Vivi-Anne at the ALDC

30. What About Mother?

VIVI- ANNE'S POV

"Cathy, what do you mean you're not coming back? Your daughter loves you. She needs you. I know the moms are-" Melissa glances at the table again. She mutters something quietly to Cathy, and slips out onto the back porch.

Suddenly, I feel sick. I drop my fork and run into the bathroom, locking the door.

"Vivi!" I hear Maddie and Kenzie shout. They knock on the door. "Are you okay?"

I can't stop the tears falling down my face. She may have made some bad decisions, but I will always love my mother. And it hurts to know that my mom is never coming back for me. I sit on the toilet lid, curl into a ball, and sink into misery.

Melissa's call ends, and she uses a coin to open the bathroom lock. She shoos Maddie and Kenzie away.

I can't look at her.

"Vivi? It's Melissa. Are you okay?"

"Is my mom leaving me forever?" I ask.

She pauses. "Well..."

This is it. I'll never see my mother again. All because of dance.

Melissa shifts. "Your mother will see you again. Of course. She's not going to leave on such bad terms! Your mother wouldn't do that."

"But on good terms?" My voice shakes.

Melissa tries to chuckle, but it doesn't work. "Vivi, your mother loves you. Just as much as I love Maddie and Mackenzie."

I try to believe it as hard as I can. But I can't.

I'm adopted. So it's harder for me to feel the connection. But the genuine love between Melissa and her daughters is so obvious. My mom loving me? Not that clear.

I borrow Kenzie's pajamas to sleep. Melissa sets up two sleeping bags in Kenzie's room. "Maddie had a headache, and she wanted to sleep alone." Melissa says. "And remember, you two, we have dance tomorrow morning, so don't stay up late gossiping!"

She gives Kenzie a kiss goodnight on her forehead, and pauses for a second.

Before I can think, she kisses her hand and taps me on the forehead. " I don't want to make you uncomfortable with a kiss, but maybe this'll do, okay?"

My mom has never once done that for me. She's tucked me in, sure, but I've never gotten a kiss goodnight.

Kenzie tries to whisper to me, but I feign sleep. I'm not actually sleeping, though-- instead I keep silent as tears drip down my cheeks. Even Melissa cares for me more than my mom does.

~~~

MORNING

We wake up to toaster waffles and strawberries. Melissa shuffles us along. I don't fit in Kenzie's dancewear, so Maddie lends me a dance top and shorts. We're all homeschooled, so none of us need to go to school in the morning.

The car ride to the studio this time is only fifteen minutes long. Much better than the two- hour ride from home in Ohio.

We get to the studio early, and Abby rehearses my duet with Kenzie. It's going really well, and she's correcting me less and less every time. I feel like I'm really improving, and I'm proud.

I managed to nail my side aerial every time we rehearsed, so Abby lets Kenzie and I do it in the number. I'm thankful for that-- there's no way I would want to let Kenzie down.

Melissa takes me out of acro class half an hour early, but not Maddie or Kenzie.

"Excuse me, but it's only five PM! Why am I leaving so early?" I ask.

Melissa smiles at me. " I brought a dress for you. Put it on. We're going to go see your mom."

I smile as I see the white dress. I think it's Maddie's, but whatever. I'm going to get to see my mom! Maybe she does care about me after all.

We get in the car and drive, and I'm grinning the whole time.