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This gains me a sexy smile. “We both know you had no intention of making me wait for that present.”
I laugh and God it feels good to laugh.
I loop my arms around his neck. “I love you, Mr. Black. Thank you for making today the best day of this year. Well, except for the day you made Elvis put that ring on my finger. That was the other best day of this year.”
He kisses me roughly before saying, “Stop giving Elvis the credit for putting that ring on your finger. I put it there.”
I grin and smack another kiss to his lips. “It’s always so much fun bantering with you over that ring. Please never stop doing that. Forever and ever.”
The elevator doors open and we step out into the reception gallery where we’re met by Bradford’s housekeeper who has a serious expression on her face.
She looks at me. “Kristen, you have a visitor. Your mother is waiting for you in the grand salon.”
My mother?
I frown.
“How long has she been waiting?” Bradford asks.
“An hour.” She rushes to add, “She asked me not to interrupt your night by calling to advise you. I’m sorry if it was wrong of me not to call.”
“No, that’s okay,” I say before making my way into the grand salon.
“Mom,” I say when I find her.
She’s sitting on the sofa reading a book and stands as soon as she hears my voice. “Kristen.” Her voice wobbles and I get the impression she might cry. “Happy birthday, my darling.”
I move to her, trying to force my brain into working faster. The booze I’ve drunk today is slowing it down. “It’s late.”
She wraps her arms around me and that’s when I see it. Her suitcase. But still, my brain won’t work faster.
“I know it’s late, but I couldn’t not come on your birthday.” She keeps her arms around me tightly. “I’m so sorry I didn’t spend the day with you. I was a fool and made foolish choices that I promise you I will never make again.”
I stare at the navy suitcase. “Why do you have a suitcase with you, Mom?”
She gives me a squeeze before letting me go and taking a deep breath. Then, her features crack a little, just like her voice does when she says, “I’ve left your father.”
42
Kristen
“I’m going to move Mom into my condo,” I say to Bradford the morning after my birthday as I snuggle into his chest. He’s just finished giving me my second orgasm for the day and I’m about to convince him to go in search of strawberry jam for me. I’ve decided life’s too short not to have all the things you love in it.
“There’s no rush. She can stay here as long as she wants to.”
I look up at him. “You say that because you’ve never experienced a full day with my mother. Believe me, we’ll all be a lot happier if she stays at my place.”
My mother left my father last night. And not because he gave her an ultimatum like he gave me, but because she chose to leave him. We stayed up talking for hours after I got home and she told me why she cheated on Dad and how unhappy she’s been in her marriage for decades.Decades.
At first, I was stunned to think a woman could stay in a marriage that didn’t fulfill her for that long. But then I thought back over my entire life and how I spent years unfulfilled because my unhealed parts made choices trying to protect me from the hurt I’d experienced in life, choices that kept me in a cycle of shame and self-doubt and anxiety and deep unhappiness without me even realizing I was doing that to myself.
Mom told me she’s ashamed that she spent years defending Dad’s treatment of me and my brothers and sister. She wishes she was a better parent. I was honest with her and told her I wish things had been different, but then I told her that I imagine every parent has regrets because no one gets a manual in life for anything. We cried together and then we smiled together while we talked about all the things we want to do together. All the fun things mothers and daughters do when they’re not busy trying to earn other people’s approval.
I think we’re going to be okay.
I also think my therapist should never be sent to outer space. She needs to stay in my life forlife. We don’t have a love/hate relationship after all. It’s love/love.
“I thought I’d take you out for some fun today,” Bradford says. “But if you’d prefer to spend time with your Mom, you should do that.”
