Chapter 2

When I returned home, the apartment was dark and quiet.

I had saved half a hamburger for my mom. After placing it in her hand, I nuzzled my head against her cheek and said, "Here, Mom. You'll feel better once you've had something to eat."

Whenever I got upset, Mom would take me to a restaurant to get hamburgers. My worries would always disappear immediately after I ate.

But to my dismay, Mom didn't eat the burger. She didn't even say anything to me.

Feeling upset, I instantly began to cry. "Are you mad at me, Mom? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought the letters to the restaurant. I'll fix it. Please don't be mad."

I turned on the table lamp and dumped all of the tiny paper scraps onto the table. Armed with nothing but a bottle of glue, I spent the entire night piecing the letters back together.

My hands were covered in paper cuts, but I refused to stop. As I worked, the torn pieces of paper became stained with drops of blood.

At dawn, I excitedly shook Mom's shoulders and exclaimed, "I'm done, Mom! Can you wake up and take a look at me now?"

Three seconds passed, and Mom still didn't move. The hamburger I had brought home the day before had completely gone cold.

My gaze drifted to the dead potted flower sitting on the windowsill.

I felt a sudden ache in my chest. Dad had planted that flower for Mom himself.

The two of them used to water and fertilize it together every single day. The plant had always produced strong, healthy flower buds, but the day after Mom moved out, Wendy threw a fit and hurled it downstairs.

The flowerpot shattered as it hit the ground, and the broken pieces even ended up injuring Mom's hand.

Refusing to give up on the plant, Mom brought it home and replanted it. She watered and fertilized it all over again, but no matter how much she cared for it, it still drooped a little more every day.

Then, on the day Mom fell asleep, it withered completely.

"You have to wake up after I save the flower, okay, Mom?" I coaxed.

I brought the plant to the florist next to our apartment building and begged the owner to help me save it. After I got there, the lady sighed and gently rubbed my head.

"The roots are dead. I'm afraid the plant can't be saved anymore," she said regrettably. "Tell your mom to buy a new one, Stella. There's no point in holding on to this one."

After a pause, she added, "Back then, your dad went all over Alister City to look for this plant so he could make your mom happy. Everyone in the neighborhood was incredibly jealous of her!"

I didn't respond and simply carried the flowerpot back to the apartment.

The sky was incredibly gloomy on my way home.

Once I got back, I put the dead plant back on the balcony and glanced at Mom. Afterward, I pulled the entire plant out of the soil and tossed it into the trash. I then replaced it with the building-block flower that Mom and Dad had gotten me for my birthday.

Tears streamed down my face as I pulled on my mom's hand.

"Look, Mom. The new flower I planted will never wither. I'm hungry. Are you hungry? Can we go get hamburgers together?" I cried.

I added, "I don't want to go with Dad. Can we please go together instead?"

Outside of our window, fireworks exploded in the sky. Shortly after, I heard the voices of our neighbors.

"What a terrible man. He's ignoring his own wife and daughter while he celebrates another kid's birthday."

"I heard these fireworks cost 30 thousand dollars! Jeremy really outdid himself."

I hurried over to the window and pulled the curtains shut. If Mom saw the fireworks, she'd become upset again.

Dad used to set off fireworks for her too. In the past, he'd light up the sky for her all night long. On top of that, he'd also buy her beautiful dresses that made her the belle of the ball.

Pouting, I turned toward Mom and said, "It's okay, Mom. If Dad won't set off fireworks for you, I'll do it when I grow up."

Moments later, I added, "I have a parent-teacher meeting tomorrow, Mom. Don't be late, okay?"