Sailing With Destiny

Cumpleaños

I made my way upstairs with a busy mind and it was because of one little cucaracha who went by the name of Raquel. I knew she liked to compete and wanted almost everything I had but this was the limit, she stooped very low this time. I wasn't surprised that she read an old diary of mine but to blackmail me over what she read for a bag was another kind of low. 

My mom used to keep a journal and penned down all her thoughts and memories and after she was diagnosed, I did the same in hopes that I could read things from my diary with her one day. That never happened because Alzheimer's turned out to be more than just losing your memory and when my mom no longer recognized me, it became difficult to be around her let alone read her memories of us. 

When I started college, I stopped writing in my diary because I didn't have much free time and just didn't see the point. But it seemed that some of my diaries were packed with my mom's things that my grandparents kept in the garage. Raquel obviously lacked a life if she dug through my mom's things, found my diary, and then had the nerve to read it and throw it in my face. 

I was furious at her for going through my mom's things and reading my thoughts and feelings. I used to keep my entries brief and cryptic so only I could understand what was written but it seemed Raquel spent a lot of time trying to decipher each entry.

I took in a deep breath as I reached the top of the staircase and decided I needed to tell Mitchell what Raquel threatened to do. Anxiety slowly crept up on me and just thinking about that time took me to a place in my life I wished to erase. No one knew what happened except Leo and he promised to never talk about it unless I wanted to. Yet here I was, having to pick at old wounds and scars.

I reached the guest bedroom door, took in another deep breath, and knocked. Mitchell said it was fine to come in and when I entered the room he was seated on the bed and looked up from his phone screen with a frown. "Why did you knock?"

I shut the door behind me and teased, "Manners Mila."

"Are you taunting me, Milo?" Mitchell raised an amused brow.

I rolled my bottom lip inwards and innocently shrugged. "I don't know, Bitchell. Am I?"

Mitchell grasped my wrist and pulled me onto his lap. He ran his hand down my back and the warmth from his palm that seeped through the thin cotton of my tank top sent a shiver up my spine. "You know what happens when you're a smartass?"

I wrapped my hands around his neck and gazed into his eyes. "You fall more in love with me."

Mitchell chuckled and I smiled in relief that he wasn't upset after Raquel's little scene. Mitchell lovingly brushed his nose against mine and pressed a soft, chaste over my lips that set flight a bunch of butterflies in my stomach and coated my skin with goosebumps.

"What's wrong?" Mitchell softly asked as he gazed into my wide eyes.

I lowered my gaze and chewed on the corner of my lip. I didn't know how to bring up an awful, deeply hidden part of my past that I was ashamed of. Mitchell's mood was good and he looked at me with nothing but love, I didn't know if that would still be there after I came clean. 

I need to tell him before Raquel. It's the right thing to do, no matter the consequences.

"Mila," Mitchell's tone was more serious as he gripped my chin and lifted my head so I could meet his eyes. "What's the matter?"

I licked my lips, breathed, and mustered the amount of courage I needed to bring this up. "Raquel, downstairs she –"

"Hey," Mitchell's hand moved over to cup my cheek. "If you think what she said bothered me then you don't need to worry. I know all about your... past with Leo and I accept it."