very excited to see me. I introduced my dad and Aaron. I wanted my best friend and my dad to know each other. My dad nodded and let me go with them.
Aaron and I spent the night playing with his siblings. They seemed very happy to have me here, too. Aaron was so funny and welcoming. We played hide-and-seek, and when it started to become chilly, we went inside and ate some sandwiches.
Aaron touched my shoulder. “Let’s go read upstairs,”
he whispered.
I followed him, trying not to make noise. He didn’t want his siblings to follow me. I thought that having that many kids with whom to play would be awesome, but he said that sometimes it was too much. He loved silence and had learned where to hide so he could get some when needed.
I followed him to the library and chose a book. He chose one about pirates and I chose one about fairies. I didn’t want him to know that I had found a book with the smell of pirates. I wanted to surprise him but needed to wait until it got to the library.
“Have you gone to our library yet?”
I asked him.
“I have never been in a public library,”
Aaron said nonchalantly.
“We can’t be friends”—he suddenly looked at me with big, worried eyes—“if you have never been. I’ll talk with Mom and her next free day. We’ll go together,”
I declared.
I would introduce him to the librarians and show him my favorite books. It would be a perfect day.
He grinned at me, nodding quickly.
Good.
We sat in his special place and started to read. I didn’t read much of mine. He began to laugh and I needed to know what was so funny, so I started to read his book with him. I always thought that reading would suck if people read at the same time, but I was wrong. It was great to read with him.
“What do you think will happen next?”
“I think they will go to the mermaid island, and their prize will not be there.”
“Where do you think it is?”
“I have no idea. You?”
He shook his head.
We kept reading until I stopped him. “I think I know what’s going to happen.”
“Already? We still have more than half the book.”
“What can I say? I’m a fast detective.”
His eyes turned to slits, but he had a smile.
“What’s going to happen, Maya?”
“Well, he is going to unite with the mermaid’s queen, and she will find the prize and move it somewhere else,”
I declared with my head high, proud of showing my friend how great a detective I was.
“So, she is not a friend?”
he asked with furrowed eyebrows.
“No, she is going to betray him!”
I said, raising my voice.
“No way!”
He jumped, moving from his place. His head hung low, like what happened to fictional characters hurt him.
“I know, but I think that’s going to happen,”
I said with a sad laugh.
“That would be so sad. I wanted them to be friends,”
he said with his arms crossed.
“It would be cool if they are, but she wants to help the sirens. She is their queen. She needs to hide the prize,”
I tried to rationalize with him.
“Why?”
he inquired.
“Maybe it has a curse that affects the mermaids,”
I supplied. “Do you have another theory?”
“I thought they would end up being friends and find the prize together, and one of the prizes would be to be able to turn them into a siren and into a human, so they could swim together and then sail together on his boat, too.”
“That would be so happy. They would get their HEA.”
“What’s HEA?”
“Happily Ever After. Like in the princesses’ stories. They are forever happy and The End.”
“Those are my favorite stories.”
“Really? Mine too.”
We smiled at each other. He had a scar on his forehead; it must have been hidden with his hair.
“When did you get that scar?”
I asked, getting closer to him, analyzing the red, angry wound. It had to be recent.
“Playing with my siblings. Cassie sent me to the ground,”
he said, laughing.
“Was it a big fall? Do you have more injuries?”
“No, I’m fine. I’m stronger than them. I let her win so it would be fair. I’m bigger.”
His cheeks were as red as the fresh strawberries our neighbors gifted us when my mom helped her clean her house. “I want to sign up for chess. I love playing with my grandpa.”
“I have played chess, too. We should play next time. My dad taught me, but I only played twice. He’s busy working. I played once with Mr. Spencer, too. He works in the library.”
“Why don’t you sign up for the chess team? We can go together,”
he chimed in, a grin on his lips.
“I would love to, but we don’t have money for it. My mom is saving to buy us a bigger house. We live in a trailer and it’s way smaller than your house. Maybe we can buy a house near you so we could be neighbors and play chess,”
I explained.
“What?! That would be the best. We could hang out all the time, and read, and play chess, and we could go to your house when we wanted to hide from my siblings. It would be a dream.”
“Yes! It’s going to be smaller than yours, I think, but my mom works two jobs, and my dad works, too, so they make more money than when you work only one,”
I clarified. “I want one with a swimming pool and a swing. A library like yours, too. Two bathrooms minimum,”
I said raising two fingers. I wanted to have my own bathroom.
“Great! I’ll search for houses nearby. But if you don’t have a library, that’s okay. I have one. It’s yours whenever you want it. And I have a swimming pool and a swing, too.”
“You are right. The importantest is that it is near to you,”
I said, using the word as he did when he was excited.
“Yes! I was sad when my parents told me that we were moving, but I’m not anymore. I have found the bestest of friends in the entire world.”
I could feel my cheeks get hot.
“You are the bestest of friends too. I—”
I stopped, thinking of what my dad had said.
“What?”
he asked curiously.
“My dad told me that there is a difference between a best friend and a soulmate,”
I started.
“What is it?”
“That you only want to hug your friend, but you want to kiss your soulmate,”
I explained. “He also told me that a soulmate is your best friend, too.”
Aaron looked at me with his head to the side. I got closer and kissed his cheek. Fast and soft. Just a touch. I looked to the side.
“Does this mean I’m your soulmate?”
I nodded. I was still not looking at him until I felt the press of his lips on my red cheeks. I looked up, shocked at him. “You’re mine,”
he said back at me, his blue eyes shining. We smiled at each other.
I knew that my dad said to wait, but I just knew.
He had to be the one.
“Aaron and Maya!”
I heard Mrs. Willow’s voice in the corridor. We were apart from each other before she opened the door. “There you two are. My enthusiastic readers. Your parents are here, Maya. I asked them to stay for dinner, and they said yes.”
I looked at Aaron, surprised.
“Today is the best day,”
I said to Aaron. He nodded.
“I’m so happy to hear that, Maya darling,”
Mrs. Willow said. I looked at her shyly. “Dinner is about to be ready. Let’s go, my kids.”
We put the books in their places.
“Maya, you can borrow whatever book you want,”
Mrs. Willow offered.
I was elated. “Thank you so much.”
She nodded, and we followed her to the table.
The dinner was great. Aaron’s parents took them on a tour of the house.
We said goodbye to the Willows and I fell asleep on the way home, daydreaming about what tomorrow could bring.
I woke up the next morning to my parents dancing in the kitchen. My mom needed to leave for work soon, but they were too happy, and too touchy and kissy to want to leave.
“Mai, good morning. Do you want some pancakes?” I nodded.
My smile was huge. I felt my cheeks hurting from all the smiling that I did yesterday.
The radio was on with some romance song that my dad was humming to. My mom was laughing, leading to kissing him again.
I knew some of my classmates hated to see people kiss, but I didn’t mind seeing it. I thought it was curious. Cute, sometimes.
My dad was right. There was so much magic in our kisses. They could make people happy. They could make people turn red. They could mean that you were a soulmate. And especially it could mean that you loved them.
“When am I able to go to the Willows’ again?”
I asked Mom and Dad.
“They are a big, busy family, Mai. We can’t be there every day. It was very nice of them to invite us to dinner with them,”
my mom said.
“Let’s wait a little while before going back. We don’t want them to be sick of us, right?”
Dad asked.
My mom left for work shortly after. My dad told me that I needed to stay at home alone for a little. I was sad and angry that I couldn’t wait for him to come back to Aaron’s house, but it was what it was.
I picked one of the books that I’d borrowed the last time I went to the library. I’d already read it, but I didn’t have a new one. I forgot to grab one after Mrs. Willow told me I could. Then, I was too tired and happy to remember.
My dad came home hours later. He seemed tired.
My mom came home when it was dark outside. Our home’s phone rang, and my mom picked it up. I went back to my book to keep reading until I heard the screams.
Now, it was my dad who was talking on the phone.
“We didn’t take any book. My daughter hasn’t touched a single book in your house.”
“Again, of course, I know.”
Some silence and then. “I have looked in my kid’s bag. Nothing there. I already asked my daughter.”
“What’s happening?” I asked.
“Maya, get back into your room!”
Mom screamed.
“No, Maya, come here,”
my dad said, grabbing me by the shoulder. “I can’t believe you are insinuating my daughter stole a book. Tell her that you don’t have any books,”
he said, pushing the phone into my hands.
“Hello, Maya darling,”
Mrs. Willow said with a tired voice.
“Hi, Mrs. Willow.”
I hiccupped.
“It’s alright, Maya. I just want to know if you borrowed a book. It’s completely okay if you did. I told you so, but we are searching for one and we can’t find it. Is there any way that you borrowed one?”
I felt tears falling down my cheeks. I didn’t borrow anything. I shook my head. My dad touched my back.
“I didn’t. I forgot to borrow one before I left,”
I said, sniffing.
“Okay, thank you, darling,”
she said, her voice sad.
“What book is missing?” I asked.
“A special edition that Aaron’s grandpa gave him.”
“That’s horrible. That’s Aaron’s favorite one,”
I said while more tears poured down.
“It is. He has been looking everywhere and can’t find it. We thought that maybe you borrowed it.”
I shake my head.
“I didn’t. I can go and help him find it.”
“Maya, darling—”
she started.
“Enough. My daughter already told you that she doesn’t have it. I hope that you are happy, accusing a kid; just because we don’t swim in gold, doesn’t mean that we are thieves.”
My cheeks kept getting wetter and wetter.
He hung up.
“I can’t believe this family. Who do they think they are?”
my dad said, pacing the kitchen in circles. His eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was messy from running his hands through it.
“I can help him search for it,”
I offered, moving to the door, ready to put my shoes on.
“Are you silly?”
my dad screamed. “They just called you a thief. Your great friend thought that you stole his expensive book. Wake up, Maya. You need to grow a backbone.”
He put himself before me, grabbing me by the shoulders, his eyes at my level. “And stop crying.”
“They don’t deserve your tears, Maya,”
my mom said with a sad smile.
I tried to stop my sobbing, but I couldn’t. He sent me to my room. My mom agreed with him.
They were extremely mad. I couldn’t sleep that night, too busy crying my eyes out.
When I woke up, my dad was already up. He seemed like he didn’t sleep, either. His eyes were red and he was still angry.
“Crying is for the weak and lazy, Maya. Don’t do it again, you hear me? Raise your head and forget that stupid family and that even more stupider boy.”
I didn’t see Aaron for the rest of the summer. I thought that maybe I’d imagined him.
My parents never said a word about the Willows.
It wasn’t until I went back to school that I saw him again.