Chapter 2

Katy’s POV

“Katy, I’m sorry,” Mom started the moment we got inside the house. This time, her voice was slightly sober. In fact, it had to be. Seeing her daughter humiliated had to make her snap back to her senses.

“Let’s drop the discussion. It has already happened,” I replied, slouching down on the couch and burying my head in my palms. A frustrated sigh made its way out of my lips.

I thought she would understand the situation I was in and let me be. Yet, she spoke up again. “Listen, Katy. You don’t have to do this. They’re just taking advantage of the situation to get money from you. And besides, the money is not that much for him to throw a tantrum like that.”

“Mom! Please! Let me be!” I was beginning to be fed up with her behavior. Even after what happened. Even after the harsh words the man said, she still didn’t feel any remorse. Sometimes I used to wonder what kind of mother she was. No matter how hard I tried not to think of all the problems happening in my family, it always crumbled back.

“Katy, I—” she began again, getting cut off by me.

“It’s okay, Mom. I’m used to it already. Just go to your room. I know you will not remember anything tomorrow.”

Without saying anything more, she trekked to her room barefoot, almost tripping on her way. An exasperated breath made its way from my lips as I stared at the wooden door. What will I do now? Amy will soon start her exams. I need a new job. The pay at the diner is not that much. Mom uses her money to drink. I didn’t know when a lone tear slid down my chin. Trying to act strong is something I find hard, not with the things occurring in my life.

“Katy,” I heard my sister’s voice from behind. I wiped my face immediately. Showing her my weakness will only discourage her. Turning around, I offered her a smile. However, she didn’t offer one back.

“You know I can see right through you, right? I heard everything,” she said, leaping forward. And all the tears I’d been bottling up escaped their way out of my eyes.

“What do I do, Amy? Why is life so unfair? Is it my fault that our family is like this? First, it was Father, now Mom. Why is our family torn apart?” I blabbered. The tears were falling off earnestly. I didn’t blame them. They hadn’t been out for a while.

I took Amy as a sensitive person, but she became my strength that night. She didn’t join me in my cries. She held me tight and embraced me. “Cry it out,” she whispered, rubbing circles on my back.

And I did. I let the tears flow down. It wasn’t silent tears. How I wish Mom was sober enough to hear me. To hear how hurt her daughter was. But I knew she was fast asleep already, being a heavy sleeper.

“You have me. Your Little Penguin Amy,” she whispered again. I found myself letting out a chuckle at her statement. Little Penguin is my nickname for her. For some reason, I felt calm as we stood there in each other’s embrace.

Pulling apart, I brushed off the excess from my face. “Thank you, Amy,” I said.

She nodded her head in return. “Mention not. What are sisters for? We have to be strong. As you said, she’s our mother, no matter the circumstances. So let’s find a way to bring back our old mother. She needs us, more like we need her.”

“When did you learn how to say all those emotional words?” I raised my brows curiously as I stared at her.

An amused smile made its way to her lips. She pulled out the book that I had caught her reading. “I dare you to read this book and thank me later,” she beamed, flipping through the pages.

I must say the title was beguiling to the eye. However, I’m not a fan of reading novels. It’s not that I don’t read them at all, but I have been busy taking care of my own matters, so I hardly get any time to read. Graduating from college was a bit challenging for me. I had to retake some courses. I’m not the best student, but I still managed to graduate with a lower credit, which was better than nothing.

The faraway voice of Amy brought me back from my trance. She was already sitting on the couch with her mini laptop on her thighs. Right! I was supposed to check out some job offers.

“Amy, can I use your laptop for a minute, please?” I asked as I squatted beside her.

“Sure,” she said, placing the laptop on my lap and diverting her attention back to the novel.

I started by checking my email accounts for any new messages but found none. “Great!” I muttered. Even after sending my resume to multiple companies, I still didn’t get a reply. Great. Just great. I surfed through some other companies looking to hire a new employee but found none, just a few of which were barely even a job.

Raking my hands through my messy hair, I exited the window and instead logged into my social media account. It’s been a while since I got in touch with Darnell.

“Hey, best girl,” I typed away.

Darnell is my best girl. We’ve been friends since our high school days. Unfortunately, we couldn’t attend the same college. They had to relocate to Scotland due to her father’s new job. Darnell had been a good friend to me. I spent most of my time at their house, which was just a few miles away from ours. Our life was going well until my father got into trouble, and our happiness was shattered. Even though we were far away from each other, she supported me in so many ways that words could not be enough to thank her.

The laptop made a sound indicating a message. “Hey, my not-so-best girl. You have forgotten about me!”

I knew her reply came straight from her heart. “I haven’t. Just been busy. Looking for a job here and there.”

“You still haven’t gotten a call from any company?!”

Darnell is someone I share my worries with. Sometimes I used to envy the life she was living. She gets to enjoy her life, her family, a good job, and a good life. But I know with time, all my hard work will pay off.

This time around, she didn’t reply. I couldn’t deny the little pang I felt. She must’ve left; maybe she was busy. I let out a dejected sigh and was about to close the laptop when a sound resonated from it. At first, I ignored it, thinking it might be the usual sound the laptop always makes since I bought it as a used laptop. It made a sound again. Something at the back of my head told me to check it. It might be one lucky day for me. Following what my head kept urging me to do, I unlocked it and clicked on the notification, only to find myself letting out a shout.