After everyone had left, I lingered by her grave, the silence around me amplifying my loneliness. I placed the rose on her casket and whispered, "I love you, Mom. I promise I'll make this right." As I walked away, I felt a small, comforting breeze, almost as if she were still with me, urging me to be strong.
After the funeral, I returned home, my heart still heavy with grief. As I walked through the door, I was met with a sight that twisted the knife in my chest even deeper—Travis and Solana together, their bodies close, sharing a moment of intimacy that shattered what was left of my spirit.
Seeing them together brought indescribable pain to my heart. The truth was glaringly obvious now—Travis had stood me up because of Solana, the woman he couldn't bear to leave even for a moment.
I didn't say a word. I simply turned on my heel and headed to our bedroom, grabbing a suitcase and hastily packing my things.
Tears blurred my vision, but my anger and heartbreak fueled my movements. I couldn't stay here, not after everything that had happened.
As I was about to leave, Solana stepped in front of me, her expression a mixture of guilt and something else I couldn't quite place. "Amari, wait," she said, her voice soft and apologetic. "I'm sorry, but please don't misunderstand Travis. I accidentally cut my finger and I'm running a fever, so Travis took care of me. I didn't know it was your wedding."
I paused, my hand gripping the suitcase handle tightly.
Fever? So that was why Travis missed our wedding?
I felt a surge of absurdity and anger. In his heart, my mother and I were less important than a minor injury on Solana's finger.
Taking a deep breath, I declared, "Travis, I want to break up with you!"
Travis, however, misinterpreted my words as jealousy. "Can you be more sensible, Amari? We could have the wedding at any time, but Solana was injured. I couldn't just ignore her," he retorted indifferently.
'Sensible.' That was Travis's favorite word to use with me. But what did being sensible mean to him? Because he claimed Solana was his sister, I tolerated her presence in our relationship. I accepted that he carried medicine for her, rushed to her side without hesitation, and let her occupy half of his heart.
But my sensibility only earned me increasing pain and disrespect. I was done with this kind of life.