Exactly… were. Paradise and freedom are two things I haven’t felt in years. After my dad left and everything fell apart, I hated my name. How could I be a free-spirited bird when I’ve always felt caged?
“You’re so different now,” I question, thinking about all the times she made herself small and invisible for my dad. “How did you change?”
She gives a slow, knowing nod. “Life has a way of breaking us down until we realize no one is coming to save us. After your dad left us, I had to make a choice. Keep living in fear, or finally start living. So, I began taking up things that scared me. Now,I’m traveling, meeting new people, trying Kama Sutra positions with different men—living on my terms.”
“Okay,” I interrupt. “Please, that’s enough.” Watching her laugh, she sounds light and happy. Could I ever be that free? Then she looks at me, eyes filled with wisdom I hadn’t noticed before and says, “You can’t let anything cage you, Jenna. You were born to fly.”
As the party grows louder, I slip into an empty room overlooking the garden, consumed by my mother's words. She’d once told me how it had taken every ounce of courage to start over and rebuild herself after years of abuse. And here I am, married to a kind man, wondering if I should stay or leave. Clinging to this life, hoping things would change—he would change.
But every time I think about leaving, I picture my daughters' little faces, crying and confused. Shouldn’t I continue to sacrifice my own happiness for them? I sigh, leaning against the cool glass.We need help. We need to work on things, or…
Before I finish that thought, Izzy strolls in late, in a strapless dress and stilettos I could never walk in. “Happy birthday, Jinx!” She plops down, kicking off her heels. “Another surprise party, huh? When’s my brother ever going to learn?”
“Guess he likes predictable… like his sister, who always shows up two hours late.” I manage a fake laugh, even though I’m still annoyed with Jacob.
“You still love me.” She flashes a bright smile. “So, how does it feel to officially join the 40s club? Have you picked out a retirement plan yet?”
I roll my eyes. “Like thirty-nine. Another year.” But it doesn’t. It feels like I’ve been frozen in the same place with Jacob, while the rest of the world keeps moving forward.
Izzy’s expression softens. “Everything okay? You look… off.”
I force a small grin. “Just worn down a little. Guess I’m old now.” I want to say more, but I hate dragging her into my mess with her brother. Once, we talked about it, drunk on red wine. I shared that sometimes I’m not sure if I made the right decision to marry him. That I’ve thought about leaving. She almost cried.
“You deserve more than predictable, you know that, right?” She nudges me. “You’re fun and adventurous, remember.”
She stands, swaying to the music. “Bungee jumping in Mexico? Dancing on tables until four a.m. when you were still dating my brother while he was buried in law school books? Moms are allowed to have fun too.”
Her words make me pause.What happened to that girl?
My life is beautiful, comfortable, everything I should want. But the deeper I go, the more I realize I want more. Need more. I just don’t know how to find it without destroying everything I built.
I hug Izzy and step outside for air, drink still in hand. The sound of Jacob’s voice with his friends catches my attention. I peek around the corner, about to say hello, until I hear Jacob say my name. I stay hidden for a moment, curiosity taking over.
His words carry, thick with alcohol. “She’s a great mom,” he says, but there’s an edge underneath it. “But she’s… a lot. Clumsy as hell, can’t cook to save her life, and honestly? Sometimes she’s just exhausting. Always needing reassurance, always asking for hugs, always wanting to talk about shit that doesn’t matter. I mean, come on. I married her, isn’t that enough?”
The group laughs. Oblivious to the fact that I’m standing right here. Heat rises to my face. Is this how he talks about me when I’m not around? Is this how he sees me? Before I can slip away, Jacob spots me.
“Oh, hey! We were just joking around about our wives. Great timing,” he says casually, like he didn’t just gut me in front of everyone.
“Yup. Phenomenal timing. Thanks for the… kind words.” I flash a tight smile, torn between tossing my drink in his smug face or just walking away.
Then pervy Danny, or is it Dennis, chimes in with a sloppy smirk, his eyes glued to my legs. “I’ll happily take her off your hands. Give her some attention next time you need a break, man. Hell, I could swing by later…”
He stumbles forward, nearly grabbing onto my chest. And I’m not sure if it’s intentional or an accident. Everyone laughs again.
Except Jacob. He doesn’t yell. Doesn’t curse. Doesn’t flinch. He just stares at Dennis, his whole body tight, fists clenched at his side.
“Say that again,” Jacob says, his voice dangerously low, steady.
Dennis blinks, backing up with his hands raised. “Hey, man. I was just messing around.” Jacob steps forward—nearly nose to nose, closing the space between them.
“Don’t ever talk about my wife again,” he spits the words out. “Ever. She’s mine. Do. You. Understand?”
Dennis nods quickly, stepping back. The air thickens. For a second, I’m scared. Not for myself—but for Dennis. And I should be fucking furious. Humiliated. Hurt. And I am. But underneath it all, I also feel a twisted sense of safety.
Jacob looks at me, jaw locked. I think he might say something. Apologize. To me. To him. But he doesn’t. He just turns back to his friends, dismissing me, and the guys shift to joking about sports.
I retreat back inside, tears stinging my eyes. I check my phone. Midnight. That’s late enough to stop faking all this fun and make an exit.
