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Crushed by his behavior, Lyssa was happier than ever that her mother had come. Along with two cups of tea, she’d put out some cheese she’d found in the fridge, as well as some crackers and cookies from the pantry.
“Sit, honey. Eat. I figured you might be hungry, since you didn’t get to eat at the party.”
Despite the ache in her chest, Lyssa realized she was starving. “This is great, Mom.” Her voice felt wobbly despite her best efforts.
Of course, Susan picked up on her distress right away and opened her arms. Lyssa sank into the warmth of her mother’s embrace.
They finally broke apart, sitting down at the tiny dining table. “I’m so glad you’re here, Mom. Your hug was just what I needed.”
“I needed it too, honey.” Her mother, who was never a nervous fidget, seemed to fidget a little. “I want you to know that after you left, I had a talk with the boys and let them know how disappointed I am in their behavior. We taught them a long time ago that fists don’t solve anything. I don’t believe Cal intended to hit your brother back, but it was self-defense on his part, pure and simple.” Her mouth was set in a firm line as she spoke of her sons, so different from the way they usually made her smile. “I also told them they should be happy that you’d found a man who’s your equal in heart and mind. He laughs with you and respects you. And he looks at you as if you’re the most precious jewel in the whole world.”
A sweet shiver coursed through her at her mother’s words. Still… “How can you say that when you just saw him leave that way?” So distant, so disconnected. “After what Daniel did and what the others said to him, he told me that he needs some time to think. Time away from me.” She blinked away the tears that threatened.
Her mother put a hand over hers. “Over the years, your father and I have sometimes needed to take a few hours, or even a couple of days, to process big events and emotions. But it doesn’t mean we love each other any less.” She squeezed Lyssa’s hand and gave a little sigh. “In fact, this is a good time for me to tell you my secret. A secret I should have told you a long time ago. You’re not the only woman who’s had an accidental pregnancy, honey. It happened to me too.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Lyssa blinked at her mother, beyond stunned, but trying to come up to speed. “Are you saying you were already pregnant when you married Dad?”
Her mother nodded. “Although it wasn’t quite that clear cut.” She sipped her tea as if she needed something to do. “As soon as I found out I was going to have a baby, I left your father.”
“You left Dad?” Lyssa felt her world turn completely upside down. Her parents were the perfect couple. She couldn’t imagine a world in which they would ever break up—not then, not now, not ever.
“I wanted him to have the life he’d dreamed of,” her mother explained. “I wanted him to have the chance to go to college and forge a better path. I didn’t want to saddle him with a child he hadn’t planned on. I intended to keep Daniel, no matter what, and letting your dad go his own way felt like the best choice for everyone.” She gave a small smile. “Or so I thought at the time.”
Lyssa tried not to gape at her mother, although she wasn’t succeeding in the slightest. It was the oddest thing, suddenly seeing her parents as people with a history so different than she could ever have imagined.
“But in the end, you did marry him.”
Her mother’s eyes filled with lightness and love. “Your father wouldn’t let me go, no matter now noble I thought I was being in setting him free. And he wanted the baby, too, just as much as I did. We chose that special path instead of the one we’d planned.” Her smile widened, a sunbeam on her face. “Neither of us has ever regretted our decision to be together and start a family on an accelerated schedule.” Her mom put her hand, still warm from the mug, over Lyssa’s. “So you see, I would never judge you for loving someone and having a child with him, even if it wasn’t intended.”
Lyssa blinked back tears. “But what if I’m judging myself?” she asked very softly.
Her mother’s arms came around her. “All of us make mistakes, honey. We’re all beautiful and flawed at the same time. But deep down in our bones, we always know what the best thing is, the right decision to make. You’re a smart, loving, caring, loyal woman. You’ve worked hard, and you have a bright future ahead of you. I promise you, this baby will only make your life brighter.” But her mom frowned. “I know you’re upset with your brothers for babying you, for not seeing you as an adult and always thinking they have to protect you. But it was your father—and especially me—” She put a hand to her chest. “—who started it.” Before Lyssa could protest, Susan said, “When you were a little girl, I always told them, ‘Take care of your little sister. She’s your responsibility too.’ You were so sweet and so young, and all we wanted was to keep you safe and well. But I see now that we never stopped trying to protect you, even when you were so clearly capable of taking care of yourself. And that was both wrong and unfair to you. I hope you can forgive all of us.” A sheen of tears misted her mother’s eyes. “I hope you can forgive me.”
