𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔 [a rini au]

- THIRTY-EIGHT!

despite hearing from her on sparse occasions, nini hadn't seen dana salazar-roberts in years. that's why the life drained from her face the moment she pulled the door open for her mother, the light dimming in her eyes when dana uttered the birthday wishes. the partygoers understood the moment's significance as well, for it wasn't long after dana's face appeared in the doorway that the music was dramatically killed.

rarely did nini never know what to do. for the most part, she had some sort of reaction to everything that she encountered, even if it was the inappropriate one. but now, as she stood before her estranged mother, nini's mind could not have been more barren.

"do you...have a minute to talk?" dana's voice was soggy, almost tear-ridden, but it didn't phase nini. the girl remained dumfounded, brutally thrown off the high of her birthday bliss. she was convinced she might've never said anything if it weren't for her boyfriend rushing to her side.

"nini, are you alright?" devon's calming voice rang in nini's ear, shaking her mind awake as his hand glided around her waist.

the birthday girl tried to make her blood flow again, straightening her posture and using her hand to remove devon's from her body. she looked up at him, offering a small smile. "i'm alright, j–just give me, uh..." her voice trailed, and she tried not to get lost in devon's concerned eyes as she ushered her mother back into the hallway.

nini faced the door as she shut it, waiting until the music reluctantly resumed before turning around. once she did, she watched her entire childhood fly past her – every insult, every fight, every tainted memory painted across dana's skin. it made nini's heart churn, but she couldn't afford to let the pain overtake her; she had to make a move.

"what are you doing here?" she began with a sharp question and crossed her arms, a tactic doubling in intention – confidence and security.

dana rubbed her hands over her worn out jeans, dark eyes remaining fixated on nini. as the singer looked into them, she realized this was one of the only times she had seen them when they weren't bloodshot. "i didn't want to show up unannounced, but i wanted to visit on your birthday," dana explained. "i didn't know how you'd react if i warned you. after hearing about carol, she gave me your address."

"the police told me that you weren't answering their calls," nini refuted. "you've been off the grid."

"i...i was just avoiding them. i've still be in california, just wandering at this point," dana clarified solemnly. "one day i just decided to answer, and i was filled in on everything. i went to see carol at the jail, and that's when she mentioned your birthday. she said you gave her your address only in the event of an emergency."

yeah, and that was before i knew how to stand my ground, nini internally cursed herself for her past actions. she shook her head, trying to make sense of what her world had just turned into. "why now?" she muttered another question. "you've never tried to see me. ever."

dana shrugged. "i guess during that time when i answered the police, i had a bit of a moral revelation? i don't know. it's your twenty-first. i needed to just come by and tell you that i'm proud of you. truly. do you think that you could forgive me?"

for a moment, that armor nini had worked so hard to build slowly started to slide off. dana's words made her vulnerable, and she was so close to offering that second chance. nini wanted to accept her mother's words, snatch that familial normalcy that she had been longing for all her life. the girl ignored her guard coming down, only focusing on the new and exposed side of herself finally seeing the light. nini took a breath, mouth struggling to form words of gratitude and thanksgiving that she hoped would somehow reverse her entire home life in this one telling moment, and i–

"no, she cannot."

nini could recognize the voice anywhere, which is why she didn't even bother turning around when she heard the footsteps approaching behind her. her words got caught in her throat, dissolving back into her stomach as ricky bowen settled beside her. for the first time since dana arrived, nini felt like she could finally breathe.

upon seeing the curly-haired boy, dana cracked a hint of a cynical smirk. she looked back at her daughter, who had appeared to have evidently relaxed once ricky arrived. "this one?" she asked humorously. "he's still fighting all of your battles? i thought this," her finger wagged between the two of them, "was long gone. someone call the press."

"you would know what it's like to be long gone, wouldn't you now?" ricky snapped, dana's brow raising with repulsion. "nini doesn't need me, but right now, i see an important person in my life struggling to say what she really wants to, so i'm going to be there to help her."

ricky's words singlehandedly refueled nini. somehow, he knew exactly what to say; he always kind of did. "i would like my daughter to speak for herself, thank you," dana's passive-aggressiveness would have thrown nini if she were alone, but ricky's aura encouraged her to stay strong.

reforming her old words into ones that she truly meant, nini rubbed her lips together. she was thankful for ricky saving the day once again. if not for him, she would've healed a relationship that did not deserve any mending. "i would like you to go," nini's arms fell to her sides, weight flying off of her shoulders. "where i am now...this life after you...it's better for me. it's what i want. it's what i need."

dana's jaw stiffened, a tell-tale sign that some form of an insult was brewing. but, the woman only sighed. "if that's what you wish," she breathed, taking some small steps backwards. once she picked up on the fact that nini had no more to say, dana spun around fully, headed for the stairwell, and disappeared inside. only now, nini knew, was their story finally over.

with one unanticipated event conquered, or at least sort of, nini's heart began to pump as it processed ricky's interjections. the brunette turned to look at ricky fully, the boy wearing a ralph lauren polo with black dress pants. nini tried to keep her gaze off of his bright white converse, but she was afraid that if she looked into his saving eyes, she'd lose her thoughts again.

"i'm sorry if i overstepped," ricky spoke first, an apology not being something nini expected from him. "i just saw you guys and you seemed a little flustered, so i–"

"i can't thank you enough," nini stopped his rambling, ricky's mouth freezing in an o-shape. "i was about to say some things i would have seriously regretted. i didn't want to forgive her, so thank you for knowing that and giving me that extra push to stand up for myself."

ricky nodded slowly, hands diving his pant pockets. "and about what i said, that impor–"

"ricky, it's alright. really," nini dismissed his worries. "i appreciate everything you said, down to every little word." upon finishing her sentence, nini's brow immediately jumped. "oh, and thank you for coming tonight."

the boy smiled subtly. "yeah, no worries," he tried to mask his eagerness, but he feared it would ooze from his pores no matter what he did.

nini jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the door, indicating that the party was still on. "do you..."

"actually," ricky objected, a hand in the air, "i'm happy i caught you, 'cause your gift is in my car. i could use a few extra hands."

extra hands?! nini's brain shrieked. what the fuck is he talking about?! instead of letting perplexity get the best of her, nini simply swallowed the befuddled lump in her throat. "ah, um...okay, yeah," she began a walk towards the staircase, one which held almost more unknown than the context behind her mother's arrival. "let's do it."

𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐒!
→ oh lots to unpack here !!