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“Well, what do you think?” Mr. Cole asked.
A small grin tipped my lips. “I’ll take it.”
My assignment didn’t start for another week, so I had time to pack and prepare for everything. I decided to talk to Lincoln in person when I arrived instead of writing him back or calling him ahead of time. I knew that I’d worry myself sick with anticipation if I let him know beforehand. I wanted to settle in a little before I saw him to give myself time to fully deal with my emotions.
I let my mom know that I’d be coming but not to tell anyone. She was elated to have me visit, promising to have my old room ready when I arrived. She cried during our call because she was overjoyed I was finally coming home, and I felt a pang of guilt for not visiting since I’d left.
Then I thought of my father, and the guilt faded away. He’d ruined my life, and she had him to thank for pushing me away. Maintaining his image in the community had been more important to him than preserving his relationship with his daughter.
I knew he wouldn’t want me to meet Piper, but I wasn’t a scared, helpless teenager anymore. I was a grown woman and could make my own decisions. I was going to meet my daughter, and he could go fuck himself for all I cared.
My company paid for all my travel arrangements, including a hotel, even though I planned to stay with my parents. I might need the escape if I couldn’t get along with my father, but I would try my best for my mom’s sake.
Beaufort was about a forty-five-minute drive from the small Coastal Carolina Regional Airport where I flew into. After getting my bags, I picked up my rental car and started the drive home.
My stomach was in knots the entire ride. I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived. I’d pretty much cut all ties when I’d left, so I wasn’t sure how people would react when they saw me.
Especially Lincoln.
My chest tightened when I thought of him. I didn’t understand how he could even look at me after I abandoned our daughter and us. He’d tried so hard to repair what I’d broken, and I’d shut him out. I didn’t deserve him. Not then, not ever.
As I neared my childhood home, my anxiety grew. So many memories, both good and bad, flooded me. I started to rethink my decision, not as prepared as I’d thought to deal with the onslaught of emotions from being back in the place where I’d left my heart in pieces.
I pulled over, panic causing my lungs to constrict as I idled on the side of the road. Looking down, I saw that my knuckles had turned white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly.
Breathe, Liv, breathe. You can do this. You can’t run from your past forever, and now you have an opportunity to fix your mistake. Don’t let it slip away.
After a few deep breaths to calm myself, I swallowed the lump in my throat and resumed driving. I loosened my death grip and tried to relax.
When I pulled up in the dirt driveway of my parents' house, my mom came outside. She rushed down the porch steps and was enveloping me in a hug before I could even close my car door. “Oh, Liv. I’ve missed you so,” she whispered, her voice cracking.
I hugged her tightly, my guilt increasing more and more by the second. “I missed you, too, Mom. I’m sorry I haven’t visited sooner.”
My mom squeezed me one last time, then pulled back to look at me. Her eyes were glazed with tears as she wiped her cheeks. “Let’s have a look at you.”
My face heated from the attention, but I stayed silent as my mom looked me over.
“My little girl’s all grown up.” My mom smiled proudly. Her blond hair was styled in a bun at the base of her head and I noticed more strands of gray streaked through it than before. She grabbed my hand and started leading me to the house. “Come. I’m sure you’re hungry after all that traveling.”
My mind had been so preoccupied with thoughts of my homecoming that I hadn’t thought about food. My stomach grumbled now that I thought about it.
One of the things I missed most was my momma’s cooking. In Charlotte, I usually ate on the go, ordering takeout or grabbing fast food, so it’d been a while since I had a home-cooked meal.
The house was quiet as we entered, and I searched for signs of my father. “Where’s Dad?”
My mom led me to the dining room table, then went into the attached kitchen. “At the church. He’s been really busy getting ready for the Spring Festival.”
Every year, my father’s church held a festival to celebrate the end of spring and then another in the fall, as well.
I was relieved that I didn’t have to deal with him right away. I still didn’t know what to say to him, especially when we hadn’t talked in almost ten years.
I couldn’t believe it had been so long. I glanced around, noting that everything looked the same as when I’d left. Same pictures on the walls, same knickknacks and décor. The reality was sinking in from being back home to the source of my pain. Everything about Beaufort was a constant reminder of my loss. That was the reason I’d left all those years ago.
“So what’s finally gotten you to come back home after all these years?” my mom asked as she made me a sandwich. “I know you wouldn’t come here just for a work assignment.”
I sighed. My mom still knew me so well even after being apart for so long. I hadn’t told her about Piper over the phone because I felt it needed to be done in person. “Lincoln wrote me. He said that Piper reached out to him and wants to meet us.”
The knife my mom had been using clattered on the counter, and she whipped around to face me. “Piper?” she squeaked, her voice coming out strained.
