“You never had to show it,” I said softly. “I always knew.”
He looked at me for a long moment, his voice soft. “I’m glad you did. Because I don’t think I ever could have hidden it from you.”
We fell into a quiet pause, a gentle ache lingering between us that I couldn’t quite name. It felt like stepping back into the earliest days of us, when everything was uncharted and fragile, when shyness and longing lived in every glance we shared. There was something almost melancholy about it because those werethe days when we were still untouched by the cracks, when we were simply happy.
And as if Cameron had slipped into the same memory, he broke the silence.
“This reminds me of the time I realized I was falling for you.”
“Yeah?” My voice came out softer than I meant, as if I didn’t want to disturb the moment.
He nodded, his eyes gentle on mine. “Yeah. I remember realizing how much I looked forward to just being near you. No matter how busy the days got, no matter how much the job weighed on me, when I found you, everything felt right.”
“I felt that too,” I whispered. We had both carried it, but we never really spoke it aloud until now. Back then, during my internship year, every day felt like I was slipping, as if I were one mistake away from failing. And then there was him. He had been my anchor from the very beginning. Maybe that was why the thought of losing him terrified me so much, why the fear twisted into resentment until I pushed him away.
We arrived at Anita’s, where she was already waiting on the front porch. Harper leapt out of the car and ran straight into her grandma’s arms.
With a soft smile, Anita glanced from her son to me and gave a small, reassuring nod. There was warmth in her expression, a maternal kind of joy, as if she saw something good and lasting in the two of us that only she could truly recognize.
A sudden urge gripped me, and I didn’t pause to question it. I stepped forward and embraced her. She froze for a moment, startled, then her voice came soft against my ear: “What’s wrong, honey? Are you okay?”
I rested my head against her shoulder, gratitude swelling in my chest for the constancy of her presence in my life. She had neverjudged me, only supported me, always there when I needed her most. “I just wanted to hold you,” I whispered. “Because I’m so grateful for you.”
She spoke gently, her tone like a soothing hand. “Are you happy now, sweetheart?”
“Yes.” My eyes burned as tears pressed forward. “I feel happy.”
“Oh, Sloane,” she whispered back, her voice warm. “Hold on to this feeling. Remember it so you can return to it whenever you need.”
“I will,” I promised.
We let go of each other, and when I walked back to Cameron, I noticed the way his expression had softened as he looked at me. After waving goodbye to Harper, we headed to the hospital. The drive was quiet, but at one point I reached over, took his hand from the steering wheel, and held it in mine.
Icouldn’t believe my eyes. I blinked several times, convinced I was imagining it. A figure stood before me, someone I never thought I would see again, let alone walking toward me.
My mother.
She shifted on her feet in front of me, fidgeting as her eyes met mine. She looked nervous, and my mother was never nervous for anyone except my father.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, forcing my voice to stay even.
“Looking for you, of course.” Her voice was soft. “I want to talk to you.”
“Talk about what?” My reply came out sharper than I intended. “There’s nothing to talk about between us.”
“You see…” She faltered. “Well…”
She really was nervous, as if she could not quite form the words she wanted to say.
“I’m busy,” I said, turning away. “And please, stay out of my life.”
“Sloane.” Her voice called after me just as I had taken two steps. I stopped and turned, but I did not walk back.
“I’m…” She swallowed hard, her eyes glassing over. “I’m sorry.” The words came quietly. “I came here to apologize. For everything.”
I stared at her, a little stunned. Not in a million years would I’ve thought that she’d be apologizing to me. I had never heard either of them say those words before. Not to me.
When I didn’t respond, she said, “I know I was wrong, Sloane. But I want to ask if you’d give me a chance to make it right.”
