Shattered Memories

Chapter Three: Home Sweet Home... I Think

            The door swung open, my hand in midair. Mandy was standing before me, smiling happily. “Hey! Welcome home.”

            I returned her smile. “Thanks… I guess.”

            Watching my step, I stepped inside the house. I can’t help gaping. It was too large just for the three of us – Summer, Mandy and I. Summer said Mom and Dad doesn’t live with us because they have a condo in Los Angeles. She also said that we don’t have any household helpers since Mandy could cook excellently.

            “You okay?” Mandy inquired, raising an eyebrow as she closed the door.

            I forced the corner of my lips upward. “Yeah, sure. I think it’s because of the heels,” I said, gesturing to the high heels that I was wearing. Honestly, I don’t know how to walk with heels but somehow when I put them on earlier this morning when Summer came to pick me up from the hospital, I can walk with them without tripping – which I thought I would.

            Mandy smiled sympathetically. “You’ll get used to it.”

            “So what are you up to?” I asked, changing the subject.         

            “Oh, I was taking care of Hannah.”

            I furrowed my brows. “Who’s Hannah?”

            Mandy blinked at me in surprise. “You don’t know?”

            “What?”

            Her jaw dropped. A second later, she closed her mouth and grabbed my wrist. “You got to be kidding me.” She dragged me to a place I think was the living room. On the couch, there was a baby with clear green eyes. The baby was wearing a small pink dress and matching pink socks.

            I felt my eyes widen as my jaw dropped to the ground. This couldn’t be… “Who’s that?”

            “That, Autumn, is your one-year-old daughter.”

            Oh. My. God. I have a child?! And no one told me about it?! I opened my mouth but no sound came out.

            I heard footsteps behind me and I knew it was Summer. I whipped around as she walked, a carefree smile on her face as if there was nothing wrong with the world, as if I just haven’t learned I have a baby. “Hey, what’s up?” Her eyes landed on Hannah. “Oh, I see that you’ve met Hannah.”

            “Why didn’t you tell me?!” I almost screamed at her.

            She frowned. “Tell you about what?”

            “I have a daughter!”

            “What the hell are you talking about?” Summer demanded.

            I pointed my index finger on the baby that was lying on the couch. “That!”

            Suddenly, I heard laughter. I turned around and saw Mandy, literally on the floor, clutching her stomach as she continued laughing hysterically. Her curly black hair spilled to her face messily but she didn’t pushed it away.

            “Oh my God!” she choked between laughter.

            Realization dawned to me. “Mandy, you bitch!” I screamed.

            “Whoa, whoa, whoa, mind your language, Autumn,” Summer warned. “What exactly happened?”

            “Mandy told me that Hannah was my daughter and I believed her,” I said, glaring at the laughing person on the floor.