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Your mother needs this.
Liza felt a sudden thud of emotion as she thought of her father, so kind and patient. That was what a perfect partnership was, wasn’t it? Knowing another person and accepting them. Allowing them to be who they were. “Are the letters from Adam or Ruth?”
“Ruth. I don’t know what they say. I made the decision not to stay in contact.”
“It must have been so hard.” Surely something like that would be impossible to forgive? It would break any friendship. “You were never tempted to open the letters?”
“Never.”
Liza glanced at the time. The last thing she wanted was for Finn to arrive in the middle of her first proper deep conversation with her mother. “Why have you changed your mind?”
“I had a funny turn. It made me realize that if something happened to me you’d open those letters. Whatever they say, I want you to know the story, Liza. And now you’re going to ask me about my dizzy spell.”
Finn had mentioned dizzy spells too.
Liza smothered all the anxious questions that bubbled to the surface. “I’m sure you handled it in whatever way you felt was right. If you’d needed me, you would have called.”
“I do need you, which is why I’m calling now. I’d like you to read those letters to me, Liza. I know it’s a lot to ask. I don’t know what’s in them. They’re deeply personal. Probably upsetting.”
But her mother trusted her with them.
Liza sat up a little straighter. “Would you like me to read them myself first and filter them? I could try and judge whether I think you’d be upset before I read them aloud.”
“Oh Liza—” There was a pause. “You’re the kindest person. Always have been. No, if we’re reading them, then we’re reading them together.”
We’re reading them together.
Liza felt a lump in her throat and a weight in her chest. She and her mother had so rarely done anything together. “Okay. Do you think Adam stayed with her?”
“I don’t know. I think there’s a strong chance he did the same thing to her that he did to me. Anyway, I didn’t intend for this to be a maudlin conversation.”
“Do you want me to get them now?” She could still cancel Finn.
“No. I’m not ready. I wanted to test the water with you, so to speak. But maybe tomorrow we could open the first couple and take it from there.”
“Of course.” It was such a lot for her mother to have told her, she was probably drained.
“Tell me about you.” Her mother’s brisk change of subject confirmed that. “Are you enjoying Cornwall?”
Liza looked at the sunlight on the garden. The small table outside was laid ready for dinner. “I’m loving it.”
“Good. That house is meant to be enjoyed. Go and enjoy it, and I’ll call you tomorrow afternoon your time if that works for you.”
Liza ended the call and sat for a moment without moving.
Her mother wanted her help. Her mother needed her help.
She felt closer to her after that one conversation than she had in her entire life.
“Hey—” Finn’s voice came from the doorway. “Is everything okay?”
Liza shot to her feet. “Hi there! My mother called and I lost track of time.”
“Bad news?”
“No.” Although she didn’t know what was in the letters so it was possible that there might be bad news. But whatever it was, she and her mother would handle it together.
Together.
