April was waitingfor me a couple hours later when I got off work.
At first, I considered ignoring her completely, but then I decided I was through running. If a tendency to be conflict avoidant was learned, I was going to be the one who unlearned it.
She was dressed in a skirt with matching jacket that was as pristine and polished as fine art. Nothing like the stay-at-home-mom I remembered, now that I studied her long enough to draw comparisons.
“April,” I said in a flat, careful voice. “What are you doing here?”
She bit her lip and the action reminded me so much of myself it took my breath away. “I wanted to apologize. I shouldn’t—I shouldn’t have pushed you the way I did.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “No,” I said bluntly, “you shouldn’t have.”
“I’m sorry, I jumped in too fast. I have no right to butt into your life.”
Spotting coworkers down the hall, I nodded to the exit. “Can we do this outside?” I led her to the parking lot where we’d have more privacy. Heat shimmered up from the asphalt, but there was a cool breeze that calmed my frazzled nerves. “No, you don’t have a right to butt into my life. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciated your help, but you have no idea who I am or who Liam is for that matter.”
April nodded. “I agree. I only saw so much of myself in you and I didn’t want you to make the same mistakes I did when I was your age. I gave up so much for your father and I lost so much ofmein the process.”
The teeth of my keys bit into my palm. “I’m sure you had your reasons, but if we’re going to have any sort of relationship, you need to respect my choices.”
“Of course,” she said immediately. “It won’t happen again.”
The coil of nerves in my stomach loosened. “Good. Thank you.”
“Would you—I mean, I’m picking up my daughter in a few minutes from school. Would you like to meet her?”
At a loss for words, I could only gape.
“Only if you want to,” she hurried to add. “No pressure, I promise.”
This was the moment. I could either walk away and continue to let these past wounds fester—on both our parts—or I could stop running.
Thinking about Mr. Williams and Liam, there was no choice. No thinking. No panic.
For the first time in my life, I felt free, a weight lifted off my shoulders.
“I’d love to.”
The smile she gave me brought out a mirror grin from me.
** *
I was still laughingas I waved goodbye to April and my half-sister Madison. I had a sister! Grandparents! A mom. I’d lost so much that I didn’t quite know what to do with myself as I drove home feeling like I was full up to the brim with happiness.
Except, there was no one for me to share it with.
Well, there was, but I wasn’t sure if he’d ever want to speak to me again.
All I wanted to do was take the route that would lead me back to his—our—house and tell him all the things I’d learned today.
Ember and Layla had been begging me to talk to him and work things out, but I hadn’t mustered up the nerve. I wasn’t sure if I forgave him until I’d been able to forgive my mother. I felt lighter than I had in years. I didn’t think I could have gotten this far if it weren’t for him.
Acting on instinct, I flipped on my blinker and ignored the resulting angry drivers honking at me as I switched lanes.Screw it.I was going to go see him. My heart raced as I navigated my way through the afternoon traffic to Lake Ella and then to Liam’s duplex.
I pulled up the drive and slumped in my seat when I noted the absence of his truck. He wasn’t home. He was probably working. Feeling a little deflated, I parked and tried to figure out my next move.
My phone rang and figuring it was probably Ember checking in again, I answered it without looking at the caller I.D. “Yes, I’m fine, Em. I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Charlie? It’s Mrs. Walsh.”
