ES

r grandmother's voice cut through the

ulled up, then she quickly averted her gaz

er of them as if they were ready to pounce on t

d a choice." Her eyes finally met her gran

y. Ran her wrinkled fingers through the thick, matted fur of her ugly, puffed-up cat, be

upting her. "You're still under my roof, Niya. I'm the one who's bee

father. Months had passed since his death, yet the ache st

ision as she inhaled deeply. "I

thing,

niy

curled around her, weaving into her breath. Her body reacted before her mind could cat

o

rately grasping for an answer, but it was like reachin

ed to let

e wanted to think about. He

gone, it felt like, som

be better. That if she just worked hard enough, sacrificed enough, she could lift

ready to be chased. She wanted

ng everything she had would make a difference. T

, but she was

, her fingers balling

f her head. "You got yourself into this, and I'm not going

e

e forced herself to breathe. She'd already sacrificed so much. The hospital bills. Th

e in-between words. The words burned her throat, but she ne

I kept you out of the streets for so long and you quit yo

Niya croaked. "I-I didn'

going to give you a life?" She shook her head, a dark chuckle rumbled in

one who told me to marry him, Ma!" He

insults. But the mockery? The way Ma Phil

calp, fingers tangling in her hair, painfully pulling to ground herself against the rage brewing inside her. Her eye

he empty cathedral that echoed with vows that meant nothing. The promises, lies dressed up

all felt li

been willing, long before she was forced? Maybe that was the c

turned shall

rst time, Niya noticed just how small the old woman was. But it didn't matter beca

she could take her words back and brace for w

ably used for aching joints mixed with fa

now, but enough to draw blood. "You're too soft for this world. You let everyone walk

this. And yet, you dared let a 'man' tu

ter," Niya sh

hinned. "No? The

was

she'd left it after signing the null

single tear welled in her left eye. She didn't even know what sh

n didn't soften. If any

ow. You can't keep hiding in this house. You're a

ssed her like they never said a word to each othe

go. And besides, Niya could never bring herself to truly def

ing star

h vast and empty. The sitting room stretched wider, with warm light from the high windows spilling onto a worn-out rug. The kitchen took a smaller portion of the spac

it could go silent. Pressing it

expanded into saucer