Chapter 2: The Price of Being Forgotten
Lily called fourteen times that night.
I counted.
I hated that I counted.
Because some part of me was still the woman who wanted to answer on the first ring.
The woman who would always pick up.
The woman who would say, “What happened, sweetheart?””
But I sat in the darkness of my bedroom and watched her name light up my screen.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The next morning, I woke up expecting regret.
Instead, I woke up with a strange emptiness.
Not peace.
Not happiness.
Just the quiet feeling of finally accepting something I had refused to believe.
Lily didn’t see me as her mother anymore.
I drove to work that morning without turning on the radio.
Usually, I listened to the songs she used to complain about.
“Mom, you’re officially the only person under fifty who still likes this music.””
I smiled at the memory.
Then the smile faded.
Memories were cruel like that.
They could make you feel loved and abandoned at the same time.
At noon, my phone rang.
Lily.
I stared at the screen.
Then answered.
“Hello?””
There was silence.
Then her voice.
“Are you really not paying for my trip?””
No hello.
No apology.
Just the question.
I closed my eyes.
“Hi to you too.””
“Mom.””
Her tone was impatient.
“You know everyone already paid.””
“I know.””
“So?””
I looked out my office window.
Cars moved below.
People walked by.
The world continued.
“I thought you wanted your real father involved.””
“That’s not fair.””
I almost laughed.
“Fair?””
“Yes.””
Her voice became defensive.
“You’re acting like I hate you.””
“You pushed me away.””
“I barely touched you.””
“That’s not what hurt.””
Silence.
For a moment, I hoped.
I hoped she understood.
Then she said:
“You always make everything emotional.””
I felt my heart sink.
“Lily.””
“What?””
“I spent eleven years trying to make sure you never felt abandoned.””
Her voice softened slightly.
“I know.””
“No, I don’t think you do.””
She sighed.
“Can we not do this right now?””
There it was.
The same thing again.
My feelings were an interruption.
A problem.
Something inconvenient.
“I have to go,” she said.
“Okay.””
“Are you still going to help me with college stuff?””
I looked down at my desk.
The college checklist I had created sat beside my laptop.
Dorm supplies.
Textbooks.
Emergency money.
A hundred tiny things I had planned.
“I don’t know.””
She went quiet.
“You don’t know?””
“No.””
“That’s crazy.””
I smiled sadly.
“Yesterday, I was your mom when you needed something.””
“That’s not true.””
“Isn’t it?””
She didn’t answer.
Then she whispered:
“You’re really hurting me by doing this.””
I closed my eyes.
Because somehow, I had become the villain.
“Goodbye, Lily.””
I ended the call.
Two hours later, Daniel showed up at my house.
I knew it was him before opening the door.
His expensive car was impossible to miss.
When I stepped outside, he leaned against it with his arms crossed.
“We need to talk.””
I almost smiled.
After eleven years, Daniel wanted a conversation.
“About what?””
“About Lily.””
“She made her choice.””
He frowned.
“She’s eighteen. She’s emotional.””
I looked at him.
“Interesting.””
“What?””
“You’re explaining her behavior instead of correcting it.””
His face hardened.
“You’re really going to hold a graduation photo over her head?””
“No.””
“Then what is this?””
I took a breath.
“This is me realizing I cannot keep pretending I’m her parent when she only remembers me when she needs something.””
Daniel shook his head.
“You’re being dramatic.””
That word again.
I hated how familiar it sounded.
“You know what’s funny?”” I said.
“What?””
“For years, I hoped you would become the father she deserved.””
He looked away.
“And now?””
“Now I’m letting you try.””
He laughed once.
“You think I can’t handle a trip?””
“I think you should get the chance.””
His expression changed.
“What does that mean?””
“It means she wanted her real father.””
I stepped closer.
“So be her real father.””
For once, Daniel had nothing to say.
He left without another word.
That evening, Lily came home.
She lived with me while preparing for college.
At least, she had.
She walked into the kitchen and dropped her bag on the counter.
“You didn’t have to embarrass Dad.””
I looked up.
“What?””
“He said you were making him look bad.””
I stared at her.
“Your father came here?””
“Yes.””
“And he told you that?””
“Yes.””
I nodded slowly.
“Lily, do you know why I saved money for that trip?””
She crossed her arms.
“Because you wanted to help.””
“No.””
She looked confused.
“Because I wanted you to have memories.””
The room became quiet.
“I wanted you to go with your friends and laugh and take pictures and talk about it years later.””
I swallowed.
“I wanted to give you something special.””
Her expression softened for half a second.
Then her phone buzzed.
She looked down.
And whatever emotion had appeared disappeared.
“Dad said he’ll figure it out.””
I nodded.
“Good.””
She stared at me.
“Are you really okay with this?””
I looked at the girl I raised.
The girl I loved.
The girl who had chosen someone else.
“I’m learning to be.””
That night, I went to bed early.
But at 1:13 a.m., I woke up.
My phone was vibrating.
A message from Lily.
*Mom.*
I stared at it.
Then another message came.
*Dad says he can’t pay for the trip.*
A third message appeared.
*He says you’re the one who always handled money.*
I sat up slowly.
Then the phone rang.
Lily.
This time, I answered.
“Mom?””
Her voice sounded different.
Not angry.
Not annoyed.
Scared.
“What happened?”” I asked.
She was quiet.
Then she whispered:
“I checked my account.””
My stomach tightened.
“What about it?””
“I thought Dad sent the money.””
A pause.
“He didn’t.””
I looked toward the window.
Rain tapped against the glass.
“Lily…”
Her voice cracked.
“There’s something else.””
“What?””
“I tried to pay for my college deposit.””
I stopped breathing.
“And?””
She started crying.
“I don’t have enough.””
The silence between us stretched.
Then she said the words that changed everything.
“Mom… what did you mean when you said let him pay for everything?””
I looked at the empty chair across from me.
The chair where she used to sit doing homework.
The chair where I helped her with science projects.
The chair where she once told me I was the best mom in the world.
And quietly, I answered.
“I meant exactly what I said.””
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But before I could say anything else, Lily whispered something that made my blood run cold.
“Mom… why did my college account disappear?””
