My mom died in a car accident. One moment she was here, and the next, she was gone. That\u2019s how quickly everything can change.<\/p>\n
She was the first person I\u2019d call with good news and the one I\u2019d text dumb memes to at 2 a.m. She was the voice in my head that reassured me I could handle things when I didn\u2019t think I could.<\/p>\n
A year later, my dad called to invite me to dinner with him and Lena, my aunt. I didn\u2019t think much of it. Lena had been helping him after Mom\u2019s death, bringing casseroles, keeping things together.<\/p>\n
When I arrived, the house smelled like lemon cleaner and roasted chicken. Lena greeted me, wearing my mom\u2019s apron. It was strange, but I didn\u2019t think too much about it. Inside, everything was perfect\u2014almost like Mom had just finished cleaning.<\/p>\n
The dinner felt strange. Lena seemed to anticipate Dad\u2019s every need, almost like she knew him better than he knew himself. Then, Dad told me they were getting married. I was blindsided.<\/p>\n
They\u2019d been leaning on each other after Mom died, and they\u2019d realized they cared about each other. It was fast. Too fast. But I didn\u2019t say anything. I wanted Dad to be happy.<\/p>\n
Over the next few weeks, Lena was everywhere. People kept telling me how great she was, how Mom would\u2019ve wanted this. But I wasn\u2019t sure if that was true. Still, I kept my feelings to myself.<\/p>\n
Then, my grandmother pulled me aside. She had something to show me. We went to her house, and she brought out a box of old photos and notebooks. Lena had always copied Mom. She wanted to be Adrienne, to be chosen. And when Mom was gone, she stepped into her life\u2014into her role.<\/p>\n
Lena had been manipulating Dad. She didn\u2019t love him; she just filled a space. I couldn\u2019t let this go on.<\/p>\n
I rushed to the wedding. Just as the ceremony was starting, I stepped in and exposed the truth. Lena had been pretending to be Mom. She didn\u2019t love Dad; she\u2019d just waited until he was too broken to tell the difference.<\/p>\n
The room was silent. Dad stepped back. It was over.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"