"Hailei." You tried to follow her. She’d come home from school pretty furious, she wouldn’t talk to anyone. " I’m trying to talk to you."

"Yeah. Sure. After I had to walk home in this rain." She grunted. Hailei was soaked by the storm outside. She threw her backpack on the couch.

You didn’t know what to say. It was all a misunderstanding: Marshall was supposed to pick up the girl from the school, or at least send someone to do it.

Hailei didn’t stop. She went straight up the stairs very quickly. Again, you followed her.

"Hailei." You called her one last time.

"Leave me alone!" she cried out. Before you could reach her, she slammed the door to lock herself in her room. "You are not my mother! You shouldn’t even care!"

Things had been tense at home. You sighed. Hailei was just entering puberty, and her father’s absence affected her. Marshall was busy with the discography.

You were going to turn around and leave, but then you heard her sobbing properly.