Page 258 of Power Play

Mom: I cannot lose another child because I was too afraid to loosen my grip on the one still standing in front of me.

My eyes burned. I had read that message before. I had simply never allowed myself to answer it.

The clock showed after eleven. Calling felt intrusive, but I knew my mother was probably still awake, reading beside my father while some ancient television drama played quietly in the background.

I pressed her name, and she answered on the second ring.

“Charmagne?”

Something in her voice cracked around my name, and I closed my eyes against the immediate pull of guilt.

“Did you mean it?”

“Mean what, sweetheart?”

“The messages.” I tightened my grip on the phone, already hating how careful she sounded. “The ones about Ryan and giving him a chance. Did you mean what you said, or were you saying whatever would make me call you back?”

“Oh, honey.”

“Mom.”

“Yes.” Her answer came immediately. “I meant every word.”

My throat closed. “You really want to meet him?”

“I do.”

“You aren’t going to invite him into the house so Daddy can interrogate him until he leaves?”

My mother released a shaky breath that almost became a laugh. “No.”

“Promise me.”

“Charmagne.”

“Please.”

The word came out smaller than I wanted. My mother was silent for a moment before answering.

“I promise.”

Tears slipped over my cheeks.

“We have been trying so hard to reach you,” she said.

“I know.”

“I didn’t know whether continuing to call was making things worse, but I couldn’t stop.”

“I know.”

“We handled that dinner terribly.”

My lips trembled. “You called him beneath me.”

“I know.”

“Daddy called him dangerous.”