“I don’t know,” Gia whispers, the tears falling.
“Then why the tears? Hmm?” Raj slowly wipes them away, as if Gia were still a child. “Tell me.”
“I miss him,” Gia admits. “All the time.”
Adam. The thought of him brings bile to the surface. Marin swallows it but it rises again, leaving bitterness in its wake. “Have you no sense?” Marin demands, staring at Gia, seeing a stranger instead of her daughter. “You miss the boy that hurt you?”
“He loved me.”
“No, he did not!” Marin berates her, slamming her fist against the table, startling both Raj and Gia. “Do you have any idea what love is?” Marin stands, ignoring the warning bells going off in her head. “Love is good. It’s . . .” Marin struggles to define the emotion. “It’s working to give you the best life, a superior education. Everything I didn’t have, you do. That’s what love is.”
“No, it’s not,” Raj says quietly. He shakes his head in clear disappointment, turning away from Marin and back toward Gia. “We’ve done something wrong and it needs to be fixed. Somewhere along the way, we lost you and we need to find you. We need to get our girl back.” He pauses, shuts his eyes, and takes a deep breath. “Do you want to leave school for a while? Take a break, use some time to heal?”
“I can do that?” Gia automatically glances at Marin, as she is the one who will withhold permission.
“No,” Marin says, but Raj overrides her, his voice louder than hers.
“Yes, you can,” Raj says. “If that’s what you want.”
“I’m sorry, I thought we already discussed this,” Marin interjects, feeling the anger boiling over. Since their last conversation, she and Raj have avoided the topic of a separation. However, Raj did move his things into the guest room and now sleeps there. Other than co-parenting, there is little left for them to speak about. “She will not be leaving school.”
Raj stands, facing Marin. “If that’s what she needs right now, yes, she will.”
“I won’t allow you to destroy her life,” Marin says. “If you want a battle, you’ve got one.”
“Meaning what?” Raj asks slowly.
“Gia and I will move out. I’ll fight for full custody and the right to make all decisions about her life,” Marin warns. As soon as the threat comes out of her mouth, she knows it’s what makes the most sense. She and Raj are at an impasse, and his ideas will only lead to long-term harm for Gia. Marin can’t allow it, even if it means taking Gia away from her father.
“I would want to live with Dad,” Gia says quietly. She rises from her seat, coming to stand right next to her father. “My wishes would count, right?” When Raj nods, she continues, “Then that’s what I want. I don’t care if it’s here or somewhere else. I want to stay with you, Dad. Please.”
Marin staggers back, the shock destabilizing her. “Gia, what are you saying?” she pleads, feeling a type of fear she hasn’t felt since leaving her father’s home. “I’m your mother. You belong with me.”
“I think I would be better with Dad,” Gia whispers, not meeting Marin’s eyes. “OK?”
Her question is directed to Marin, but it’s Raj who answers. “Sure, sweetheart.”