Beyond the Border | ✔

44 | rule 04

RULE 04: TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO OBEY THE RULES OF THE BORDERLANDS — TO LIVE BY THESE RULES, TO BECOME ONE WITH THESE RULES. FACE IMMEDIATE EXPULSION FROM THE BORDERLANDS, OTHERWISE.

✷ C H A P T E R F O U R T Y - F O U R ✷

Frozen in place, I was too stunned to speak, too stunned to do anything but hang my mouth ajar while my gaze remained on Ma. She looked so familiar. Yet, at the same time, it felt like I was staring at a complete stranger. If I had not set forth to find her, I wouldn't have given her a second glance.

She resembled a ragged version of the Ma I had grown up with – the Ma I was familiar with. There was no fiery tenacity emitting through her eyes. Instead, they were dull and dreary, like a storm had just been brewing.

    Her eyes widened, dilating to saucers before she turned around and hastily went into the house behind her. Puzzled, I broke away from Vanessa, yanking her hand from my wrist. Determined, I strutted over to the front door of the house Ma disappeared into, knocking with as much force as I could muster.

    The seconds that passed seemed like hours as I waited for Ma to open the door. Begrudgingly, the door peaked open a smidge, only the side of Ma's face visible.

    "Ma?" I questioned, tears starting to pool in the corner of my eyes.

    My tears were not ones of happiness. While I lived most of my life with the idea of Ma passing — she had been dead to me for so long — it hurt immensely to know she was so cold in her reception of me. We had not seen each other for twelve years. Twelve long years, and she could not even conjure up a smile. She could not even pretend she was happy to see me.

    Blinking slowly, images of Ma running up to me invaded my thoughts. Surely, she would not be able to twirl me around like she used to, but my mind slipped there, anyway: a warm reception, both Ma and I with tears in our eyes, hugging so tightly our circulation was bound to end.

    "Sage?" her face contorted before hardening once again. "You must have gone to great lengths to find me. For that, I am sorry. I don't want any trouble. You have to go."

    Before I could process what she said, Ma tried to close the door in my face. In response, I stuck my foot in the doorway, gritting my teeth at the brute force of the door jamming into my foot.

    "You owe me an explanation," I became heated, trying to open the door wider, but, between the slit in my hand and the cast on my other arm, I stood no chance against Ma's strength. She may have been just an inch taller than me – 5 foot three - but she was leaps and bounds stronger.

    "I'm sorry," she said, but there was no remorse in her voice. She sounded impatient like I was taking up her precious time. Like I was an inconvenience.

    She hadn't even asked how I was; she hadn't asked how or why I was on the Outside. Instead, she was quick to throw me out in the cold. Part of me didn't even want to follow up with Ma to see what she had been doing for twelve years, but how could I tell Pa I came so close to the truth only to shy away?

    Theo cleared his throat, his footsteps long and concise as he made his way to my side. His hand glided to the small of my back as I suppressed the shiver that threatened to run down my spine.

    "You might want to reconsider," Theo spoke, his voice booming. Ma's eyes enlarged once again, recognition fresh in her eyes; she knew who Theo was. She knew who Theo was, and she had a more pleasant reaction to him than she had to me. She stood up straighter, pressing down the fabric of her button-up shirt before opening the door.