Sorry, I Didn't Love You #AtoZChallenge #ShortStory Crossword Clue 12 Across
While trying to balance too many things in my lap, I hit the doorjamb on my way into the living room, and yell a curse.
"You okay, Liv?"
I mutter angrily as I transfer bowls and cups to the table by Wren Noel. "I hate that spot."
"Has it in for you?" Wren Noel chuckles.
"Yes, actually. See, we did live here, briefly, when I was little. There were growth marks on the wall there. My mom marked them when I started standing and walking. But then the condition started. And I needed to see doctors. So dad worked more to pay for it. A lot more. I don't really remember much, but that's when everything fell apart."
"Liv, I'm so sorry."
"It gets worse. So, mom and I moved out. Or maybe he tossed her out. I don't know. Too little at the time and she never talks about it. Anyway, I came to visit dad one time when I was maybe seven or eight. And I saw that the growth marks had been painted over. He erased me. We had a huge fight. Little as I was, I kept hitting him. Granted, that's like a Chiwawa throwing itself at you, I wasn't causing any actual harm no matter how much I tried. But he put me in a taxi and sent me back to my mom. Never invited me over again."
"What! You were a child. How could he do that?"
I move to the couch beside Wren Noel and clutch a throw-pillow to my chest. Hot tears stream down my face.
"Yeah. Well, years went by, barely any contact beyond the occasional card. Always in someone else's handwriting, a secretary or girlfriend, I don't know. Anyway, so then a few years ago, he died."
"Right. And left you this house." I've told Wren Noel that before, but not the details.
"Yeah. In his will, that some random lawyer read to us, he wrote that he bequeathed his house to Liv, his daughter." I move my fingers to do air quotes as I choke out the exact words, "Sorry, I never loved you."
Wren Noel's jaw drops. "Oh my gracious. Liv, that's horrible! Come here. I can't move enough to hug you properly."
I don't want to move. But Wren Noel is fighting the casts, and I don't want my friend injured because I shared a stupid history. I curl against Wren Noel as best as I can, my tears landing on their neck.
"I'm sorry. That was a big trauma dump."
"You have no reason to be sorry. I hope you found his ghost or spirit or whatever and kicked it in the balls or something."
I sniffle. "That'd be a good ending. But no, he crossed over. Never gave me a chance. Mom doesn't understand why I'd live in this house. But see, it's mine now. This is what I get. Not love, not a decent childhood, not a dad who loved me. I get this house."
Wren Noel's head rubs gently against mine. "You deserve more."
"Thanks. For now, I'll settle for a movie." I move back to my spot on the couch, grab the remote, and turn on Blue Beetle.
Blue Beetle (2023) is a DC superhero film featuring Jaime Reyes (played by Xolo Maridueña), a college graduate who becomes the symbiotic host to an ancient alien, high-tech, sentient artifact that grants him a blue, armored suit with unpredictable, powerful abilities.
12 across — An ancient relic of alien biotechnology
The crossword clue will contain the LETTER of the day, though it might not be the *first* letter in the word.
My April 2026 Blogging from A to Z Challenge Theme is a slice-of-life short story with two characters binge-watching shows and movies while creating a crossword puzzle. Read and play along!
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