Some Days Are Dark by Miranda Smith

Author:Miranda Smith [Smith, Miranda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: urn:ean:9781838882198
Publisher: Bookouture

Frank’s trunk and backseat filled with presents and deconstructed decorations, so we put the remaining items in my car.

“Now you’ll have new toys to play with when you visit,” I told Jake, running my fingers through his hair.

“Sounds good, Mamma.” He went inside and joined the last of the partygoers.

Walking back through the parking lot, I noticed Julie perfecting her role as hostess amid the other moms. Paranoia piqued me, as I thought I heard my name. I ducked behind a tall SUV and listened.

“How often does she take him?” asked the mom wearing plaid. I didn’t know her name or any of the others. They were Julie’s friends, not mine.

“Not much,” said Julie’s voice, a whisper. “Every other weekend.”

“Did you see her painting with all the children? Pathetic,” said the short woman stuffed into a pair of Hunter rain boots.

“Like I said, we don’t interact with her often,” Julie said. “Only big events, like this.”

“Well, that’s how those types of parents are. They show up for the fun stuff,” said the wannabe lumberjack. “Jake’s lucky to have you.”

Tears welled, and my cheeks burned. Julie and her cronies vocalized all the fears I had about my own parenting, were judging me at my son’s party. I never claimed to be the best mother, but in my defense, no one ever showed me how to be one. I’d tried to atone for the pain I’d caused. No one understood the gravity of my faults more than I did, and I’d been punished in the worst way possible: by having my son taken away from me. My son. Not hers. Never hers.

Pity morphed into anger; there was no stopping me. Julie needed to suffer the same pain I was experiencing, and I knew how to hurt her most.

“You’re so right,” I said, coming around the corner. After all the subtle jabs made between us over the years, I finally felt justified in hurting her back. The release felt good. “Jake is lucky to have you, Julie.”

Shock painted Julie’s face. Her friends stood mortified.

“Olivia. I—” Julie tried to recover, but I blocked her input.

“And even more, you are lucky to have him.” My voice low, my tone mean, I said, “It’s not like you have children of your own.”

The woman in plaid audibly gasped. The boot-wearer looked down in shame. Julie’s mouth slung agape, her mind processing what I had said in front of her friends. If my biggest fear was losing Jake, hers was being publicly humiliated. I waited for the tears to fall. Instead, she raised her delicate hand and slapped me across the face hard enough to make my teeth ache.

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