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“And yet you were the one who kicked her out of the house. I was the one who had to give her support when you were the one who should have been doing it. I know that you can be stricter and all you want is the best for her, but can’t you see that wasn’t it?”
“Maybe I made a rash decision—”
“A rash decision?” I cut her off sharply, anger boiling through me. “What about the fact that you never contacted her once, that you never made sure she was okay, that you had a week to respond to the message that she sent you, asking for peace, and yet you never did? How’s that for a rash decision.”
“I was grieving.”
“Grieving what? She hasn’t died. You haven’t lost a daughter. In fact, you’re gaining a grandchild. I know that you’re not happy about the way that things came about but you should have at least been supportive of her. She hadn’t even gone to a doctor when she should have, she was so afraid of you finding out.”
“I’m not—” I watched as Bernadette’s mother took a deep breath, probably preparing to defend herself. “I’m not having this conversation with you when you keep attacking me!”
“Mom!” Bernadette cut in. “Please stop. He’s only trying to reason with you.”
“In that tone of voice? I would say not.”
“Mom, please, I just want to make things up with you. I don’t want to fight anymore.”
“Then you shouldn’t have made the mistakes you did.”
“Why did you come here if you were just going to fight with me?” I could see in Bernadette’s eyes that wasn’t going to last much longer without breaking down. And I didn’t want her to have to do that in front of her mother. I knew that would be detrimental.
So I went over to her and put an arm around her shoulders, hoping that it wouldn’t upset her mother too much more.
Bernadette looked up at me with a thankful smile. “Mom, I really want to make things up with you. I don’t want to fight with you, it makes me feel sick.”
“I don’t want to fight with you either, dear, but this is something that I cannot stand for. You know how I feel about Lucas. If you wanted to make things up with me, then you should have known not to get with him. That was taking things one step too far.”
“He was there for me when you weren’t. He’s been there for me so much when you haven’t been. What did you expect me to do? Just sit around and be sad? Where was I supposed to go when you kicked me out? Just sit on the porch and wait for you to forgive me?”
“That would have been better.”
“Oh really?” She was shaking now. I could feel it, and I worried that she was about to cry. “How could you do that to me? How could you say those things to me? You know how much I love you, how much I care for you, and yet this is what you do? I made one mistake. One. Two if you’re going to count Lucas. That doesn’t warrant this kind of reaction.”
I nodded. “She was devastated. I kept telling her that you loved her and that you would come around because I really believed that you would, that you did. And I still know that you love her, so please stop this nonsense.”
She shook her head. “I can’t, not until both of you come to your senses. This is a bad situation for both of you to be in. Even if I wasn’t concerned about your family, Lucas, I would still be concerned by the fact that you are her current employer. I would say it’s an especially risky move to be doing inappropriate actions in the workplace.”
Bernadette hung her head, her cheeks flushed red with shame. “We weren’t really going to do anything. You know we wouldn’t when anyone could just walk in.”
“And yet I walked in to the two of you kissing. Sounds like you were definitely doing something to me.” She sighed and shook her head. “You know what, I’ve come here, I wanted to make up. The ball is in your court now my dear. Come to me when you’ve come to your senses.”
Then she turned on her heel and left, leaving me with Bernadette, who definitely looked as if she was about to sob.
The moment her mother was gone, and the door shut behind her, she flung herself into my arms, crying into my shirt and grabbing at me with her hands, which were still shaking.
“I can’t believe she would say those things,” she said. “It just seems so wrong. Like, how could she do that to me?”
I stroked her hair back from her voice, making a cooing noise and squeezing her tightly to my chest. “It’s going to be all right, she was just angry. Let’s wait till she cools down and then we’ll see if she wants to apologize. I’m sure she will. There’s nothing you have to worry about.”
Except that it felt like there was. How was I supposed to know how her mother would act? How was I supposed to know what would help the two of them get back together and be happy again?
I just wanted Bernadette to stop crying. I just wanted her to be happy. There had to be a better solution to all of this.
19
Bernadette
The pain I felt was immense, but not as immense as the pain that I would feel with Lucas’s next words.
