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My heart broke all over again. The last thing I wanted to do was leave her, but I couldn’t stay after what happened with Lincoln. News of what happened at the bar had probably already spread like wildfire in our small town, and I couldn’t bear the humiliation and embarrassment.
I pulled back and cupped her face, tilting it up to look at me. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, I fought back my own as I reassured her, “Hey, this isn’t goodbye; this is see you later, okay? I promise I will come back and see you in two weeks.”
“Okay,” she sniffled.
I hated the gnawing feeling in my gut and the ache in my heart. I hugged my daughter tightly and kissed the top of her head before finally pulling away. “I’ll see you soon, okay? You can call me or Skype whenever you want. I’m only a call away.”
She nodded, stepping back to join her parents. I waved a final goodbye and walked to my rental car before I lost my nerve.
As soon as I shut the door, I broke down and cried.
After pulling myself together, I headed to my last stop before the airport. I parked in my parents’ driveway, looking up at my old childhood home.
Time to say goodbye again.
My mom came out onto the porch as I stepped out of the car. I’d called her on the way to prepare her for my visit, and she wasn’t happy, to say the least.
“Hey,” I greeted, walking up the steps.
She frowned; definitely not happy. “Come inside for some tea.”
I followed her inside. I knew she was going to try to convince me to stay, but I’d already made up my mind. If my own daughter couldn’t get me to stay, my mother wasn’t going to be able to.
A kettle was whistling on the stove as I walked into the kitchen. My mom grabbed two mugs from the cabinet, then took the kettle off the burner.
I sat down at the table, preparing myself for her lecture. After a few minutes, my mom set a mug in front of me, along with some sugar and honey. Then she grabbed her own and sat across from me.
“Why are you leaving this time?” my mom asked.
Ouch. My mom was good at subtly rubbing salt in old wounds. I sighed. “I caught Lincoln kissing his ex-girlfriend last night.”
My mother arched a brow. “And? Did you talk to him about it?”
I scoffed as I scooped some sugar in my cup and stirred it. “No, it would’ve been difficult since his tongue was in her mouth. Besides, what’s there to talk about?”
“Dammit, Liv, you need to stop running away! Face your problems like an adult and work them out.”
I blinked several times, in shock from my mother’s outburst. She never swore or raised her voice. When I didn’t reply, she continued, her voice a little softer. “You were given a second chance, and you shouldn’t throw it away.”
My face was hot, my throat clogged with emotion. I cleared it before replying, “I’m not. I made arrangements to visit Piper every other weekend.”
My mom seemed surprised by my revelation. “Well, at least you haven’t completely lost your mind.”
I snorted, and some of the tension between us ebbed. I took a sip of my tea as my mom reached out and placed a hand over mine. “You know as well as I do that Lincoln is in love with you.”
I thought I did. But I saw him kissing Amber with my own eyes. It wasn’t some juicy town gossip—I saw it. “Sometimes love isn’t enough.”
She squeezed my hand. “Love is everything, Liv. Everything.”
I didn’t respond, opting to sip my tea instead. My stomach knotted in discomfort, and for the first time, I doubted my decision.
“Just talk to the poor man, Liv. Things aren’t always what they seem.”
I frowned, frustrated by my mom’s insistence. “How can kissing your ex-girlfriend be anything other than what it is?”
My mom didn’t respond right away, mulling over my question for a few moments. “There’s an explanation for everything. You would know if you talked to him, even if it was just for closure. There’s no point in closing the door if you leave the windows open.”
My mom was right about a lot of things, but I couldn’t get the image of Lincoln and Amber kissing out of my mind. Her arms around his neck; her body pressed up against his like they were glued together. There was no other explanation for making out, and I wasn’t going to go through the heartache of discussing it.
