When I reached home, my Western Meridian University admission letter had arrived.
Just as I opened it, someone knocked on my bedroom door.
I slipped the letter under my pillow and pulled the door open.
“Daughter…”
Mom carried a small cake.
Dad smelled strongly of wine, his eyes red as he looked at me.
I hadn’t thought they would bring me anything.
“You blame us, don’t you?”
Mom cut the cake for me herself, while Dad tapped my shoulder with a sigh.
“Truth is, at times, we worry the child we raised ourselves will think we don’t care for her anymore, so we try so hard to make up for it.”
“At times, we worry if we make up too much, you, our own daughter, will feel pushed aside.”
“All this while, we’ve tried to keep things even, but…”
Dad actually choked slightly. “…but we noticed that if we look after one side, we hurt the other; if we look after that side, we hurt this side.”
I stared at the cake in my hands, and my chest tightened.
“This cake was made by Mom with her own hands. The staff from the welfare home told us you liked sweet things the most.”
Mom brushed my hair. “Daughter, Dad and Mom are sorry to you, but we truly never meant to favor anyone.”