𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄́ ─ 𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐲 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐞

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

"HELLO?"

It was only seven in the evening when Marissa arrived from dance practice to an empty home. There was no sign of life in the dark light of the living room and kitchen. "Mom? Rach?" She was met with no answer as she suspected.

Shrugging her shoulders, she dropped her keys in the bowl by the door and let her duffel bag fall to the floor. She began to advance down the hall to her room when she heard laughter from outside the door.

The locks turned and Alana, Derek, and Rachel came stumbling into the house, clearly full of cheer. The sounds of happiness stopped when the lights clicked on and they saw Marissa standing at the edge of the living room.

"Hi, sweetie." Alana was quick to acknowledge her oldest child as she shut the door beyond her family. "Where have you been?"

"The studio," Marissa said in a knowing tone. "I told you before I left. Rehearsals are everyday now."

"I...must not have heard you."

Marissa nodded slowly, "Must not have." She took in Rachel's hands that were completely full. An oversized panda bear and bags of candy were the biggest things. "What did you guys do today? That's a pretty big haul."

"Dad took us to the boardwalk," Rachel beamed. "I told him to wait for you, but he said you might be tired."

Marissa's eyes flickered up to Derek who hadn't said anything since he walked in. She knew he lied to Rachel, telling her the truth would be harder. Hearing that her sister didn't want to spend time with her father was just going to hurt her.

Marissa sent her a look of weary thanks. "Looks like you cleared it out. We're splitting that candy too."

"No." Rachel jerked her candy bags behind her back. "I won this on my own, I'll eat it on my own."

"You know what happened last time," Marissa warned.

"That's not fair. I didn't know it would that to me. You can't use that against me."

"She can," Alana said through a laugh. "It's just more reason for her to eat most of it."

"What happened last time?" Derek asked. All of the women in the room then realized Derek hadn't been there when Rachel ate so much candy she vomited all over Alana's shoes during Marissa's recital.

Marissa saw the look on his face and it was one of embarrassment. Something she had never seen from her father before. He was sad or angry; he just looked embarrassed. Like an outsider. A parasite trying to breakthrough the surface and get to the blood.

It conflicted her. So, she said something she didn't expect to, "Mom was recording if you want to see it."

"I'd like that." Marissa wasn't sure what overtook her but, after seeing how happy Rachel was, she didn't care.