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No words are spoken, Mom simply wraps me in her warm embrace and cries through the rest of one song and halfway into the next. Eventually, she pulls back and wipes a hand under her eyes.
“Great, now I probably look like a mess.”
“You look beautiful. I’m sorry it took me so long to apologize for the way I’ve acted over the years. I was stubborn, and you didn’t deserve my attitude. I’m sorry I never really let you in.”
Mom shakes her head. “You don’t have to apologize. It’s my fault.” She drags in a shaky breath and then blows it out. “After you were born, I suffered from post-partum depression. I didn’t have that with Calvin, so I didn’t really know what to expect. It hit me hard. The first few weeks of your life, I felt so disconnected. I cried all the time. The doctors told me it was just the hormones and that it would go away in a few weeks. And it did…it went away, but I felt like the damage had already been done. I felt like I’d missed such a crucial time in the beginning of your life to really build a bond.”
She starts to cry again, so I pull her back to me. “It’s not your fault. How about we forgive each other for our shortcomings and try to move on?”
“I’d really like that.” Mom sniffs and looks up at me. “I just want you to be happy, Aiden.”
“I am happy, and I’d be even happier if you and Dad would have dinner with Lizzie and me tomorrow.”
“Really?”
Christ, when is the last time I’ve asked my mother to do anything with me? For the life of me, I can’t come up with an answer.
“Please.”
Her eyes soften. “We would love to. I’m watching Louie while your brother and Millie are on their honeymoon, but he’ll be fine for a few hours.”
“Great.”
“And maybe then, you can tell me all about this new video game you’re designing. I hear it’s going to be quite the hit.”
“Calvin told you about that?”
She shakes her head. “There was an article in this month’s issue of Wired.”
Holy shit. “That’s a gaming magazine.”
Mom smiles. “I know. I subscribe to it.”
“But…why?”
“Because it’s what you love.”
“I thought you hated my profession.”
Mom shakes her head. “Never. I
just didn’t know much about it. Anytime I tried to talk to you about it, you blew me off. I didn’t know if you were getting into a job that made almost nothing, and you’d end up living in my basement, or if you’d make millions.”
“Not millions, but definitely six figures.”
“I’m proud of you, Aiden.”
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too.” This time, Mom doesn’t hesitate to pull me into her arms.
“Can I cut in?”
Mom and I look up at Dad. He’s smiling warmly at his wife, and I take a step back. “Dinner tomorrow,” I remind her.
“We wouldn’t miss it.” Her eyes leave mine when Dad twirls her around the floor. The warmth of her laughter filters through me as I watch them dance.
“Is everything okay with your mom?” Lizzie says, wrapping her arms around me from behind. She rests her head against my back, and I lay my hands over hers.
