A Wish with a Bow (Girl Power Series)

Chapter 21 - Broken

"Callie, sweetheart, I brought you some tea. I will leave it on your night table," Dad says. "I called the mall offices to let them know that you are ill. I'll be around if you need to talk... or if you need a hug... or anything,"

My dad's kind words make me crumble again in tears. He sits on my bed and caresses my hair as I cry.

"Love is a bitch sometimes, right?" he says and I nod. "I'm sorry Callie. It hurts me a lot to see you like this. Brett better not cross my way if he wants to keep his head,"

The mention of his name makes me cry harder.

"I'm sorry baby girl. I didn't want to make you cry even more," he says, kissing my temple.

Dad leaves once I have calmed a bit, and I'm left alone with my thoughts, my sorrow and my broken heart. Brett lied to me. I wonder who else knows who he really is and didn't tell me. Tina is right. I'm dumb and clueless... a big fat loser.

I didn't sleep at all last night and now I have a terrible headache. When I came home, my Mom asked me if Brett was going to join us for Christmas and I lost it then. I have never cried like this for anybody, because I have never been truly in love.

He was so different than other guys. Like a child at times whenever he experienced new things. No other guy has ever called me pretty before, or has listened to me. He called me a Venus de Milo and I had to search for what he meant. The goddess of love and beauty whose curvy body represents life and fertility.

But now I'm not sure if those were lies as well. I don't know what sick game he was trying to play with me and he won. Mom spent a good part of the night cuddling with me in bed. She only knows that something happened between Brett and me and nothing else.

"Okay, enough. No man is worth so many tears," I hear my brother say.

Dan moves towards the curtains in my room and let the sun come in.

"Dan, please, no. I have a headache,"

"Great, you are talking now. Can you sit and drink your tea before it gets cold? I will get you some pills,"

Dan comes back with a bottle of water and some pills. I have almost finished my tea. I didn't know that I was so thirsty.

"You need to stay hydrated at least. Mom said that you didn't eat anything last night and it is past noon. You also need to shower. You stink like sweaty feet,"

"Jeez, thanks for the honesty,"

"Did he behave inappropriately?" Dan says, looking in my drawers for some clothes.

"No,"

"Did he do something against your will?"

"No,"

"Did he lie to you?" he says, placing clothes and underwear on my lap. I look away as I feel my eyes getting teary again. "What did he say?"

I inhale deeply before answering.

"He is the son of the mall's owner. He has some hot shot position in the mall. I wonder what else he is hiding from me. All of this came to light in front of a bunch of coworkers. I'm a big fool Dan. I believed that he was a regular guy and now that I'm putting the pieces together, I can see that he has been hiding the truth,"

"I'm sorry to hear that. Mom told me how he wanted to bring me here for your birthday. I thought that it was a very sweet thing to do. Mom is puzzled by everything as he made a really good impression on her. They talked while he was sick and you were at work, and she got to know him a bit better. She feels that he was honest with her during that moment. I know that this sounds a bit strange, but if the moment comes, I think that you should give him a chance to explain,"

"He has had enough time to come up with an even bigger lie. I will find it hard to believe anything that he says. Did you see Laura?" I say, trying to change the conversation.

"We had breakfast together. She is quite worried about you and asked me to tell you that she will be here in a minute if you need her,"

"That is very nice of her. I will miss her when she moves to Boston, but at least I know that she will be with you,"

"Come on Callie. Go and shower and I will make sure to have something nice to eat when you come downstairs,"

I grab my clothes and a towel and head to the shower. I pick a lavender shower gel and let the scent relax me under the hot water. Why did things have to end up this way? I could see it happening. Life with Brett would have been wonderful and simple. I let a few tears escape and decide that it has been enough. The fuzzy fleece lounge pants are comfortable and warm together with the long sleeve t-shirt.

I head downstairs and appreciate the smell of fresh grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Dan takes a bunch of shredded cheese and dumps it on the soup. He started doing that since we were kids. Our own sort of comfort.

"Nice, no trace of feet smell," he says, handing me a little tray.

"Could you stop saying that I smell like feet?"

"Would you rather have me calling you a banana koala?" he says, making me smile. "That is how I like to see you. Cal, I know this sucks and even more because it is so close to Christmas, but I know that things will turn alright,"

Dan and I enjoy our food while watching a terrible day time show. They call it a Christmas DNA special in which women find out who is the real father of their kids.

"Stefan should bring Evy to that show," Dan says and I almost choke on my sandwich.

Mom comes in with the mail and looks relieved at seeing me out of my bedroom and tearless.

"There are two envelopes for you in the mail," she says handing them to me.

One of them is from the Palms Mall Foundation and the other is from a local college. I open the one from the foundation. It says that I have been offered a scholarship for the college of the other envelope. I open the other envelope really quick. An acceptance letter for the early childhood education program.

"I'm going to college and it will be paid for me,"

Mom and Dan grab me in a hard hug. Dad comes into the living room and after hearing the news, he join us and gives us one of his awkward ones. I look again to the two letters and then I see the reference line in both. It says B. Palms.