Perfect Imperfections |✓

Prologue

Ten Years Ago
Paisley's POV

"Zoey!!!"
"Coming Mom!"
I did the hundredth once over on my outfit and smiled. I was...
"Beautiful. I love your hairstyle."
My mother interrupted. She fixed a fallen strand of my hair back to its place and smiled at me in the mirror.
"Everytime I look at you I see the younger version of me. You're beautiful Zoey."
I blushed and let out a sigh.
"You always say that." I hinted out and she turned my head to look at her.
Her sea green eyes were almost too intense to look into but I looked her dead in the eye, my stare wavering slightly.
"I know baby.. if as a kid I had someone to remind me daily of how beautiful I was I'd have done some things differently."
She said, her eyes watering.
"I'm not even gonna ask what happened because..."
"I'm fine baby. It's all in the past. I just hope I live long enough to keep you safe. This world is cruel I..."
"Guyyyys!! One last minute!!" My dad's voice interrupted from downstairs.
My Mom shook her head and sighed. "Well.. I guess we should get going before he makes us walk all the way to your grandma's."
I chuckled at that and took my small purse from my bed.
"You ready?" Dad asked, standing by the door.
"Yeah... I wanted to lend a hand but apparently she's not our little girl anymore. "
Mom said with a chuckle.
"Of course she isn't...look at that. Am I seeing some mascara young lady?" Dad teased and I couldn't stop blushing so hard from the embarrassment.
"Happy tenth birthday sweetheart. We love you."
"Yeah..so much"
Mom added and they both stooped down to hug me. I smiled and closed my eyes. I wish we could always be like this..
"I really hate to interrupt the family reunion but we really have to go. Grandma won't stop buzzing up my phone."
I rolled my eyes as my cousin stood in the doorway..looking like he'd rather be anywhere but here.
"Okay. okay. Let's go." Dad said with a chuckle.
***__***__***___
"Happy birthday dear Paisley...happy birthday to you!!!"
"C'mon blow the candles!!"
"Don't forget to make a wiish!!"
I looked at the people around me and smiled. I then closed my eyes and made my wish, blowing all the ten candles.
"Yaaaay!!happy birthday baby!" Grandma shouted
Laughter and small chattering broke out in the room.
I'd never really been a crowd person so I excused myself and went outside. It had been a great night and I had enjoyed it but I still wished they had organized a small family party..just the three of us.
I could count with my fingers the times we had been together like this..with Dad. He was always away..on business trips and handling business stuff.
I had every reason to be happy.. I had this beautiful family that everyone admired. Then why was I not?
I looked at the sky and felt a knot form in the pit of my stomach. I winced and frowned. The night sky had always been my number one relaxing mechanism.
"Are you okay Zoey?" My Mom asked.
I turned around abruptly and smiled
"yeah Mom everything's... I mean I am fine..totally. I just needed some fresh air. You know I can barely breathe in..."
"Baby.. you're rambling. You only do that when you're nervous. Is anything wrong? Is this too much for you?"
Yes. Is what I wanted to say. To tell her how much I missed Dad's presence with us..how much I loved it when it was just the three of us...
But one look at her happy face and I shrugged all that off. This was my great day and instead of celebrating it I was here sulking over nothing.
"No Mom how can you even say that? This..this is perfect. I love it." I said with a broad smile.
"Okay...why don't we go back inside? It's getting cold and the party is almost over." Mom suggested.
As soon as I re-emerged into the room grandma carried me and started spinning me around.

From the corner of my eye I spotted Mom and Dad talking...no. Seemed more of an argument. Dad was pointing at his phone, gritting his teeth. Mom looked hurt by something he had said then...

"It's grown up stuff. Married people fight all the time." Grandma whispered on my ear.. putting me down.
I simply nodded and engaged in useless chats with my cousins.
"Paisley!!!" Someone lifted me up into the air and I chuckled...
"Guess who it is!" The voice teased.
"Oh puhleease. I'd know those hands from anywhere. Uncle Jake?"

He put me down immediately and faked a hurt face. "Are my arms really that obvious?"

I couldn't resist the urge to laugh. That was it with my uncle... He didn't have to say anything for me to burst out laughing. A stare from him was enough to have me double over with laughter.

The night went on smoothly and before I knew it I was ten and people were starting to leave.

"Okay. I've packed all your gifts in the back of the car. Open mine last!" Uncle Jake joked.

"Thanks a lot Jake. We must really get going..she has school tomorrow." Mom said.

"Pleasure was all mine Sis. Preston left?" He asked and my Mom shushed him secretly by a shove.

"Have a lovely night munchkin. I'll visit this weekend yeah?"
I nodded and got into the car.
"He had an emergency at work..." I heard my mom say to Jake.

"An emergency that couldn't wait til his daughter's birthday party was over seriously?"

"Shhhh. Zoe must not hear you. It was an emergency and I understood that."

"Oh really? Did you?"

There was a moment of silence then Jake resumed talking.

"I thought so too. He hasn't seen her..and you.. in like two months? And then he gets an emergency at work on his daughter's birth.."

"Okay seriously Jake..cut the crap. I already told you it was an emergency. He loves us and that's all that matters right? Now if you don't mind.. I've got work tomorrow. Have a good night."

I heard my Mom's footsteps approach and pretended to be asleep on the headrest. She took in a deep breath and started the car.

"Mom are you okay?" I asked her and she nodded.
I let her be and we drove in awkward silence listening to my Mom's playlist. She was a great fan of Zara Larsson..
We were a corner away from home when grandma called. Mom put her on speaker.

"Mom?"

"Heather! Don't tell me you're already home." She said.

"Nope. Just a corner away though. Did we forget something?"

"Well in that case just have a lovely night. I just had a special gift for my little Angel. I completely forgot to give it to her."

"Mommy let's go back for it!!" I begged.

"No baby it's late..and I'm tired. I'll pick it up for you tomorrow. " Mom said.

"Pleease Momma..pleease..don't spoil my special day mmh? Please Mom??"

"Okay. Okay fine. We're coming." She said on the phone and turned the car around.

"Yaaay. You're the best Mom in the world." I said as she hung up on grandma.

"I couldn't say no to those pretty little innocent eyes" she said and gave me a light kiss on the forehead.
"You know I love you right?"

I chuckled as she placed a kiss on my cheek and another and another...
We heard car screeches and several beeps...
"Mommy watch out!!"
I screamed before everything went eerily silent.

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Love, Malyun 🦋