AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Nothing to worry about, like I’ve told you before. The bruises are practically gone.” I run my hands over my yellow chest. “See?” I reach around and grab her ass to pull her to me. “In fact, I’m so fine that I think it’s time we make up for some missed dates.” I wiggle my eyebrows.
As she opens her mouth to protest, I press my lips down to hers before she can get a word in. I moan in between kisses as my eyes fall shut.
“Marco," she mutters sternly between our lips.
I open one eye, our lips still connected, and say, “Woman, I am concentrating here.Shh.”
She laughs and puts her hands on my shoulder. “You haven’t been cleared by the doctor to resume normal activity. It’s only one more week.” She places another soft kiss on my lips.
I flop on my back and huff. “Fine.”
She untangles our bodies and slips out of bed to get ready for the day. I reach over and slap her ass before she walks away, and she lets out the cutest yelp.
I flop back down on my side and scrub my hands over my eyes.
Only a week, sure, but so much can be lost in a few weeks. I don’t want to lose what we have…
Ellie left a few minutes ago to drop the kids off at school and start back at her usual yoga class with Jess. It took mea weekto convince her I could be left alone by myself for a couple of hours.
So here I am, sitting on the couch scrolling on my phone for the hundredth time this week while sports recaps I’ve already seen play on the TV.
I hear a knock at the door, and I know exactly who it is. My motherconvenientlyschedules her visits first thing in the morning when Ellie is dropping off the kids and never stays long enough for her to come back.
Opening the door with a forced smile, I say, “Hi, Mom. Come on in.”
“Marco, sweetie. How are you today?” She chirps as she reaches up to kiss my cheek.
I head back to the living room and take my place back on my sickbed. “Just like the last time you asked,I’m fine. I'm ready to get back to work.”
She sits down in the chair adjacent to the couch, feet on the floor with her legs crossed to the side, her hands in her lap. “When will you be cleared to return?”
“I have an appointment next week.” I scrub my hands up and down my face, feeling the scruff of two weeks of beard growth.
Head cocked to the side and tight-lipped, she stares at me for a few beats. Raising my eyebrows in question, I stare right back.
“Marco.”
“Mother,” I say dryly.
More silence before her face softens. “Sweetie, can I ask you a question?”
“I don’t think I could stop you if I wanted to.”
Unfazed by my attitude, she continues. “Do you feel like you’ve never been able to live up to my standards?” I go wide-eyed at her unexpected question, and she reaches over to grab my hands in hers. “Ellie said something in the hospital that got me thinking, and I wanted to know if you thought that everything you’ve accomplished in your life isn’t good enough for me?”
I’m shocked into silence as I stare at her and she waits for my reply. I didn’t expectthatto be her question. I can’t think of another time when she asked me how I felt about anything, let alone the way she’s treated me my whole life.
I clear my throat twice before I can force any words out. “Yeah, Ellie told me she snapped on you that day at the hospital. She wants to apologize, by the way, but you don’t come around when she’s home.” I pause to collect my thoughts and decide if this is a trap or not. “Honestly, Mom?” I pause again and she nods. “Yeah. I’ve never felt like I could do enough or be enough for you, or that you’re proud of me. You’ve never really said those exact words or anything but…” I shrug.
I want to give her a million examples. To tell her all the times I’ve felt judged or all the times she demanded more than I was capable of giving, but I know it doesn’t really matter and won’t change anything now, so I stay silent.
Sadness washes over her face as a lone tear falls down her cheek.
She quickly wipes it away with her free hand before she whispers, “I’m so sorry, son. I never meant for you to think I don’t love and support you, or that I’m not proud of you. I’ve always wanted better for you than I had and for you not to repeat my mistakes.” I internally roll my eyes at the use of the wordmistakesknowing she means me, when she got pregnant with me as a teenager. She squeezes my hand again as she regains her voice. “Maybe I pushed you too hard and I forgot to tell you how amazing you are along the way. I mean, look at your life, sweetie.” She takes her hand out of mine and motions all around us to the home that I have created. “And you found true love and hold on to it. I could never do that. Most importantly, you’re an amazing father to all your kids. I see it in the way they look at you and you look at them.” Her eyes fall to the floor. “I’m sorry I’ve never expressed how amazing I think you are, sweetie. Just look at all you’ve done, mijo.” She shakes her head before her eyes meet mine again. “I’msosorry you didn’t know how proud I am of you.”
Realizing my cheeks are now wet, I use my shirt sleeves to wipe away the moisture. My heart feels like it’s locked in a vice squeeze and I’m struggling to make words that will express the impact of her words. I force out the only thing I can think of. “Thank you.”
She leans in to hug me, and I melt into her warm embrace. After a few minutes of silence, she pulls back and cups both my cheeks. “I love you, son, more than anything in this world. You’re incredible.” I nod and she stands up and steps back from me. “Will Ellie be back soon? I’d love to clear the air with her.”
