If there was ever a time for Lexi to be glad about packing a large pair of dark sunglasses, it was now, as she boarded the Greyhound to New York City. She threw them on while indoors— something she wouldn't otherwise do. But it was her only way to keep her teary eyes out of the sight of strangers.
No one had better ask me if I'm okay, she thought once she plopped down in her window seat.
Lexi's heart pounded in her chest as she threw in her earbuds and began playing loud music. Her eyes focused on the window to avoid having to look at anyone else. She silently wept at how everything had gone down at Isaac's house. It was one thing for his mother to not like her and express mild disdain. But it was a whole other thing to berate and embarrass her in front of Isaac and the rest of his family. Her face felt hot as she tried to get the events of the confrontation out of her head.
I can't believe that happened. God, what a fucking disaster that visit was. How can someone treat another person like that? After how kind I was to them, too...
Lexi bit her lip to keep a sob from escaping. She didn't want to draw any unwanted attention to herself. Fortunately, the man sitting beside her was fast asleep and wasn't even looking in her direction.
I've never wanted to be home in San Diego so bad, she thought. Why did my parents have to not celebrate it this year???
She bit her lip again. She understood that her parents' careers were important and she never wanted to get in the way of that. But she wished they hadn't been too busy for Thanksgiving this year. If that hadn't been the case, she wouldn't be crying while taking a Greyhound back to New York City.
She glanced at her phone and saw several unread texts from Isaac. She continued to ignore them out of sheer embarrassment for walking out the way she had. Instead, she texted her roommate and best friend.
Lexi: Hey, when are you back in NYC? I can't remember
Nikita: Tomorrow afternoon, I think? Hbu?
Lexi: I'll be there tonight.
Nikita: I thought you were staying @ Isaac's?
Lexi: It's a long story
Nikita: Ok. Sorry
Lexi: Not your fault. I'll tell you tomorrow. Gotta go
Nikita: Later!
Lexi sighed before turning her music up a little more. She closed her eyes and tried to calm down in the hopes of not thinking about what happened.
When she finally reached her destination, she took an Uber to her apartment and entered. She decided to unpack now despite it now being well into the evening.
I'll take care of my dirty laundry tomorrow, she thought as she finished the last of her unpacking.
It wasn't until after she had showered and changed into her pyjamas that she glanced at her phone again. She finally scrolled through the texts Isaac had sent her.
Isaac: Lexi, I'm sorry
Isaac: Please talk to me
Isaac: I love you, babe
Isaac: I've talked to my parents and they're gonna apologize
Isaac: I wanna make this right
Isaac: Lexi, please respond
Isaac: Lexi?????
Each text broke Lexi's heart a little more than the last. Tears brimmed her eyes at how desperate Isaac sounded. It was obvious that he wanted to fix this messy situation. But instead of replying, she put her phone down and laid down to get some much-needed sleep. She didn't want to deal with any more drama today.
***
Lexi didn't wake up until 8:30 AM the next day. Her eyes weren't as puffy as she had expected, but her heart was still heavy from everything that had gone down. She sat up in bed and hugged her knees.
I wish Nikita was here, just so I could vent to someone, she thought before getting up.
She used the bathroom and then left for the kitchen. She made herself a cup of coffee before returning to her bed. But before she could begin scrolling through her phone, her mother suddenly called. Lexi frowned in confusion.
It's like 5:30 in the morning in Cali. Why the hell is Mom calling me now? Is something wrong? God, I hope not, she thought as she answered.
"Hello?"
"Hi, honey! Did I call at a bad time?"
"Oh, no, you didn't," Lexi said. "Everything alright?"
"Everything's good," her mother replied. "I just wanted to call and wish you a happy belated Thanksgiving, dear. I love you so much, and I wish you were here."
Lexi suddenly got choked up. She set her mug down on her nightstand to run her hand through her messy long hair. "So do I."
"How is it at Isaac's?" her mother asked. "Are you still there?"
"I left yesterday," Lexi revealed. "I, uh...I was supposed to stay until today, but I left early."
"Wait, why? Did something happen?"
Before she could stop herself, Lexi burst into tears. She cried into the phone and curled up into a ball on her bed.
"Alexandra, my goodness, what's wrong?" her mother asked in a worried voice.
Lexi finally calmed down long enough to respond. "Isaac's mother doesn't like me at all."
"Why not?"
"She thinks that Isaac will have to support me after school, and even asked if 'Mommy and Daddy' will support me. She also called my dreams stupid and insulted me to my face."
"Oh honey, I'm so sorry. That's awful."
Lexi stopped crying and scoffed. "You don't have to lie, Mom."
"Pardon me?"
"You and Dad have never been supportive of my endeavours," Lexi snapped through her tears, her voice laced with bitterness. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe that you feel that bad about what happened. Yeah, you say nice things and amuse my dreams to avoid hurting my feelings. But I know you and Dad wish I wasn't like this. I know you wished I was pursuing a 'real career', so to speak. I'm not stupid, Mom. I don't know everything, but I'm not stupid."
Her mother sighed. "Sweetie, I...I'm sorry. You're right— your father and I haven't been as supportive as we should be. We talked a lot the last couple of months while you've been gone. I even told him about you getting a literary agent the other day. He was so happy for you, Lexi."
"He texted me to say congrats, but I figured he didn't really care," Lexi admitted.
"Well, he does," her mother said. "You know, I've come to realize that I don't want to just be a prosecutor. I have a dream of my own, believe it or not."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"To become a judge."
Lexi raised her eyebrows. Her mother had mentioned off and on before that being a judge was something she wasn't interested in. So, this revelation caught her off guard.
"I told one of my colleagues that I want to become a judge," her mother went on, "and he told me, 'Keep dreaming, Amanda,'— his words, not mine. I told him where to go and how to get there."
"Good for you," Lexi interjected with an amused laugh. Only her mother would have the gall to snap at a co-worker like that.
"But it got me thinking— how can I defend my own dream when I'm dismissing the dreams my daughter has? I told your father all this, and he realized the same thing. Your dreams and aspirations are just as valid as ours, Lexi. We love you, and we support you 100 percent."
Lexi broke down during her mother's speech. Hearing her express her love and support didn't fix what had happened at Isaac's yesterday, but it certainly made her feel better. Aside from Isaac, no one else had ever supported her pursuit of becoming an author.
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry that we've let you down," her mother remarked. She paused to take a shaky deep breath.
"Mom, are you crying?"
"Only a little."
Lexi bit her lip as her bitterness evaporated into thin air. "I'm sorry, Mom. I wasn't trying to make you cry or hurt your feelings. Also, you haven't let me down. You and Dad were just worried about me. It's one thing to be worried or concerned— I get that. But Isaac's mother just berated me and spoke to me like I was the biggest fucking idiot on the planet. Er, sorry for swearing. But it was beyond upsetting."
"I know, honey," her mother said in a soothing voice. "I wish I was there to give you a big hug."
"So do I."
"Just try to not worry too much over what his parents think of you. I know it's easier said than done, but at least try, okay? They don't see what I see— a kind and wonderful young lady who's incredibly hard-working and always wants the best for herself. Hopefully, that'll change. And if it doesn't, then it's their loss."
"Okay, Mom. I'll try my best to do that. I'll also stop crying if you do too."
Her mother laughed. "It's a deal. Oh, I need to go to work now. My trial starts again in a couple of hours."
"Yes, absolutely. I love you, and good luck," Lexi said. "Don't piss too many people off."
"I love you too, and I'll try," her mother replied with another calming laugh.
Once the call ended, Lexi wiped her tears away and grabbed her mug off her nightstand. She took a sip, only for cold coffee to touch her tastebuds. She got up and popped it into the microwave to heat up.
Thank God for Mom, she thought. I'm gonna try to make the best out of today until I have to talk to Isaac again.
***
By one o'clock that afternoon, Nikita had returned to her and Lexi's apartment. Once Nikita's parents had left, the two roommates sat on the couch to catch up. Lexi proceeded to tell her all about the drama that had unfolded while visiting Isaac's family for Thanksgiving.
"Jesus fucking Christ," Nikita said once Lexi finished telling the tale. "What a shitshow."
"Tell me about it," Lexi remarked. "I'm still trying to process the whole thing."
"I'm sorry you had to deal with that."
"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. Besides, I talked it out with my mom, and she helped me feel better."
"Moms are the best, aren't they?"
Lexi raised her eyebrows. "For the most part."
"Shit, I didn't think about how that came out," Nikita remarked with a guilty expression. "I'm sorry."
"Nah, it's okay," Lexi replied. "I know what you meant."
There was a sudden knock at the door, causing the women to exchange curious stares.
"50 bucks says it's Isaac," Nikita said with a smirk.
"I'd bet that you're right," Lexi responded before getting up to answer it.
She checked the peephole. Sure enough, Isaac was there at the door. But he wasn't alone.
"I'll step out so that you guys can talk without me listening in," Nikita said.
"I'm so sorry."
"No, don't be. This is important."
Lexi opened the door to find Isaac standing there with his parents beside him. Nikita greeted them all before leaving under the false pretense of getting groceries.
"Lexi, I'm glad to see you again," Isaac said before enveloping her in a hug.
Despite how upset she was over everything, Lexi returned the hug tightly. None of her anger was directed at Isaac, so she didn't mind. She then greeted his parents with a blank expression.
"Hello," she greeted in a flat yet polite manner.
"Lexi," Isaac's mother began, "I owe you an apology for my behaviour the other day. It was completely uncalled for and inexcusable. I shouldn't have been so rude or insulted you."
"While I appreciate your apology," Lexi said in a hesitant tone, "I'm still extremely hurt by what you said. You embarrassed and hurt me— and for what? I've been so nice to you and James, and yet to spat all over my kindness. That's how it felt, at least."
Isaac's mother bristled at the response. "Lexi—"
"Her feelings are valid, Mom," Isaac interrupted. "She has every right to be angry and upset. You're lucky she even wants to talk to you."
She nodded slowly. "Fair point. But I am truly sorry. I mean it."
Lexi searched her face for any remorse or shame. It was hard to tell— Lana wasn't the easiest woman to read. Her dark brown eyes held a sense of sadness, and she kept wringing her hands nervously.
"I will accept your apology," Lexi said, taking care of her tone, "but it's gonna take action to prove that you mean it. That means no more insulting me or berating me. I don't care if you like me or not— that's a whole other thing. But at the very least, I would like to be treated with respect. I think I deserve that."
Isaac grinned but kept his mouth shut. His father raised his eyebrows while Lexi tried her best to stay calm. She wasn't too keen on getting into a screaming match with her boyfriend's parents.
I can't believe I just spoke to Lana like that!!! Holy shit, where did this bravado come from? Maybe it came from dealing with all of Cassie's bullshit? Whatever, she thought as her heart pounded in her chest.
"I agree," Isaac's mother said with a nod. "And I hope you'll continue to treat me the same way."
"You have my word," Lexi replied. She then looked at Isaac's father. "And I promise to treat you the same."
"Sounds good," he remarked.
Lexi shook both their hands before Isaac excused themselves to see his parents off. He then returned to her apartment with a relieved smile.
"That went better than I thought."
"Oh my God, I'm so glad that it didn't turn into a shouting match," Lexi responded. She sat on the couch and put her head in her hands. Her heart pounded so fast from how she had stood up for herself.
"I'm proud of you."
She looked up at Isaac, who was still smiling. "Really?"
"How could I not?" he remarked as he sat down beside her. "You did the right thing, Lexi."
"Well, good. I'm sorry I ignored all your texts, by the way."
"No, it's okay. I figured you wanted some space."
Lexi nodded with a half-hearted grin. "You could say that."
"Lexi, I'm so sorry about everything," Isaac said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "If I had known that things were gonna go so badly, I never would've suggested the idea of you visiting in the first place. I feel guilty as hell for putting you through that awful mess."
"It's not like we knew that would happen," Lexi pointed out. "But I appreciate you apologizing, babe."
"Also," Isaac added, "I know you know this, but let me be clear— I'm in your corner, Lexi. I'll always be in your corner. I promise."
Lexi's grin bloomed into a genuine smile. "I'm glad to hear that. Thanks again for standing up for me."
"Of course. You deserve that much."
Isaac then pulled her onto his lap to kiss her lips. She straddled him carefully, threading her fingers through his dark brown hair to pull him even closer. She felt Isaac's strong arms around her back to comfort and hold her. This moment helped melt most of her worries and sadness.
"I love you, Isaac."
"I love you too. Wanna go on a little date to The Bean's Knees?"
"Oh, yes, please! I'd love that."
"Perfect."
Lexi excused herself to her bedroom to change into black jeans and a bright red cable knit sweater. She texted Nikita that the coast was clear before grabbing her things and leaving her room.
"I'm ready to go," she said once she threw on her coat and boots.
Isaac smiled. "Let's go."
The couple shared another loving kiss before leaving for their impromptu date.