Love Letters to Write Before I Die

“Honey, I can explain.”

“Don’t bother.”

That didn’t come out of Haley’s lips. It came from Nathan’s, who was looking at her mother with so much venom in his eyes as his fingers grasped Haley’s arm, pulling her away from the scene. Obviously, Haley was too taken aback to say anything else to her mother whose hair was in a messy ball, lipstick smearing on her chin and worst of all, her blouse was halfway unbuttoned – no doubt the handiwork of that bastard sitting on the couch who looked more annoyed than embarrassed as he should be.

Rachel Dumont, panic in her eyes, looked over at Nathan. For help? He wasn’t sure. And if she was silently pleading him for help, there was no single way of explaining to Haley that everything was going to be fine and that she should forgive and forget.

“This is a family matter, Nathan,” Rachel said.

“Oh, I can see so much family love here,” Nathan said, motioning around the room, sarcasm dripping from his voice. “First, her dad cheats on a bimbo. And then, this? The least you could do, Dr. Dumont, is button up that blouse of yours before even thinking of explaining ANYTHING to your daughter. To your seventeen-year-old daughter. To a teenager who just discovered that both of her parents are unfaithful. With all due respect,” he added and yet nothing in his expression or voice indicated that he was trying as hard as he can be to be respectful.

Rachel Dumont’s cheeks turned a shade of dark red – from anger or embarrassment from being told off by her daughter’s friend, Haley didn’t know. All she wanted to do was get out of there, forget that everything ever happened and have a good cup of macchiato damn it.

“Haley…” Rachel trailed off, turning her attention to Haley now.

“This is not happening,” Haley muttered under her breath, shaking her head vigorously. It was as if someone punched her in the guts and the sickening feeling bubbled up to her throat, and she could taste the bitterness. She wanted to vomit.

“Get in my car,” Nathan said, letting her go.

Feeling angry and rebellious, she ran to the car and slammed the door shut, ignoring her mother’s wails. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at the house, let alone be in it.

Nathan stopped Haley’s mother from going out of the house. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Dumont, I’ll be taking her to her friend’s house. I’ll leave you with the trouble of calling up every friend of hers in this town, searching for her. If I were you, I’d give her time to think.”

Her eyes bloodshot red now, she began saying to Nathan, “don’t you dare judge me. I’m a human being. I make mistakes. I am a good mother.”

Nathan looked at her incredulously. “No,” he said, grimacing. “You’re not.”