AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Just because my dad made a decision that hurt our family didn’t mean that all people were destined to hurt us.
At home, there was a note saying that Harrison went to pick up Wren and would head straight to his parents’.
I made myself a quick sandwich with lunch meat, lettuce, and tomato. It wasn’t what I’d planned for the day, but this was so much better. There was no one to bring down my mood. I always thought I dreaded holidays because my father left between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but now I suspected it was my mother’s bitterness.
I visited my mom on the holidays because I felt guilty for the way things had gone down when I was a kid. But she was an adult, able to handle her own emotions. I didn’t need to subject myself to someone who couldn’t handle life. She wasn’t my responsibility.
I used to blame my dad for the way she’d changed, but it was her fault. She could have recovered and become stronger from her experiences. Instead, she let it take her down.
Feeling freer than I had in forever, I cleaned up and headed to the master bedroom to get dressed. I was going to Harrison’s parents’ house and wanted to look nice. Their holiday celebrations were a stark contrast to my mom’s.
I picked a green wraparound dress and flats, knowing I’d offer to help cook and clean up. I didn’t want my feet to hurt from standing. I was looking forward to spending time with Harrison’s family and seeing Wren.
Pulling up to his parents’ house, I felt like I belonged. Sage, Harrison, and their father were stringing lights around the columns on the porch. Smiling, I got out, and Wren ran toward me. Had she ever been like this with me before? Or was it more now that I was living with her father, acting as his girlfriend?
“Happy Thanksgiving,” she said into my chest.
“Happy Thanksgiving to you too. Did you have a good morning?”
“Mom wasn’t feeling good. She said the baby kept her up all night.”
“She’s pretty far along in her pregnancy. I’m sure she’s having a hard time sleeping and getting comfortable.”
We headed toward the porch, my arm around Wren.
“Lola thought it might be the start of labor,” Harrison said with a kiss.
“Are you serious? I thought she wasn’t due until next week?”
“A week early is fairly normal, especially for a second baby,” his father said from his perch on the ladder.
“Do you need any help?” I asked them.
“Mom probably needs it. As you can see, her daughter is no help,” he teased, and Sage cuffed him lightly on the side of the head.
I laughed at their lighthearted banter, eager to spend time with his mother in the kitchen. It would be so much better to cook with someone else who enjoyed it and to make a meal for a large group.
“How was your visit with your mother?” Harrison asked, his voice softer.
I grimaced. “It was more of the same. I didn’t stick around.”
“You didn’t eat with her?” Harrison asked.
I shook my head slowly. “She wasn’t good company.” But then she never was. “I wanted to spend the day with you.”
“We can head over to your mom’s later if you want.”
“She’s content with how things are.” She was happy being miserable. I just wasn’t going to subject myself to her anymore.
“Are you sure everything’s okay?”
“It’s great, actually. Let me go help your mother.” I went up on tiptoe, kissing him on the cheek. Love and happiness flowed through me along with gratitude for his family in my life. He’d saved me when I was a kid, and he kept doing that by just being here.
Harrison squeezed my shoulder as I turned and entered the house. In the kitchen, I said, “Happy Thanksgiving,” to his mother and his grandmother, who was sitting at the table, snapping the ends off the green beans, before washing my hands.
“How was your visit with your mother, dear?” Gran asked.
“She’s still struggling with the holidays. I hope she can see there’s another way to look at things,” I said as tactfully as I could.
