"Maybe she's out looking for me?" Lucy said after knocking on her apartment door for the third time.

"Then call her."

When she dialed her mother's number, a faint jingle could be heard from inside the apartment.

"Huh? Hello?" She heard Carry's coarse voice through the phone.

"Mom? Are you home?"

"Who is this?"

"It's me, Lucy."

"Lucy, what are you doing calling me at this hour?"

"Mom, are you asleep?"

"I was taking a nap after a few drinks."

"Mom, I'm outside. Come open the door."

"What? Outside... What are you doing outside?"

Norman signaled to hand over the phone. "Carry, it's me. Open the door."

“Nathan, I told you I don't want to see you anymore. Either get the money or-”

“It's Norman, you idiot.”

"Norman? What are you doing? Why am I getting so many calls this late at night? Did you just call me an idiot?"

"Carry, your daughter has run away and you are sleeping? Come open this door right now!"

"What!? Oh, that's right, Lucy ran away. Oh gosh. What am I going to do?"

Lucy took her phone back. "Mom, I'm right here. Open the door."

"Lucy, is that you?"

"Yes, open the door."

The lights of the living room seep through the doorway before the door opens. "Lucy, where have you been? You just disappeared out of nowhere. I was worried sick!"

"Were you?" Norman responded. "If you were so worried, why were you in bed sleeping?"

"Norman, what are you doing here? You come to my apartment uninvited and then start yelling at me."

"You disgust me, Carry. When are you going to grow up?"

"Oh, shut up. Who are you calling disgusting? How dare you talk to me like that."

"You guys!" Lucy said loudly. "Can we go inside and talk about this?"

"I'm not talking to him," responded Carry. Norman pushed her aside as he makes his way in. "Who told you you could enter my apartment? How dare you! I can call the police, you know."

"If anyone is going to call the police, it's me. You're so neglectful that you don't even care what happens to our daughter."

"And yet here you are bringing her back. I knew she was with you all this time, so I wasn't worried at all."

"She was on a train heading to a unknown city while you were getting drunk."

"Don't assume what I was doing! Who says I wasn't worried! I called the police so they were going to handle it."

"But I didn't see you out there looking for her."

Lucy stepped in front of them, "Stop it! Stop it you two!" She then turned to her father, "I didn't bring you here to yell at mom."

"That's right!” Carry said, “All he does is yell at me."

"Mom, you're no better. I did run away. I was on a train heading to a different city. I was about to disappear forever."

"You what? Lucy, what drove you to do such a thing?"

"You did. Both of you, but I already made up with dad and he said he was going to change his ways. Now it's your turn."

"For what exactly?"

"What do you think?" Norman interjected. "I was appalled to see that you were no different than when we got married. You still want to party all day at your age. When will you finally grow up?"

"Why are you putting the blame on me?" Carry said. "You were supposed to be my husband. You were supposed to take care of me."

"Do you even know why we got married? You were supposed to help me with the business."

"I don't know anything about business. I thought a wife was just supposed to support her husband emotionally."

"And you couldn't even do that. You just wanted to spend all day shopping."

"You guys!" Lucy interrupted. "Please stop. This has gone long enough. I get it, you don't like each other, but screaming and yelling isn't going to solve anything."

Both groaned as they faced away from each other. "This was a bad idea," Norman said. "We have nothing to talk about."

"You bet we don't," Carry said.

Lucy turned to her mother, "Dad told me everything. Now it's your turn. You have to tell me about yourself."

"That doesn't sound right. This is adult stuff."

"But I'm your daughter, and you've been ignoring me for too long."

"I haven't been ignoring you. When did I ever ignore you?"

"All the time. You're never here at home. You always leave me alone."

"Well, I have a job, I have to go to work."

"But after work, you come back just to change clothes. You then go who knows where, coming back home drunk afterward."

"I sometimes have stress from work. I'm not used to having a job, so I go and unwind. But I find time to hang out with you."

"Then tell me, when was the last time we spent time together?"

"Uh... I'm sure we went to buy some clothes a few weeks ago."

"Weeks ago?"

"Well, I'm busy. The divorce is messy and my parents aren't sending me any more money. I just want to forget my troubles, okay? You don't understand what I'm going through."

"You can't be this selfish."

"And what if I am? What if I am a selfish spoiled daddy's girl? Huh?"

"Mom, how can you admit to that?"

The atmosphere became intimidating as Norman and Lucy stared at her, one with scorn and the other with concern. "Why are you blaming me? I don't know anything, okay? I was just trying to do what daddy said. I was just trying to obey his orders. It's his fault. It's Norman's fault as well. He was supposed to take care of everything. He's a man, isn't he? It's the man who takes care of the woman, okay? Why am I being blamed for everything? What... what am I being blamed for?" The situation started getting to her as Carry sat on the couch. With tears in her eyes, she continues, "I don't know what it's like to be a wife, or mother, or whatever. I didn't do good at school. All I knew is that if I did what daddy told me, he would take care of me forever. Why am I being yelled at now? Why is daddy now abandoning me? It's not fair! It's not fair! He won't even answer my phone calls, just tells me to get back with that disgusting man! I don't want to be married, I didn't want to be a mom! I'm still young, I just want to have fun! I just want to go to cruises and casinos and have fun with young men." Carry laid on the couch, sobbing on the pillow.

Norman groaned, "This is pathetic. You are a grown woman yet Lucy acts more mature than you do." He shook his head and sighed. "This is who your mother really is. I'm sorry you have to see this, but this is the reality. Come on, it's over now."

He grabbed Lucy's arm but she released herself from him, went up to her mother, sat next to her and placed her hand on her shoulders. "Mom, I'm sorry that your Dad isn't talking to you. I'm sorry that you're not living a life of luxury and that you have no money. But if it makes you feel better, I'll be here for you. No matter how bad things get, I won't leave you. Maybe I can't provide you with luxuries or give you any money, but I will always love you, Mom. I will do anything to make you happy."

Carry looked at Lucy who was near in tears, but despite this show of emotion, Carry got up and headed towards her room.

Hearing the door slam, wiping her tears, Lucy sat straight on the couch. "I'll stay here tonight."

After looking at the direction Carry went, Norman turned around exited the apartment.

--

She was already out of bed, ready to make breakfast when Carry's door was discovered opened. Even more so, the note taped on the door. Barely able to grasp it anymore, it fluttered into the floor after reading it. The words now stuck in her mind.

Lucy, I thought about this and I can't do this. I don't know anything, I'm too dumb to figure anything out on my own. This whole thing has just messed me up. I can't talk to daddy about this as he refuses to talk to me. I guess Norman can talk to him for me, but I'm too scared of him. Besides, I don't like being a mother. I don't get to go out on dates, or drink in the evening, or have any fun. It's too much work for me and nobody taught me how to work. All I can do is be a stripper and dance for money, get free drinks, and have a good time with men. But I'm getting older now and nobody wants me anymore. I'm so alone now, nobody told me how to be an adult. I'm just a big child myself.

You're so smart that you don't need me. You can do anything because you're smart. I'm too stupid to do anything myself. That's why it's best if I leave and never come back. I'm sorry but I'm a terrible mother, and I'll own up to that. You can do whatever you want because you're way smarter than me. I don't know what to do about anything anymore. I'm just a spoiled brat without a future. All want to do is have fun and not have responsibilities. That is why I decided to find a rich man to marry and take care of me forever. I don't care what he wants me to do. If he wants me to do dirty and nasty things, I'll do it, as long as I can live the life of luxury I've only known. That is all that I am, and nothing more. You are better than me, Lucy, so you can go ahead and forget about me. You have a future, but I don't.

All Lucy could do was sob as she leaned against the wall staring at the window.