AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I leaned over and hugged her. “I’m happy for you. You deserve to have someone wonderful in your life that you can count on.”
When I pulled back, Mom’s gaze fixed on mine. “You deserve it, too.”
I sighed, unsure if I deserved happiness after the way I’d handled things in the past.
“I know you have some hangups because of your dad. That was clear when you broke things off with Talon. My worry is that you haven’t worked through that.”
“I didn’t expect Talon to be there for me, so I pushed him away first. I used the miscarriage and my guilt as an excuse.”
“Have you told him this?” Mom asked gently.
“I told him I broke up with him because I felt guilt and shame over the miscarriage. That was true, but it wasn’t the real reason. I don’t think I even understood why back then.”
“That’s understandable. We mature and grow. It’s a never-ending process. But you should be honest with him now.”
“I intend to.” I wasn’t sure if today was the best day, but sometime soon. “We’ve been missing each other lately. He’s with his family this morning.”
“The farm will be closed now?” Mom asked.
“They keep it open in the evenings for people who want to walk through the light display. The shop will have a huge end-of-season sale, too. I think they get a lot of customers coming through for that.” I wasn’t sure how much Talon was involved in that.
“That sounds lovely. Maybe John and I will check out the light display and the shop one night this week.”
I took a deep breath. “I’d like to get to know him better. Do you think we can arrange a time to go to lunch or do dinner again?”
Mom beamed, and I realized how much she’d been holding back. She wanted me to like John. “That would be wonderful.”
I stood and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for being the best mom. You were there for me when Dad wasn’t.”
Mom blinked away the tears. “We both deserve to be happy. Be honest with Talon. Don’t let him go.”
“I won’t,” I said as I got my things together to leave. I worried I’d fall back into my old ways of doing things. That the fear that I wasn’t enough for him would creep in or that he’d eventually want out. It was a constant battle I wasn’t sure I’d ever be free from.
I saw Talon’s text that he was home, and I hoped we’d have some time together before family dinner. I unlocked the door, but Talon wasn’t in the kitchen. There was a large item under the tree that hadn’t been there before. It sparkled in the light of the sun coming through the windows.
There was a large bow on what looked like a chandelier. I sucked in a breath at the sheer beauty of it. It looked like something that belonged in a celebrity’s bathroom or even a closet.
“Do you like it?” Talon’s voice came from behind me. He must have been on the couch.
He lifted it in the air so I could see how the crystals hung.
I held my hand out to one of them, watching the light shine through them. “They look real.”
“The crystals are real,” he said as he lowered the chandelier.
My eyes burned with unshed tears. “Did you buy this for me?”
Talon shook his head. “I made it for you.”
It was like all the air in my body whooshed out at the same time. “It’s gorgeous. But I don’t know where I’d put something like this.”
He spun it slightly so I could get the full effect. “You could put it in your bathroom, a closet, your office, or your workspace.”
I reluctantly pulled my hand away from it. “I don’t have a space that does this justice.”
Talon’s expression faltered slightly. “You don’t have to put it up now.”
“I have an apartment I never spend any time at, and even if I did, this would look out of place.” It was beyond grand. I could see it at the inn or even in one of the rooms here, but not my place.
