I just smiled and threw myself into my dad’s arms as he stood waiting at the door.
My stepmother smiled sweetly beside him, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“Sienna, you’re amazing! Your dad should reward you properly!”
“How about giving you the ‘Tears of Love’?”
I quickly waved my hands. “Oh no, I couldn’t!”
“That’s the keepsake Dad gave you. You never even wear it!”
My words hit a nerve, and she could only force a smile.
But my dad beamed. “Sure, you can wear it for your next piano performance. It’ll look perfect with your dress!”
My stepmother’s hand, which was peeling an apple, froze for a moment, and she struggled to keep her composure.
I skipped back to my room, eagerly putting on the ‘Tears of Love.’ The smooth white pearls were delicately accented with red agate, like snow and red beans, love and longing.
I styled my hair just right and slipped into a long white gown.
In the mirror, I looked just like my mother, who died in the delivery room.
It took my dad a moment to snap out of it, and then he awkwardly changed the subject.
“So, what was your award-winning essay about?”
I pretended not to notice my stepmother’s hateful glare as I walked over to her with a big smile.