Chapter 4
Addison looked nostalgic as he spoke. "Traveling was always your thing. This family has kept you grounded all these years, right?"
He chuckled, tapping his forehead. "There goes my memory again. The gift I got you is still upstairs."
As I watched him walk away, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe there was still hope left for our marriage.
But the moment he was out of sight, Valda suddenly snatched my suitcase.
Her illness was getting worse, and she wasn't herself anymore.
She dug out my asthma medicine from the suitcase, twisted off the cap, and was about to take a dose.
In a panic, I reached out to grab it from her.
Valda lunged at me, her hands clamping down on my neck so hard I could barely breathe. I flailed blindly, desperate to break free.
With a desperate shove, I finally shook her off, and Valda hit the floor with a heavy thud.
I heard Addison's gift bag drop to the floor.
"Valda, Kyla, are you insane?" Addison yelled.
Valda burst into tears, showing off her injured palm.
"Addison, it hurts so much..." she cried.
Addison's eyes welled up with tears as he pulled her into his arms, shielding her protectively.
He gently blew on her hand, as if that little gesture could make all the pain disappear.
I started to defend myself, "It was her just now—"
But then Valda's face lit up, and she giggled like a little kid, waving the inhaler around as if she'd just won a game.
"Look, I got it. The medicine's super bitter, but I'll take it instead of you, Addison," she declared.
Addison looked like he'd completely lost it.
Inside the gift bag was a freshly reframed photo of us together.
He smashed it hard onto the floor, glass exploding everywhere.
Shards of glass flew everywhere, one of them slicing across my cheek.
Addison's grip on my hand was brutal, pain shooting up my arm.
His voice trembled as he glared at me, "Kyla, are you happy now?
"Or will nothing satisfy you except seeing her pushed to the brink by your own hands?"
He squeezed even harder, so much so that I was sure my wrist was about to snap.
At last, he released me.
Addison took Valda's hand and walked away, slow but unwavering.
I stayed rooted to the spot for ages before finally crouching down to pick up the photo lying among the shards of glass.
In that photo, Addison was young and handsome. It was taken on the day we got married.
At that moment, I realized that he hadn't been smiling at all when the photo was taken.
I had no idea how much time had passed when Samson finally showed up.
Seeing me just standing there, lost in thought, he snapped, "Seriously, Mom, you had to go and piss Dad off again.
"Dad's got the chillest temper. He's never flipped out on you, not once. He just wants this one thing. Why can't you see that?"
Furious, he snatched the photo from my hands and tore it to shreds.
"Is wrecking this family the only way you'll ever be satisfied? Can't we just have one peaceful day?" Samson shouted.
I looked up at him, who was a towering, grown man.
This was the boy I'd fed one spoonful at a time, and now he was so much taller than me.
Samson pushed at my shoulder, frustration obvious. "Mom, go apologize to Dad, then go clear things up with Valda. I took vacation days for this trip, and now look where we are—all because of you!"
I shoved his hand away.
Suddenly, all the turmoil inside me went quiet.
"I'm not going. Never again," I said.
Samson froze, staring at me in disbelief.
"Then don't ever set foot in this house again!" he shouted.
He suddenly clamped his mouth shut.
His face, still red from shouting, gradually cooled down. "Whatever. I'll go with you and talk to Dad. Valda's not exactly unreasonable.
"Think about it. You've been living under this roof for years. Dad and I have always taken care of you, never once making you get a job. So what exactly are you so upset about?"
It felt like he was tossing me a lifeline, but only out of pity.
Alice cast an uneasy glance between Samson and me.
She hesitated, then quietly said, "Mom, you should listen to Samson."
June was half-asleep in her arms, her little head poking out, still groggy.
She mumbled, "Mommy, why aren't we leaving yet?
"I want to ride the big horse and see the giraffes."
She looked around, and when she didn't spot Valda, her lips started to tremble.
"Where's Grandma Valda?" June asked.
The weariness from a whole day of running around seemed to settle on my shoulders all at once.
It felt so heavy that I could barely draw a breath.
I felt that it probably wasn't just today's exhaustion, but the burden from the past 40 years.