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Harper just stood there, with her mouth open, but no sound came out. She seemed as shocked as the rest of us.
“I also knew how to find more personal files. I had access to his computer, and when I knew he was cheating, I retrieved everything I could and uncovered more than I expected. I released everything to a journalist I knew. Maybe it was petty, but I was also looking out for this family. I knew your father was likely to hang us out to dry, and I couldn’t let him do that to my kids.”
Tears welled in her eyes, and it pained me to see my mother this way. She had suffered under Dad’s verbal abuse and blatant neglect for years, likely to keep the family together at all costs. All these years, I knew that she deserved better, and I was grateful for everything coming to light. Seeing her come alive again these last few years had been worth it.
I was the first to go to her. I hugged her and told her, “I’m sorry for everything he did to you.”
Aiden was right there too. “You did the right thing, Mom.”
Kat came over sniffling. “Mom, you didn’t have to. I was willing to take the blame for everything.”
Mom stroked Kat’s hair and smiled at her daughter. “What kind of mom would I be if I let you do that, dear? I’m not like your father. I will take responsibility for my actions, and it’s about time the truth came out.”
Jackson was the last one to go to Mom. Aiden and I looked at each other, then at our brother. We feared what he might say or do now that he knew the truth.
Mom looked at him and said, “I’m sorry, Jackson. I truly am. I thought it was best for you guys, but maybe I was wrong.”
He cut her off, slowly closing the distance between them. When he hovered above her, staring deep into her eyes, I almost stepped between them, but Jackson held out a hand to stop me.
“No, Mom.I’msorry,” he said. “I never realized how awful he was to you, to everyone. At Christmas, and when we saw him last, I realized what type of man he was, and you didn’t deserve that. None of us did.”
“So you forgive me?” she asked.
“I do. As long as you forgive me for being a dick all these years and supporting the wrong parent.”
She smiled and the two hugged.
“Of course, son,” she said. “I will always love you, and nothing will ever change that.”
Harper was standing off to the side, still speechless. Alone. I went to her.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m just – I’m not sure what to think of all this. All these years I blamed myself. I thought I had lost the photos on the bus on my way home and they fell into the wrong hands but it wasn’t my fault after all. Not completely at least?”
“Not your fault at all,” Kat said from behind me. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you; my mom swore me to secrecy to avoid the fallout from my brothers for you and me. I had no idea you had held onto the guilt all this time though. Your photos were such a small part of it all, the release of the documents was the main part and there’s no way you would have been able to leak that.”
“I thought… I don’t know what I thought, to be honest. I thought the journalist just uncovered more about him once he saw what type of man he was.”
Kat hugged her best friend and I wrapped my arms around both of them.
“Dad ruined his own life,” I said. “Neither of you, nor Mom, did this to him.”
Jackson came over to us. “I’m sorry to both of you.”
“No, I’m the one who’s sorry that I couldn’t have been honest with you, Jackson.” Kat said.
“I didn’t exactly make it safe to talk to me before, but I promise that I hold no hard feelings against either of you.” His eyes moved past Kat onto Harper. She had looked so scared as he approached, but both of their faces softened as he hugged her tightly.
“There’s more,” she whispered against Jackson’s shoulder.
“More?”
“I have more I have to tell you, all of you,” she said.
40
Harper
