Chapter 5
Derek walked into my house like he owned a piece of it.
That was how he had always moved through Maya’s life.
Late.
Confident.
Expecting space.
He wore sunglasses on top of his head and carried a glossy gift bag in one hand.
“Maya,” he said, smiling wide. “There’s my girl.”
Maya stood in the kitchen with the necklace still clutched in her hand.
Her eyes were swollen.
Her graduation hoodie was wrinkled.
She looked nothing like the perfect photo Derek had posted the day before.
His smile slipped.
“What happened?”
Angela stepped between him and the table.
“This is not a good time.”
Derek looked past her at me.
His eyes narrowed.
“Oh. I see.”
I stayed by the counter.
“No, Derek. I don’t think you do.”
He laughed softly.
“Man, don’t start. I came to see my daughter.”
My daughter.
He said it louder than necessary.
Maya flinched.
For once, I did not react.
Derek wanted that.
He wanted me angry.
He wanted me jealous.
He wanted Maya to see me as the man who could not share.
I had been quiet too long to fall for noise now.
Maya spoke first.
“Why are you here?”
Derek blinked.
“To celebrate you.”
“You did that yesterday.”
“Yeah, and your mom said things got emotional.”
Angela’s face hardened.
“Do not blame me.”
Derek lifted both hands.
“I’m not blaming anyone.”
He was.
He always was.
He stepped farther into the kitchen and noticed the velvet box.
Then the necklace in Maya’s hand.
“What’s that?”
Maya swallowed.
“A gift.”
“From him?”
Her head came up.
“From my dad.”
The room went silent.
Derek’s jaw tightened.
I did not breathe.
Angela covered her mouth.
Maya looked at me quickly, like she had not realized she would say it until it was out.
Derek laughed.
Not loud.
Mean.
“Your dad?”
Maya’s hand closed tighter around the necklace.
Derek shook his head.
“This is exactly what I warned you about.”
I took one step forward.
Angela looked at me.
I stopped.
Not for Derek.
For Maya.
She needed to answer now.
Not me.
Derek pointed at the necklace.
“See? Gifts. Guilt. That’s how he does it.”
Maya’s voice shook.
“He gave it before he knew what I did.”
“He gave it to keep you loyal.”
“No.”
“Maya, baby, listen to me.”
She stiffened.
He softened his voice.
That dangerous softness.
“I know you feel bad because he made a scene. But yesterday was special. You gave those seats to your parents. There is nothing wrong with that.”
My stomach twisted.
Maya looked down at the necklace.
Then she looked at Derek.
“Why didn’t you pay for anything?”
His face froze.
“What?”
“College. Books. Rent. Food. My car repair last year. Why didn’t you help?”
Derek glanced at Angela.
“This isn’t about money.”
“It was when Marcus paid it.”
He smiled tightly.
“I had things going on.”
“For thirteen years?”
Angela whispered, “Maya.”
But Maya did not stop.
“Why did you tell me he was stealing your place?”
Derek’s eyes sharpened.
“Because he was.”
“No,” she said, voice cracking. “You left it empty.”
The words hit the room like thunder.
Derek’s face changed.
The charm vanished.
There was the man underneath.
Proud.
Cornered.
Cruel.
“You don’t know what your mother kept from you.”
Angela went pale.
I looked at her.
“What does that mean?”
Derek smiled at the panic he caused.
“There it is.”
Maya’s voice dropped.
“What did Mom keep from me?”
Angela shook her head.
“Derek, don’t.”
He looked at Maya.
“Your mother kept me away.”
Maya stared at him.
“What?”
“That’s right. She made it hard. New rules. New addresses. New man in the house. She replaced me and then let him play hero.”
Angela whispered, “That is a lie.”
Derek laughed.
“You sure?”
Maya looked at her mother.
“Is it?”
Angela’s face crumpled.
“No. I begged him to show up.”
Derek rolled his eyes.
“Here we go.”
Angela turned on him.
“I begged you. Birthday after birthday. I sent schedules. School calendars. Doctor updates. You ignored them unless you had an audience.”
Derek’s nostrils flared.
“You always made me feel unwelcome.”
“You arrived drunk to her eighth birthday.”
Maya went still.
I closed my eyes.
I remembered that day.
Angela had told Maya Derek was sick.
Maya had cried over her strawberry cake, pretending she did not care.
Derek pointed at Angela.
“I told you not to bring that up.”
Maya whispered, “You were there?”
No one answered.
She looked at me.
“You knew?”
I swallowed.
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“You were eight.”
Her voice rose.
“I’m not eight now.”
“No,” I said. “You’re not.”
Derek sensed the opening.
“See? They lied to you.”
Angela cried, “We protected you.”
Maya backed away from all of us.
“No. You all decided what I could handle.”
Her words landed in me because they were true.
Not the way Derek wanted.
But true.
Maya looked at Derek.
“Were you drunk?”
His mouth tightened.
“It was one party.”
“Were you?”
He looked away.
That was answer enough.
Maya pressed a hand to her stomach.
“How many times?”
Angela sank into a chair.
“Maya…”
“How many times did he not show up and you told me something else?”
I rubbed my face.
“Too many.”
She looked at me with pain so sharp I could feel it.
“You too?”
“I went along with it.”
“Why?”
“Because I thought love meant protecting you from disappointment.”
Her eyes filled.
“You didn’t protect me. You left me confused.”
Derek smiled faintly.
I looked at him.
“No,” I said. “Don’t smile. You don’t get to use our mistake to hide yours.”
His smile died.
Maya turned to him.
“Did you want to come yesterday because you loved me or because you didn’t want Marcus there?”
Derek scoffed.
“That’s a ridiculous question.”
“Answer it.”
“I’m your father.”
“That’s not an answer.”
His voice hardened.
“You’re being ungrateful.”
There it was.
The old hook.
Maya heard it this time.
Her face changed.
She looked at me, then Angela, then Derek.
“I need everyone to leave me alone.”
“Maya,” Angela said.
“No.”
She picked up her purse and walked toward the front door.
Derek followed.
“Baby girl, don’t walk out like this.”
She spun around.
“Don’t call me that right now.”
He stopped.
She looked at me.
The necklace was still in her hand.
For a second, I thought she would give it back.
Instead, she slipped it into her pocket.
“I don’t know what to do with this yet,” she said.
I nodded.
“That’s okay.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry I said real parents. But I’m also angry that you all lied.”
“I know.”
“I need time.”
“You can have it.”
She left.
The door closed behind her.
Derek let out a bitter laugh.
“Well. Great job, everybody.”
I looked at him.
“Get out of my house.”
He stepped closer.
“Your house?”
Angela stood.
“Yes,” she said. “His house. The one he kept open every time you broke her heart.”
Derek stared at her.
Then at me.
“This isn’t over.”
“No,” I said. “It isn’t.”
He left with the glossy gift bag still in his hand.
Angela and I stood in the kitchen surrounded by truth that had arrived years late.
Finally, she whispered, “What have we done?”
I looked at the door Maya had walked through.
Then at the empty chair where she had sat as a little girl, eating cereal before school.
“We tried to protect her from the wrong pain,” I said.
“And now?”
May you like
My chest hurt.
“Now we stop protecting ourselves from the truth.”
