When They See Us (Book 1.0)

Chapter Thirty-Four

The summer semester at the University has started, and Macy and I are taking separate classes, but we usually meet at lunch. She's already at school today, and I'm home getting ready to go to my first class of the day. I brush my hair before braiding it, put on a light code of makeup and admire myself in the mirror. Macy texted me asking if I still wanted to go out to eat. I sent her a message saying yes and to pay attention in class.

I turn the light off in the bathroom, grab my purse, and head to the front door. As I'm walking out the door, I'm met face to face with Daniel. He looks put together, and I'm impressed. His hair has been cut, and his beard is neat.

"Hey? Wow! You look amazing," I say, pulling him into a hug.

"Yeah, I got clean. Thanks to your parents. Losing Macy really threw me for a loop, and I wanted to do better for her."

"That's great! Yeah, Macy's been 7 months clean, it was hard, but she got through it." I look behind me and close the door, locking it. " Uh, she actually isn't here right now. I can tell her you swung by, though. Do you still have the same number?" He starts fidgeting with his hands. "Is there something wrong? Do you not want me to tell her, you came by to see her?"

"No, that's not it... I don't know how to say this, but..." he was cut off by a woman's voice coming through the hallway.

"Is this the place Daniel?" I turn to look at the woman, and my heart immediately drops to the pit of my stomach. She looks exactly like Macy, but an older version, and I immediately know exactly who she is.

"Uh..." I'm at a loss for words, and he scratched the back of his head. "Daniel... I thought she was ..."

"Dead? Yeah, so did I. Juliet can you give us a minute." He says to her, and she walks away down the hall, looking at the art on the wall.

"So... how is this even possible? Because I know I haven't been on drugs, sooo either she is real, or someone slipped something in my orange juice this morning, and I'm seeing a ghost."

He sways on his feet, rubbing his hands together. "Yeah... I was confused the first time I saw her too. But, I went to rehab to get clean... and there she was."

"Like as in, she works there or... she was a patient."

"A patient like me."

"So you're telling me, for four years, Macy's mother has been an inpatient at a recovery center? She hasn't been dead this whole time?"

"No... Well, yes."

"Well, which is it Daniel?"

"No, she was not dead, and yes, she was at the recovery center for all those years."

"Did you know about this the whole time?" My tone has turned from confused to angry. He puts his hands up in defense and shakes his head.

"I had no idea, Adelaide. If I did, I would have told Macy. I would have brought her to see her mother."

"Okay, so you discovered she was alive... then what? You thought just bringing her here with no warning to see Macy was the right thing to do? You could have called first. Set up a meeting without her. Ease Macy into the fucking idea that her mother was never dead. In fact, she is alive and well, standing here in the flesh." I pace around, my key dangling at my side while I try to process this. "Do you know what this will do to her? She has spent countless months trying to stay clean. You know that finding out her mother is still alive and never came back will destroy her."

"Adelaide, it's not like that. If she could, she would have."

"Explain because she looks perfectly fine to me. So why didn't she come back for her daughter?"

He sighs and looks back at the woman. "Juliet, you can come over here."

Macy's mother walks towards us and extends her hand to me with a cheerful smile on her face.

"Hello, I'm Juliet, and you are?" I scrunch my eyes in confusion because she should know me, or at least a slight remembrance of me. Macy and I were practically joined at the hip in middle school. It hasn't been that long.

I shake her hand. "Um, I'm Adelaide, Ms. Tanner. Do you not remember me? I was your daughter's best friend."

"No, I'm sorry. I don't. The doctors told me I lost all my memory four years ago in an accident." I look between them as my heart shatters at her words. This is the reason she never came back for Macy. Not because she didn't want to, but because she didn't know to. "You said you knew my daughter? I would love to meet her someday. I've seen pictures of her. She is so beautiful."

I look at Daniel. "H-How do I explain this to Macy, Daniel?"

"I don't know. Maybe we can all try to sit down together? Maybe talk about it with Macy? Maybe you can tell her to lighten the impact before the meeting?"

I nod my head and mindlessly stare at the wall in front of us. "Okay. Give me your number and give me a few days to bring it up to her." Daniel nods and writes his number on an old card from his wallet.

"I have to get to class before I'm late. I'll message you," I say, taking the number and walking away.

***

The class went well, but all I could think about was telling Macy her mother was alive and didn't come back for her because she had lost her memory. She won't get upset, right? Or revert to drugs? I won't lose her again. I can't lose her again. I have no way of bringing this up to her, and I'm beginning to freak out. How do you just casually throw this into the conversation? Hey Macy, and by the way, your mother is alive. Yippee-Ki-yay.

It's lunchtime, and I pull up to the restaurant. Macy and I both get out, and she takes my hand, walking us into the place. A host takes us to a table, and we both sit.

"What's wrong babe?"

"Nothing"

"Are you sure? You have barely said two words to me since we left school... Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Macy, you haven't done anything wrong." I grab her hand and rub it. "School's just been stressful, that's all."

"Okay, well if you need help with any schoolwork, let me know." I nod my head and look away.

I just found out today, and all this feeling of omitting the truth from her builds up by the hour. I'm a terrible girlfriend, right? I should have told her the moment I saw Daniel. I can't take lying anymore, and I open my mouth to tell her the truth when a waiter interrupts me.

"What can I get for you ladies?" He asks, placing water in front of us. Macy looks at me, and I close my mouth then look down at the menu. She takes this as her cue and tells him her order first. I follow after with my order, and the waiter collects our menus.

"Were you going to say something?" I think for a minute, then chicken out again. I shake my head at her and continue to fidget with my straw. I don't know how I'm going to tell her. I'm scared she'll go back to drugs. I can't lose her again. I just got her back. Our food comes, and we talk about everything but what I really want to tell her. Maybe I should just wait.