When I Repeated My Parents’ Love Story Chapter 08

When I Repeated My Parents’ Love Story Chapter 08

I didn’t wait to see whatever expression landed on their faces. I spun around and bolted to my room and

slammed the door so hard the frame shook.

I slid down to the floor with my back against the cold wood, buried my face in my knees, and sobbed without

making a sound.

For my own ridiculous excuse for love. And for this fake, paper-thin excuse for a family.

I don’t know how long I sat there before a soft knock landed on the door.

I ignored it.

Silence outside for a beat. Then my mom’s voice, barely above a whisper, careful and fragile.

“Chloe… can I come in?”

I still didn’t answer.

The door creaked open a crack. My mom slipped in, holding a warm glass of milk.

The second she saw me crumpled on the floor crying, her eyes reddened again.

She set the milk on my desk and crouched down in front of me. She reached out to touch my hair. I jerked my

head away.

Her hand froze in midair. She slowly pulled it back, her voice thickening.

“Chloe, I wasn’t trying to deceive you… I just didn’t know how to tell you. When I saw the way you were acting,

it felt like a knife twisting in me.”

“What we did before… it was wrong. Completely, utterly wrong.”

She sniffed and steadied her voice.

“We were so wrapped up in our own stupid obsessions. We ignored each other. We ignored you. And we let

you believe… that kind of one-sided groveling was normal. That it was something to imitate. We gave you

the worst possible example.”

“Your father and I… we…”

She stopped for a long moment. Then, like she’d finally made up her mind, she said quietly, “I don’t have

feelings for Ethan anymore. I haven’t for a long time. It just… became a habit. A kind of emptiness where I

didn’t know what else to do with myself. That’s over now. From now on, I’m staying here, in this house, with

you I’m going to take care of you. Okay?”

Elifted my swollen, reddened eyes and looked at her. My voice came out hoarse.

Do you love Dad?”

My mom’s face did something I’d never seen before. Color rushed across it, visible and undeniable, sweeping all the way to her ears.

Her eyes darted away. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her pajama top. Her voice dropped to a near

mumble.

“What… what are you talking about? We’re too old for… for any of that… love and whatnot…”

That reaction was about as convincing as a paper umbrella in a hurricane.

“Oh.”

I made a dull sound of acknowledgement. But something strange happened. That sharp, stabbing pain in my

chest softened a little, just from watching my mom squirm like a flustered teenager.

My mom couldn’t take the awkwardness. She scrambled to her feet.

“Drink your milk. Get some sleep.”

And then she practically fled the room.

Silence settled back in. I picked up the warm milk and sipped it slowly, my thoughts still churning.

Not long after, another knock.

This time, my dad.

He walked in carrying a plate of sliced fruit, his expression even more wooden than my mom’s had been. He set the plate on my desk, rubbed his hands together, and stood there like a kid sent to the principal’s office.

“Chloe, I… I owe you an apology too. All these years, I neglected you. That was wrong of me.”

He kept his head down, not meeting my eyes.

“From now on… I’m done taking care of… Angela. I promise.”

I looked at him and fired the same question.

“Dad, do you love Mom?”

“What?”

He practically levitated, like a cat that just got its tail stepped on. His face detonated into red, even worse

than my mom’s He started stammering.

You- you kid what kind of what kind of nonsense. your mother and I… that’s… that’s…”

That’s what?”

I pressed

BK S

“It’s… it’s…”

He sputtered around the word for an eternity and never landed it. His neck went crimson. Finally he waved his hand in defeat.

“Grown-up stuff! Kids don’t need to be asking about grown-up stuff! Eat your fruit. Go to sleep!”

I watched him practically trip over his own feet bolting out the door, and a laugh burst out of me. I still had tears drying on my cheeks.

So I wasn’t the only one putting on a show.

Those two…

They’re clearly into each other!

They just had their vision clogged up by their so-called “first loves” all these years. Now that the spell was

fading, they were finally noticing what was right in front of them?

Cowards.

I rolled my eyes and filed the thought away.

But a bold little idea had already started to sprout.