She looked down at the point of contact I offered her. “I regret everything with Nathan.” She sniffled. “I saw a safe haven in you. Someone to finally be on my side. I should never have pitted you two against each other. I didn’t even realize that’s what I was doing. When Nathan said he was moving to Denver, I prayed that would be the moment you two finally grew close. There was nothing I wanted more in this life than to see the two of you get along…be the family I never gave you.”
My mom had pressured him to stay with me back then, so I knew there was truth to her words.
“I’m glad I have Nathan now,” I said. “I needed him.”
She sniffled loudly and squeezed her eyes shut. “And I’ll never stop trying to be better. I’m sorry if I can be judgmental toward him sometimes. It’s just that I still struggle so much to understand him. I know that’s my fault, though,” she finished quietly.
I sighed and leaned forward. Nothing was fixed. It wasn’t some magical conversation that wrapped all of the hurt into a neat bag and tied it off with a bow. But it was a start.
“Well, we can all try to be better,” I said.
“I hope you can forgive me one day.” A ghost of a smile drifted across her face before she finally met my eyes.
My shoulders sagged. I hadn’t even realized how tight they’d been.
We talked for a little while longer, and she shared things with me I hadn’t expected. She told me that all she wanted was to be a better mother to Nathan and me, to make up for the things she felt she’d missed. She was so determined for us all to be a family, especially now that Nathan and Charlie were expecting a baby. Despite the anxiety I’d had about this conversation, I could feel the sincerity in her words. There was no pretense, no effort to win me over. She was being real. It was a step in the right direction.
After what must have been hours, we had moved on from more serious topics to lighter ones, and I actually started to enjoy my mother’s company again. I found myself grateful she was here.
“So.” A mischievous glint formed in her eyes before she asked, “Who’s Frankie?”
A strangled laugh escaped my throat. “Really? Subtle change of topic, Mom.”
Her smile grew. “What? I couldn’t help but notice thebeautiful woman at your bedside today was definitely not a nurse or a doctor.”
“She’s just a girl,” I said, making the understatement of a lifetime. “A girl who’s leaving soon. We both are. I’m headed out of Key Ridge next week.”
“Ahh.” Recognition flashed across her face. “Well, you’ve always been an adventurous soul. I thought maybe…the way you were looking at her.” She offered me a shrug. “It seemed different.”
My chest tightened, suddenly choked with the desire to go straight to Frankie and wrap her in my arms.
“She is different.”
My mother nodded. “If my story can teach you anything, it’s that you shouldn’t change for anyone. If it’s right, it’ll all work out. You shouldn’t have to force it.”
Her words hit harder than she probably realized. Because I’d have to change a hell of a lot to work out with Frankie. We weren’t meant to be in any sense of the word. We were temporary, just like my mother and father should have been.
But if that was all true, then why did everything feel so wrong?
“And over thereis the ski hill.” I pointed to the now-green mountain. There were still patches of snow here and there but it was almost completely dried up at this point. “You sure you don’t want to get out there?” I joked, nudging my mom.
She laughed, her arm hooked in mine. “Please, I haven’t skied in decades.”
I smirked and shook my head. We’d already walked all around Main Street. My mom had popped into a few of theshops to get a few souvenirs—mostly baby clothes for Nathan and Charlie.
It felt good to spend this time with her, unburdened by some of the things that had been weighing so heavily on me. She seemed lighter too.
Things between us weren’t shiny and new, but at least we’d popped out some of the dents. It helped that I knew how badly she wanted to make things better with Nathan. She was actually headed back to Denver tomorrow to spend time with him and Charlie. She was glowing at the thought of her first grandchild. My family was fractured, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be mended. A patch on a hole was better than throwing the whole boat away.
“Dinner?” my mom asked. “I’m starving.”
“Sure.” I checked my phone to confirm Frankie had gotten my text. “Let’s go.”
We walked toward the Italian restaurant in town, one of the nicer establishments. It always had a line and smelled amazing.
Everything in me settled as soon as I caught sight of Frankie standing out front. Her hands were stuffed into a lightweight windbreaker as she looked up and down the sidewalk.
“Hey!” I called.
