Broken Strings

C H A P T E R F I F T E E N

And she didn't wait for him to say anything as she ran out of the kitchen. She rushed upstairs, with one hand over her mouth and the other hand pinching her nose. She didn't want another nosebleed nor did she want to throw up blood again.

She didn't want them to know something was wrong with her.

Between the nosebleeds that were getting more frequent and the sharp pains that were getting worse, Anisha knew she didn't have much left.

And the only question she wanted an answer to was how much did she even have left.

"Mom is making breakfast." Ryan watched as his father grabbed an apple as his mother rushed out of the kitchen.

"Are you ready for your game today?" Andrew slowly bit into the apple, waiting for Anisha to come back.

He needed to talk to her. They needed to talk. Talk about everything.

Because he was tired of being miserable. Because he was tired of fucking up.

"Yea and Mom said she would come today." And Ryan smiled. He was glad his mother was going to his game.

But he was also scared. Because he couldn't forget about last night. About how weak she had looked. About sick his mother had looked.

And he needed to know what was wrong.

She claimed that it was nothing. But he didn't believe her.

Something was wrong.

"Oh that's great. We can get ice cream after, if you want." And all Andrew could think about was talking to Anisha.

He was sorry. He was so fucking sorry.

And he knew sorry wouldn't change anything. But he just wanted to talk.

"Wait Dad, I think Mom is sick." Ryan looked up at his father, trying to piece together everything and figure out what was wrong with his mother.

And before he could tell his Dad about the nosebleed, about the pills and about the way his mother had been crying and screaming, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Ryan slowly made his way to the door, wondering what was taking his mother so long.

All she had to do was wake up Mira. And Mira woke up to one magic word.

Cinderella.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" His eyes narrowed as he stared at a pale and shaking Amanda.

He knew who she was. And he had always tried to believe that his father wasn't cheating on his mother.

But he knew better.

Because he was the first one to know about his father's mistress.

Because exactly one year ago, Anisha had dropped Ryan off at his father's work because she needed to go to a parent and teacher conference with Mira. And Ryan had walked into his father's office, only to find his lips locked with the same woman standing in front of him right now.

And for two weeks, he avoided his mother and his father. His father hadn't said a single word, only that it was a one-time mistake. And his mother, Ryan was scared to tell her.

He didn't know what to tell her.

Until a few day later when she had baked a vanilla cake and he was helping her decorate it. He told her what he had seen.

And she had brushed it off saying it was nothing new and she had always known.

She told him she was only staying for him and his sister. And that his father didn't love her anymore. And she didn't care what he did.