SIN

Come clean

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November, Wednesday

Melissa

I wish I didn't come to The Garden State with my kids today.

I can't believe my eyes. There's no way I'm seeing what I'm seeing right now. There's absolutely no reason why this should be happening to me right now. The universe is playing tricks one. There is no way I chose the same day as her to bring my kids out to play. It doesn't seem very coincidental that she chose the exact same time as me to be here.

The universe has got to definitely be playing tricks on me.

"MELISSA!" My mom loudly calls over the loud voices of children playing. My head swiftly turn to look at her.

"Mm?" I ask, slowly feeling all the blood rush from my face. My stomach tightens in this big knot and I quickly take another peek at where she's still standing.

My breathing quickens..

"What the heck is wrong with you? Why you look so sick all of a sudden?" My mother frowns as she stares at me. "What's over there?" She follows my gaze and try to see what I'm looking at.

The woman I walked in on Rony having sex with is what's over there. The woman who ruined my marriage is what's over there. Very happily wrapped in the arms of a man standing behind her. They watch happily as a little girl throw basketballs into a net.

My heart clenches, and I quickly close my eyes. She was bent over my, Rony's desk. She knows the taste of my husband. She experienced a part of him that was only supposed to be reserved for me. She enjoyed it. She enjoyed what was supposed to belong only to me.

Yet, there she is, happy in the arms of a man as if she didn't ruin my life. As if she didn't wreck a home. As if she didn't put two little children at risk of living in two unstable homes. She's happy and laughing as if she didn't leave me in pure agony to cry myself to sleep every night.

"Oh God" I quickly slap a hand over my mouth when I feel the sudden urge to throw up succumb me. She's so beautiful.

"Melissa what the hell is going on? Why're you acting like this all of a sudden?!" My mother's eyes bore into mines and I quickly close them. I can't do this right now.

"We have to go" I say, scurrying up to my feet and grabbing my purse to go look for my children. I can't handle this pain. "Mom" I look down at my mother who's still sitting down, staring at me as if I'm crazy.

"We just got here child, we ain't going nowhere"

"Mom please. Not right now" I inhale a deep breath and slowly exhale with closed eyes. When I re-open my eyes, my mother is still staring at me.

I know that she's trying to read me.

"Sit down" she states and I shake my head. As soon as I open my mouth to protest, she beats me to it. "Whatever it is over there that's got you so shaken up, you're going to face it like the strong woman that I raised you to be. Sit down" she nods towards the chair that I just vacated.

"Mom, you don't understand" I close my eyes again to keep from looking over there. Just why oh why does she have to be here?

"Trust me, I'll get my answers. But you can't fix your problems, or face your fears by running away from them" she takes the cap off her water bottle and take a quick sip. Very unbothered "Now sit down. I ain't repeating myself again"

The sincere look in her eyes make me oblige. I have to bite down on my lip to keep myself from crying.

"Here" My mother pushes her water bottle towards me "drink this and calm yourself"