"Evening, Mom. How are you doing?" Star greeted, her voice light but tinged with concern.
Her mother, standing by the stove, looked up with a strained smile. "How was college?"
The question was asked in a voice that sounded more tortured than curious. Star's heart sank.
"Mom… Mom, are you okay?" She quickly crossed the kitchen, her footsteps quickening as she approached her mother. "Please, don't tell me you had another fight with Dad?"
Her mom paused, her hands trembling slightly as she wiped her face with the back of her hand. Tears had already started to slip down her cheeks. "Sweetheart," she whispered, "all I asked for was peace. Just peace and freedom in this house. I love him so much, but the more I try, the more he hates me…" She broke off, her voice faltering as the words twisted out. "And he... he hits me."
Star's breath caught in her throat. "Mom…no." She could barely form the words as she moved closer. She reached out, her hand brushing against her mother's trembling shoulder.
"I don't know what else to do," her mother continued, her voice cracking. "Last night, when you were asleep, he told me there was nothing I could do to fix our relationship… that it was over." She swallowed hard, her gaze lifting to meet Star's, desperation shining in her eyes. "But he said it while drunk… and, baby, I promise, I'm trying to make it work between us. All I want is a happy family. I just want us to be happy."
"Mom…" Star's voice was soft, her words carefully measured as she knelt in front of her. She took her mother's hands in her own, her grip firm yet tender. "Look at me. I'm doing everything I can. I'm working hard in school. I'll make sure Dad changes… I don't know why he's like this, but I won't stop until he understands. We will make him see us… and I need you to be patient."
Her mother wiped her eyes, sniffing. "You're right. You've been through this with me your whole life. I couldn't protect you from the things we've been through. And now…" She paused, her breath shaking as she looked down. "The worst part is... every time I apply for a job, they turn me down. Domestic work, anything. It's like the world just keeps rejecting me. But I have to be strong for you, Star. Even when I'm gone, I'll have you to speak for me. You're my world now. Just... please remember—stars don't dim."
Star stared at her mother, a pang of guilt seeping into her chest. This was the woman who had sacrificed everything for her, and yet, here she was, broken and lost in a toxic marriage. "Mom…" She squeezed her mother's hands tighter. "I don't want you to feel like a burden. You've tried. You've done your best."
"I just… I don't know how to make it better. I don't know how to stop the pain," her mother whispered.
Star hesitated before standing up, brushing away a stray tear. She had always hoped that if she worked hard enough, her father would come around. But nothing ever changed. Not since she was ten. Not since they had moved in with him. And now, at twenty, it felt like nothing ever would.
"I'm twenty now, Mom," Star said, forcing a smile to mask the tightness in her chest. "Don't be so dramatic. We've been hoping for things to change for years now. But... we'll make it through. Somehow. Things will get better. Just... don't worry."
With that, she turned away, heading to her room. Her phone buzzed on her bed as she began to change out of her clothes. She glanced at the screen. A message from an unfamiliar number.
"You have a nice smile… gapped teeth… that's what I want to see every day."
Her fingers froze above the keyboard. It had to be the guy she'd bumped into on her way home earlier.
"Ugh, I won't hear a word about this," she muttered to herself, rolling her eyes.
But then again... why had she changed her route today? She never usually took this path. Maybe it was fate, she thought, maybe God had sent this random encounter her way to lift her spirits.
"No, no," she whispered to herself. "God doesn't play matchmaker. Or... is it the devil? Let's see who wins."
She hesitated before typing a response.
"Who the hell are you?" she typed, then immediately deleted it. "No, no, that's too harsh."
She thought for a moment, then sent a single word: Okay.
Throwing the phone onto her bed, she went to the kitchen to help her mother with dinner. They ate in silence, as they usually did, praying over their meal, before retreating to their separate rooms for the night. It was their routine, their escape from the chaos.
When Star returned to her room, another message awaited her.
"What, am I not telling the truth?" the message read.
Star felt her heart skip a beat. She hadn't expected this.
"And I'm not protesting," she replied, her fingers hovering over the screen.
The reply came almost immediately.
"Don't you want to know my name?"
Star smirked to herself, suddenly curious. "Just say it," she typed, the words flowing easily now.
"I'm Steffy," the reply came, simple and to the point.
And just like that, the conversation continued. It was the start of something new, something that had the potential to change everything—at least, Star hoped so.