Chapter 1: Collision

“Mom, are they still going to take long?” I asked, my voice sharp with impatience as I traced the gold rim of my water glass.

“He said they’re on their way. He’s just waiting for his son.” Mom replied, and I could hear the giddiness in her tone even before I looked up. Her eyes were shining as she tucked a strand of curly hair behind her ear, a nervous habit she’d had since I was little.

We were at a fancy dining restaurant now, and we were both dressed formally. Tonight was the night she’d finally introduce me to the man she wanted to marry, and his son.

I had been raised alone by Mom ever since Dad died when I was eight. She was a beautiful and attractive woman, and had given birth to me at just nineteen so our age gap wasn’t that big. Sometimes people even mistook us for sisters. My parents had a huge age difference too. Mom was only eighteen when she married Dad and Dad was forty-six then— an older businessman who’d swept the recent high school graduate off her feet with roses and promises of a perfect life. They’d shared eight years of that dream before a sudden heart attack took him away.

Since marrying young and becoming a widow early, Mom had been in several relationships after Dad passed away. Almost all of them were short-lived, so I was surprised when she told me just last month that she planned to marry her current boyfriend. I hadn’t met him in person yet because he was always abroad for work, and Mom was the one who often flew overseas to see him.

She’d known him for a long time, she said. He was her first love, her high school ex-boyfriend. The one she’d loved before she’d ever met Dad. I knew this was the longest, most serious relationship she’d had since Dad died. Besides being kind and patient, he was also rich and loved her deeply. Well, maybe Mom was exaggerating some parts, I knew how easily she got caught up in grand gestures, but I was happy for her either way.

"Mom, are you sure about this?" I couldn’t help but ask.

“Of course, what are you saying?” She reached across the table and took my hand. Her fingers were cool, and I noticed a small diamond ring on her left hand that I hadn’t seen before. “I love him, and he loves me too. And this is for you, my baby. I want you to have a complete, beautiful family.” she said.

I rolled my eyes at my mother’s words. I wasn’t a kid anymore for that to be a big deal to me.

"You know I’m not a child anymore, Mom. I’m sixteen, and I don’t wish for a perfect, complete family. It’s okay with me just being you and me, like before." I replied.

"Well, it’s not okay with me. I want to give you a perfect, complete family you can be proud of.  I want to make up for all the ways I messed up.” My mother said emotionally.

"If that’s the only reason you want to marry that man, then don’t go through with it, Mom." I insisted.

"I love him, silly. That’s just one of the reasons I want to marry him.You’ll see, he’s going to be good for us." My mother replied, which made me feel at ease.

Well, if I’m being honest, Mom had made a lot of mistakes when it came to me and to us. Dad had left enough money and property after he died to keep us comfortable, never having to worry about making ends meet. But Mom was still young then, used to having him handle every bill and decision, and she didn’t know how to manage it all. She was spendthrift by nature, with no head for budgeting, and she poured our money into businesses she didn’t understand until a scam cleaned us out completely.

After that, life got hard fast. Mom learned to work for the first time, landing a job at a local salon. I followed suit, taking on part-time work at a young age to support my studies and help with rent like nannying for a nearby family, flipping burgers at the fast food joint down the street. I’ll admit she was irresponsible sometimes, even childish, making me feel like the parent more than once. But she never, ever neglected me. Her love was steady and unwavering, and I was grateful for it with every fiber of my being.

Now she was about to get married and looked happier than I’d seen her in years. Who was I to stand in the way of her happiness right?

“Here they are!”

My thoughts were cut short as Mom jumped to her feet and her face lightened up.  I followed her gaze across the restaurant, where two men were walking toward our table, one tall with salt-and-pepper hair and a smile that matched Mom’s, and a boy who I think a few years older than me.

The middle-aged man around Mom’s age approached first, dressed in a crisp navy tuxedo. With him was a tall, tanned guy I guessed was his son. They were still far enough that their faces were blurry, but I straightened up automatically, my hands smoothing down the skirt of my dress in preparation.

“Have you been waiting long?” The man said, his voice warm as he leaned in to kiss Mom gently on the lips. Up close, I saw he had sharp Caucasian features, an athletic build, and was surprisingly handsome.

“Not really,” Mom replied, her eyes shining.

“I want you to meet my daughter, Elyssa. Elyssa, this is Greg.” Mom made the introduction, and Greg held out his hand. I took it; his grip was firm, friendly.

“You can call me Uncle Greg from now on,” he said with a smile. “We’ll be family soon, after all. And this is my son, Theo.”

When my eyes landed on Theo’s face, a gasp caught in my throat. Recognition hit me like a punch to the gut.

“You!” The word burst out of me, loud enough to make a nearby table glance over. I saw it flash across his face too. Then he raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting into the same condescending sneer I remembered. I was sure he recognized me too. He definitely knew me.

“You two know each other?” Mom asked, her forehead wrinkling in confusion.

“Of course!  This is the rude customer from the cafe where I work, the one who harassed and insulted me, Mom!” My voice cracked, all my poise gone. I felt my blood heat up, throbbing in my ears at the sight of him.

“What? Now I’m the rude one?” Theo shot back, his jaw tight. “You’re the disrespectful employee who poured hot coffee all over me!”

"You were the one who harassed and insulted me first, so you deserved what I did!"

“Look at this woman’s mouth—”

“Enough, Theo!” Greg snapped, his voice sharp with authority.

He excused himself from Mom, pulled his son aside, and they stepped away to talk in low, urgent tones. Mom tugged me back to our table, her face fallen.

“Elyssa, what was that?” she asked, and I heard the disappointment in her voice.

“That’s the guy I told you about!” I explained, my anger still simmering. “The jerk at the cafe, the one who said those awful things, so I poured coffee on him. Don't you remember?” I explained to my Mom.

“Please, just calm down.” Mom’s voice was soft, desperate. “I understand you’re upset, but can’t you just apologize? Make things right with Greg’s son so we can get through tonight?”

“No, Mom! I’m not going to be nice to that jerk! He has such a terrible attitude! If you knew what he said to me!” I said angrily.

"I understand you didn't agree on things back then, but can you just let it go and get along? Can you please set aside your differences for now, fix this, and make up? We'll soon be one family, and you'll be step-siblings before long.  Please, my child, just be patient for my sake." My mother begged, looking like she was about to cry.

Guilt washed over me, cooling my anger for a moment. I took a deep breath, my shoulders slumping. I’d admit I’d acted impulsively. I never would have guessed that of all people, that guy would be the son of the man my mother was going to marry. He’d talked back like he was the victim, right in front of both of our parents.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” I whispered. “ Sorry I ruined this moment for you. Okay, I’m willing to make up and forget everything. I’ll do it just for you because I love you. I just hope that guy won't provoke me again." I finally said.

“Thank you,” she said, and pulled me into a tight hug.

When we turned back, Greg had finished talking to Theo. It looked like he’d convinced him to play along too. We met in the middle of the floor, shook hands, and mumbled apologies. The whole thing was so forced, so insincere, that I almost cringed.

Soon we sat down to order, the conversation turning to Mom and Greg’s wedding plans. I stole a glance at Theo. I was surprised to find him staring at me, his eyes sharp and unreadable. My blood boiled all over again. Of course his apology was fake. I rolled my eyes, took another deep breath, and forced myself to look away. Every time I thought about his insults, every time I remembered how he’d made me feel, my temper flared right back up.