When Did Your Heart Go Missing?

She grabbed a random vase and threw it in our direction. I heard it crash on the floor.

"Are you fucking crazy!?" Frank yelled. Tears flowed down my face.

"I want her dead," my mom said.

"Mom-"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

I weakly pulled away from Frank and fell on my knees, crying.

"Layla..." he said softly.

She wants me dead...

"Come on, Layla," Frank said. He wrapped an arm around my waist and grabbed my hand, helping me stand up. "You can come to my house."

I looked up. My mother was no where to be found. I wrapped my arms around Frank and cried into his chest.

"Your father left me because of you."

I looked back and there she was.

Holding. A. Knife.

"You ruined my life," she said, lifting the knife. Frank held my hand and pulled me slowly toward the front door. "Now, I'm going to end yours."

Frank ran toward the door. Mother dearest got there first. I hid behind Frank.

"I want her out of my house, Frank," she said to Frank coldly.

"You're not seriously threatening her life," Frank said defensively.

"Frank...please...no..." I spoke for the first time.

"Yes I fucking am," she stated. Her eyes were burning holes through me. "She's an awful person."

"She's your daughter," Frank said.

"Don't say tha-"

"You're a horrible mother."

I watched in horror as she brought the knife down toward Frank. He pulled away. She lunged forward again and he turned, going towards the door. He pulled my limp body along with him. I felt a sudden sharp pain in my lower back.

"Stay out of my life!" I heard her cold voice yell behind me.

Frank pulled me along with him but I felt too weak. I fell onto my knees, crying and whimpering.

"Layla," Frank said softly. "Oh my god, you're bleeding."

It's always all my fault. She hates me. She wants me dead. I ruined her life. I'm an awful person.

Frank touched my lower back and I squirmed.

"She cut you," he said softly. "I can't fucking believe this."

I shook. Suddenly, Frank took me into his arms and cradled me like a baby. I wrapped my arms around his neck and closed my eyes as he walked along with me in his arms.

"It's gonna be alright," he said.

Before I knew it, Frank had set me down on the ground. It felt like seconds. I was sure it was longer.

"We're here," he said. "At my house."

I looked at the ground. I was torn and lost.

"D-do you want me to tell my mom-"

"No!" I practically yelled. "No, Frank, please! No! Sh-she's gonna c-call people and...and the government is gonna get involved and...there'll be questions and trials and child services and-"

"Okay, okay," he said softly. "I won't tell her. But...she'll notice you bleeding."

I took a shaky hand and touched my back. I could feel it. I winced.

"Here," Frank said. I watched him pull off his shirt. I stared at his bare chest and smiled down at his baby fat helplessly. He noticed and laughed. He pulled the black shirt over my head and I pulled shaky arms into its sleeves, although I didn't know the purpose of this. Frank grabbed my hand and walked up to his house. He intertwined our fingers and knocked on the door. The door swung open and there stood Linda, Frank's mom, smiling that motherly smile of hers. Frank and I stepped inside.

"Glad to see you home on time, Frank," she said, raising a coy eyebrow and walking in front of us down the hall. "Hello, Layla, sweetie. What happened?"

Linda Iero was like my mom. She treated me the way a mom should. She cared enough to notice something was wrong without being told. She wouldn't want to kill Frank...

"Problems with her mom," Frank said. Linda nodded knowingly. Then her eyes went wide.

"She didn't...hurt you..." she said. I shook my head. I could tell she was contemplating whether or not to believe me. "Well, you're always welcome to stay here. You know that we love you. This is your home."

She leaned down and kissed my forehead. I smiled.

This is my home...