Inside These Halls by Adrian J. Smith

Author:Adrian J. Smith [Smith, Adrian J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781960221131
Publisher: Ereka Press
Published: 2023-07-31T16:00:00+00:00

Melanie walked back to her house on cloud nine. Kissing Esther had been everything she had dreamed of and more. She was just stepping onto her block when she stopped short at the sight of the blue minivan parked in front of her house. Her heart raced, and she quickened her pace.

Lights were on in her house, and Melanie opened her door, finding Becky curled on her couch, a faraway look in her gaze. Melanie immediately went over, sliding onto the cushion and touching her leg to get her attention. Becky slowly looked at her.

“Where were you?”

“I was at Esther’s.” Becky nodded, but what Melanie had said didn’t seem to make a dent. “Where are the girls?”

“With Preston’s parents.”

“Where is Preston?”

Becky’s eyes watered, her nose reddened, and her lip curled upward as a sob ripped from her chest, echoing into the living room. “Packing.”

“What happened, Becks?”

“I caught him cheating.”

“Oh, baby.” Melanie moved in and wrapped her arms around Becky’s shoulders and dragged her in for a hug. She kissed the top of her head and ran her hands soothingly down Becky’s back in tight circles as she held on tightly. Becky cried into her chest, the sobs racking through her each time she tried to take a breath.

Melanie stayed there, holding her for as long as Becky needed. Finally, she backed up and wiped her hands across her cheeks. Melanie touched her leg briefly. “I’m going to get you some tissues, okay?”

“Okay.”

She took off her jacket and dropped it onto the back of the living room chair before heading into the bathroom to grab the tissues. Melanie glanced at herself in the mirror, her own pain tearing through her chest as she gathered herself. She couldn’t let her own anger over her hurting child lead the way in this conversation. She had to be the one to pick up the pieces. Becky was strong enough to fight her own battle.

Melanie reminded herself of that twice before she stepped into the hallway. Becky had sat up more and mumbled her thanks as Melanie handed the box over. She blew her nose before falling into Melanie’s side.

Running her fingers through her daughter’s hair, Melanie bit her tongue. She had nothing to say other than how sorry she was, how hurt they both were, though she knew her hurt was nothing compared to what Becky was feeling. She wanted to jump into protection mode, but that was the last thing Becky needed.

“We’ll figure it all out,” Melanie whispered. “Everything will work out in the end, it’s just going to be really hard for a while.”

“I didn’t even know.”

“Most people don’t, baby.” Melanie kissed her hair again. “How did you find out?”

“I checked his email. I was looking for the mortgage bill, and I found emails he’s been sending to her.”

“Do you know her?”

Becky shook her head. “He said he met her online in a chat room.”

Perfect. Melanie licked her lips and hugged Becky even tighter. “Do the girls know?”

“No, and neither do Preston’s parents.

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