Aria grabbed my arm, pulled me back down. Her eyes pleaded with me to stay calm. Then she turned to my mother.
"Mrs. Fox, honestly, I don't mind where we live. The main issue is that it's hard to explain to my parents."
"What's hard to explain?" Mom waved her hand dismissively. "It's just a house. Isn't living anywhere the same?"
Dad's indifferent tone sparked something volatile in my chest. Anger. Absurdity. Both swirling together.
"Have you ever cared about our feelings?"
"Have you ever cared about mine or your mother's?" His face darkened.
That sentence snapped the last thread of my patience.
I stood. My voice came out steady. Cold.
"When I was three, you dumped me on Grandpa and Grandma so you wouldn't have to deal with me. Back then, I didn't understand. I thought you were just busy." A bitter laugh escaped me. "It wasn't until I got older that I realized you simply wanted your 'space.'"
"Fine. I can accept that. Grandpa and Grandma treated me well."
I leaned forward, bracing my hands on the table. "When I was ten, do you remember what I wanted for my birthday?"
Silence.