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Mom finally said she was ready to talk and hear the recording for herself. As it plays, she hears Jane admit to being a drug dealer, contributing to my bullying, and bringing Cillian back into my life. Mom crumples and begins to sob. I move to the couch with her, wrapping my arm around her.
At the end, when Jane does her freaky transformation, Mom reaches forward and closes the laptop. “I’ve seen that before from her, how she can switch. I always told myself she wasn’t that bad. I always told myself that, but this is unforgivable. She was behind all that mess on the West Coast.”
“It’s awful,” I whisper. “All of it.”
“But we can move on together,” Mom says firmly, kissing me on the forehead. “We’ll put her behind us. From the sounds of it, she will be in prison for a long time.”
I was right about her fiancé. He didn’t leave her. She left him after driving recklessly through the neighborhood on a rampage. Then she transported drugs across the entire country. There’s the kidnapping, the conspiracy to deal drugs… She’s looking at ten years, maybe more.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” I say.
“Hush. What do you have to be sorry about?”
“You’ve lost your sister.”
“She was never the sister I thought she was, anyway,” Mom says.
“That’s what you’ve lost,” I tell her. “That’s why I’m sorry. You were able to have a relationship with her. Maybe you still can one day.”
“No,” Mom says, shaking her head. “She did things when we were kids, things I’ve forgiven her for. And later, borrowing money, that sort of thing, but this… going out of her way to hurt you? You’re my baby, Ellie. You’re my responsibility. I’d never let her anywhere near me or you again. I think I’m finally ready to say it.”
“Say what, Mom?”
“My sister is a narcissist.” Mom shudders as if an enormous weight has been lifted from her. “I’ve never wanted to put it into those words, but I can’t run from it anymore. That’s what she is. Who she is.”
Mom slowly looks at Max. I’m trying not to look at him because the emotion will become too much. When Mom’s expression softens, I have to turn to see the effect it’s having on Max. He frowns at us, his eyes hard, his body ready for anything.
“You already knew that,” Mom says after a pause. “You could’ve told me, Max. Told the world the truth.”
“I was just glad it was over. She didn’t take her crazy shit to the police. I wanted nothing to do with her.”
Mom laughs sadly. “You’re going to be a reminder of Jane by being there. A reminder of everything that happened.”
“He’s a reminder of what we overcame,” I say fiercely. “We’ll remind each other daily of what we’ve been through to be together. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, Mom. I think it’s beautiful, honestly.”
“You said Ellie was your purpose,” Mom says, eyeing Max fiercely. “At the restaurant, you said that. Did you mean it?”
“All I care about, all I can think about, is her, our family, protecting her, providing for her.”
“Now I know the truth,” Mom says. “You’re a good man. You tried to argue for Jane even though you knew what she’d done to you.”
“I thought she deserved a second chance.”
“And now?” Mom says, almost aggressively, as if it’s a test. “Now you’ve heard what she did to Ellie. Do you still think she deserves a second chance?”
Max leans forward and stays silent for a few seconds. It’s like there’s a storm clashing behind his baby blues. I want to kiss him hella badly. “She might learn her lesson in prison. She might find God or find herself. I won’t begrudge her that, but she better stay away from my family.”
Mom nods. “That’s the answer I wanted. It means we’re on the same page.”
“Mom, what are you saying?” I whisper.
She strokes my hair from my face again. She’s wearing the same expression she wore after Dad died. The one that tells me she’s thinking of what’s best for me, for the future. “This isn’t a usual situation, but I know you. I can see how determined you are to be with Max. I can see how certain you are.”
“We’re both certain,” I say passionately.
“I’ve never been surer about anything in my life,” Max says fiercely.
“Then you have my blessing,” Mom says. “Both of you. I won’t stand in your way. I’ll be there for you every step of the way. Wedding planning. Designing my… oh, my grandchildren’s bedroom.”
She starts crying again. I hold her tightly.
“Excuse me,” she says after a few minutes. “I need to use the bathroom.”
When she leaves, I rush to Max and throw my arms around him. “Did you hear? We can be together, Max. Really be together.”
“I love you so much,” he says huskily, sweeping me into a kiss.
