Chapter 2 - The Two Tickets My Father Had Hidden
I couldn't move.
Dad had told me to pack, but my feet felt glued to the living room floor.
Vanessa stared at the two tickets in his hand.
"What are those?"
Dad didn't answer immediately.
He looked at me instead.
"Maya, sweetheart, go upstairs."
I swallowed.
"Am I really going somewhere?"
He nodded.
"Yes."
"With you?"
"With me."
I nearly started crying again.
For three years, almost every family activity had included Vanessa, Jordan, and Nia.
Sometimes Dad came too.
Sometimes he was away working.
But somehow, I always ended up staying home.
Now he was choosing me.
Vanessa stepped forward.
"Marcus, explain yourself."
Dad finally turned toward her.
"These are two tickets I booked six weeks ago."
Her expression changed.
"Six weeks?"
"Yes."
"For what?"
Dad looked down at the tickets.
"For a trip I promised my daughter."
My chest tightened.
I remembered our conversation.
I remembered Mom's notebook.
I remembered telling Dad how badly I wanted to see the ocean my mother had dreamed about.
But I had assumed he forgot.
Dad held up the tickets.
"Two first-class seats to Honolulu."
My breath caught.
Honolulu.
The same city.
The same dream.
Vanessa stared at him.
"You already had tickets?"
Dad nodded.
"I planned to surprise Maya after her final exams."
I covered my mouth.
"You remembered?"
He turned toward me.
"Of course I remembered."
Tears spilled down my cheeks.
"But I thought..."
I couldn't finish.
Dad's expression filled with pain.
"I know, baby."
Vanessa suddenly laughed.
It wasn't a happy laugh.
It was sharp and angry.
"So let me understand this. You secretly booked a luxury vacation for yourself and Maya while leaving my children behind?"
Dad looked at her.
"I booked a father-daughter trip."
"Without consulting your wife?"
"I intended to tell you."
Vanessa folded her arms.
"How convenient."
Dad's voice hardened.
"What's convenient is that you used the household travel account to book almost the same trip."
Vanessa went still.
Dad studied her.
"Same destination. Same week. Even the same resort."
My stomach tightened.
Vanessa looked away.
"That's a coincidence."
Dad shook his head.
"No."
Jordan stood.
"Mom said you were paying!"
Vanessa snapped toward him.
"Jordan, sit down."
But Dad had heard enough.
He looked at her.
"How did you know about my reservation?"
Vanessa said nothing.
Dad reached for his phone.
"Someone accessed the travel account after I booked Maya's tickets."
Her expression changed.
"You have no proof."
"I have the account history."
For the first time, I saw genuine fear in her eyes.
Dad continued.
"The original reservation was made under my private account. The family package was booked later using the joint card."
Vanessa crossed her arms.
"So what?"
"So you knew Maya was supposed to go."
Silence.
My stomach dropped.
This wasn't an innocent misunderstanding.
Vanessa had known about Dad's surprise.
And she had arranged another vacation that excluded me.
"Why?" I whispered.
Vanessa looked at me.
"Don't make everything about yourself."
Dad stepped forward.
"Answer her."
She rolled her eyes.
"Because Jordan and Nia deserved something special."
I stared at her.
"And I didn't?"
She said nothing.
That silence told me everything.
Dad turned to me.
"Go pack, Maya."
This time, I obeyed.
I ran upstairs with tears streaming down my face.
But when I reached my bedroom, I stopped.
My room looked exactly as it always did.
Small compared with the others.
A narrow bed.
A wooden desk.
A closet with clothes Vanessa often called cheap.
Beside my pillow sat a framed photograph of Mom.
She had beautiful brown eyes and a smile that always made me feel safe.
I picked it up.
"Mom," I whispered, "we're going."
My voice broke.
"We're finally going to Hawaii."
I pressed the photograph against my chest.
Then I opened my closet.
I didn't have many nice clothes.
Most of my dresses were old.
My sneakers had faded.
And my only swimsuit was too small.
I began folding whatever I could find.
Then someone knocked.
I turned.
Dad stood in the doorway.
He looked at the half-empty suitcase on my bed.
Then at the worn clothes inside.
His face changed.
"Maya."
I looked down.
"Sorry. I know they're not very nice."
He stared at me.
"Why are you apologizing?"
I shrugged.
"Vanessa says I should take better care of my things."
Dad walked toward my closet.
He examined the clothes hanging inside.
Then he opened the dresser.
Three drawers contained old T-shirts.
One held school uniforms.
There were no new summer outfits.
No vacation clothes.
He looked at me.
"When did you last go shopping?"
I hesitated.
"I don't remember."
His jaw tightened.
"I gave Vanessa money for your clothes last month."
My stomach twisted.
I remembered Vanessa coming home with shopping bags.
Designer shirts for Jordan.
Sandals for Nia.
A new handbag for herself.
She told me there wasn't enough money left for anything I wanted.
Dad sat on the bed.
"How much did she spend on you?"
I stared at my hands.
"Nothing."
He closed his eyes.
Then he stood.
"Get your shoes."
I blinked.
"Why?"
"We're going shopping."
I shook my head.
"Now?"
"Right now."
I glanced toward the hallway.
"What about Vanessa?"
Dad looked at me.
"Vanessa doesn't get to decide what you deserve anymore."
Something warm spread through my chest.
I grabbed my old sneakers.
When we walked downstairs, Vanessa was waiting near the staircase.
She had been crying.
Or pretending to cry.
It was difficult to tell.
"Marcus, can we please talk?"
Dad stopped.
"We will."
She glanced at me.
"Alone."
Dad shook his head.
"Not about Maya."
Vanessa's eyes narrowed.
"You're turning her against me."
I almost lowered my head.
But Dad answered first.
"No, Vanessa. Your behavior did that."
Jordan sat on the couch with his arms crossed.
Nia was crying.
"Our vacation is ruined!"
I looked at them.
For a moment, I felt guilty.
Then I remembered the way they had smiled while Vanessa humiliated me.
Neither had offered to include me.
Neither had asked why I was staying home.
Dad looked at Jordan and Nia.
"I'm sorry you're disappointed."
Nia sniffed.
"Then why did you cancel everything?"
"Because the trip was booked without my approval and deliberately excluded Maya."
Jordan looked away.
Dad continued.
"You are not responsible for your mother's decisions, but you're old enough to understand why they were wrong."
Nobody answered.
Dad guided me toward the front door.
Vanessa suddenly called after us.
"Marcus!"
We stopped.
Her voice changed.
"You're forgetting something."
Dad turned.
"What?"
She pointed toward the hallway.
"Your daughter has responsibilities here."
Dad looked at the laundry basket still sitting beside the couch.
Then he looked at Vanessa.
"Not anymore."
He picked up the basket.
Set it gently beside the laundry room.
And opened the front door.
But before we stepped outside, Vanessa said something that made him freeze.
"Go ahead. Take Maya to Hawaii."
Her voice was suddenly calm.
"Just remember what happened the last time you ignored my warnings."
Dad slowly turned.
I looked between them.
"What warning?"
Vanessa smiled.
"Ask your father what he promised me three years ago."
May you like
Dad's face went pale.
And I realized there was something about their marriage he had never told me.
