DARKSIDE

12 | Confession

Ever punctual and a discipline seeking person was how people described Victor Newton. And eventually, that was how they began describing Nova as. It had been a title she wore with pride, and one that she always, always wanted to be known with. But sitting in her car, just a lane before where her Parents' house was, she was dreading coming on time.

If she was late, she knew her father will be disappointed, and if she went there on time, the conversation would be too much to be started at eight in the evening. It was a situation Nova wasn't familiar with, but handling these situations gracefully was another title she crowned herself with. And so, she started her car again, took a deep breath and prepared herself.

At just five seconds before the clock would've hit eight, Nova ringed the bell. At precisely eight, she entered the house. She knew because of the grandfather clock that began its gong like alarm.

Macey was as sweet as Nova remembered her to be and as welcoming too. Because of her, she felt at ease but that ease was soon starting to diminish.

"How was the atmosphere here all day?" Nova couldn't help but ask. And the way Macey's smile started to look concealing, she had a very distinct idea as to how it could have been.

"I cannot say much, Nova dear, but you have your parents quite tense," Macey said in a hushed whisper. Her brown eyes looking for any ear hearing her at that moment and her hands wiping on the apron she wore. Her short self a bit bent forward to make sure that when she spoke, it was only Nova that heard her.

Macey was a middle aged Goan woman, migrated to England only ten years ago when she met the man she was now happily married to. She was shorter than Nova and was of an adorably round shape – that Nova remembered she loved hugging when she came home from school in her childhood days. She would've hugged her again, tightly, only if Victor Newton, her father himself, wouldn't've been walking towards them.

"Nova," he said nodding towards her and then looking at Macey as she walked off into the kitchen.

Sighing, Nova looked at her father and went ahead to hug him.

"Come on in, your mother is waiting," he said after pulling away and thumping her on the back as he did so.

Isabelle Newton was on the phone, not particularly waiting, she noticed, but when she saw her daughter, she put down the phone and stood up almost immediately.

"Nova!" She exclaimed and hurried over to her, squeazing her in a tight embrace. It felt good. It felt good because Nova was hugging her mother after a long time, especially this tight. She felt a wave of strong emotions hit her, but she couldn't entertain them, not when she had to make them understand – and logically so.

Smiling at her mother whose face was worried – an expression Nova had very rarely saw on her face and that made her feel guilty. She didn't want to feel guilty.

They eventually sat down, the dinner eventually was served, and the dessert arrived not long after. All the while, no one spoke. She wanted to claim that the silence was uncomfortable, or she couldn't bear with it, but then she would be lying, and Nova hated lying.

"So — "

"Nova — "

Her Mother and Father started at the same time and Nova put down the spoon she was having the dessert with. It was time.

Heaving in a sigh, she decided: now or never.

"I know," she said, not looking at her expectant parents.

"What?" Her mother asked. "What do you know Nova? Signing a contract like that? Jesus Christ, you could have at least told us if you were so much considering it!" Nova wasn't sure if her mother was angry, felt betrayed, or sad. If Nova had to guess, she would say she looked all three of them but she knew better. Isabelle Newton was known for how well she could control and hide her emotions.