"The quietest screams are the ones no one hears. Not because they are silent, but because no one is listening." ~ Unknown
Asper had been the one to call, his voice bright with excitement. "Selina's arranged friends' get-together at a guesthouse nearby. There will be games, barbecue, etc. Are you coming?"
Michael had agreed without hesitation. A part of him wondered why Selina hadn't called him directly, as he thought they had grown closer since the trip. But he dismissed the thought. Selina was probably busy.
He packed a change of clothes, his guitar, a few necessities for the two-night stay. He left his motorcycle at home, uncertain whether the winding roads would suit it. A taxi would do.
Selina arrived home to find the house quiet. Her mother, Jasper, was on the phone in the living room, her voice light with laughter. She glanced up when Selina walked in, offered a distracted smile, and returned to her conversation.
Selina stood in the doorway for a moment, her luggage at her feet, watching her mother talk. The last time they had seen each other, Jasper had been overseas visiting her aunt. It had been over a year. And here she was, barely acknowledging her daughter's return.
The disappointment was familiar enough that it barely registered anymore.
Her father appeared from the hallway, his face breaking into a warm smile. "There's my daughter."
Selina dropped her bags and walked into his arms, the tension in her shoulders easing. "I'm home."
Mason Joseph held her tightly, the way he always did, and for a moment, everything else faded. He was the reason she had grown up steady despite the cracks in her family.
He called out to Jasper. "Our daughter's home."
Jasper waved a hand, still on the phone. "One moment."
Mason's expression tightened. He looked at Selina.
When Jasper finally ended the call, she approached with a smile. "You're back. Did you come by yourself? I asked the driver to run an errand. I forgot you were arriving today."
Selina said nothing. The words settled into her chest like stones, heavy and cold.
Mason stepped forward, his voice sharp. "You forgot your daughter was coming home?"
"I had things to do, Mason."
"Things. More important than your own child."
Jasper's smile tightened. "If you have something to say, say it plainly."
"I have been saying it for years. You don't listen."
Selina watched them, her parents, circling each other like strangers who had once known how to be close.
"Stop." Her voice cut through the rising tension. "Both of you."
They turned to look at her.
"Dad." She held up a hand to her father, then looked at her mother. "And I don't care whether you forgot or not. I'm leaving. I'll be with friends for a few days."
She grabbed her bag and walked out.
The door closed behind her, and the tears she had been holding back burned at the corners of her eyes. She blinked them away. She had learned long ago not to cry over her mother's indifference.
The guesthouse was tucked into a hillside overlooking a valley. By the time Selina arrived, several of her friends had already settled in.
She greeted them briefly, forcing a smile, then excused herself. "I'm tired. I'll rest for a bit."
Michael arrived as the sun was setting. The guesthouse was already alive with voices, the smell of charcoal drifting from the barbecue pit. He found Asper near the food table, laughing with a small group of classmates, and settled into an empty chair.
"Where's Selina?" he asked after a while.
Asper shrugged. "I don't know."
Michael nodded, but his gaze drifted toward the stairs. He hadn't seen Selina since the trip.
The evening wore on. The conversations around him turned to gossip and stories he had no interest in.