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“I do, Violet,” Sera told her daughter before taking the cookie from her.
“Did you bring your other children?” Emily asked Sera, finally taking her eyes off her granddaughter.
“Just Emma. The rest are still eating at the house.” Which he knew wasn’t true because they were done before they had even left the house. He was happy Sera hadn’t pushed to bring all the girls to meet his mom. The two younger ones needed to meet their grandma alone.
“Where’s Emma?” Emily looked around the house, but Emma was still sulking in the car.
“Violet, why don’t you and I get Emma, and then we can look at Emily’s pictures of Harrison when he was little. There are some really cute ones,” Sera asked her daughter.
“Okay, Mommy. I’ll get Emma, and you can start snooping.” Violet slid off the stool and ran out the front door to get her sister. Sera wandered into the living room, giving them time together.
This left Harrison alone with his mom—his very upset mom. Her arms were suddenly crossed, and the smile was gone. For some reason, he knew he was in trouble for something he didn’t do.
“Harrison, I might not be all that great with math, but that girl was born when you were still married.”
“I can explain.”
“No, ‘she’s not mine,’ then? No excuse that what I am seeing isn’t true?” Emily sat down on a kitchen chair and patted the one next to her.
He carefully sat next to her. “She is mine. I just found out yesterday. I had no idea.”
“Sera never told you? And you’re okay with that?” Emily demanded. It seemed like she wasn’t okay with it at all.
“I was married, and she was married. I didn’t remember it even really happening, but it was during a bad time in my marriage. I can believe it happened … I wasn’t a great person during that time. We’ve talked about it.”
“Oh, you talked. Well, then, missing years of your kids’ lives is okay.”
His mom was right. He should be mad, but he had made mistakes also. Would he have believed Sera if she had told him she was pregnant after the Christmas party? Would the revelation have prompted anything but anger and hurt feelings? He had been back with Veronica by the time Sera would have found out. And Veronica would in no way have wanted Violet in their lives. Finding out then would have driven a wedge between them years ago that would still be there today.
“Mom, I’m not missing any more of their lives. We both made mistakes. I should have let Veronica go a long time before I did. Instead, I tried to hang on to something that was already over, and in doing so, I left Sera to shoulder the burden of our children alone. I should have noticed Sera for who she was. Is.”
“And who is that?”
“My life, Mom. I can’t see my life without her now. I am going to marry her, and we will raise our kids together.”
“You only have one, Harry. Maybe get used to one before you start planning more,” Emily stated wearily.
“Two, mom. Emma is mine too. She’s fifteen. Sera and I also met in college. It was just a one-time thing.” He knew he was blushing. Even after all these years, talking about sex with his mom was awkward.
“And she knew that girl was yours the entire time? And went on to have another child with you. And still not didn’t tell you about it? Are you even believing this, Harrison?” Emily leaned back in her chair and shook her head at him.
“Of course I am, Mom. I’ve met Emma, and I’ve met Violet. And I believe it because I know Sera; she doesn’t lie.”
“She just doesn’t tell you about your children.”
“Because I was married and trying to stay that way. Sera let me do what I thought I wanted,” Harrison explained.
“I wouldn’t have divorced my husband when I was pregnant with Violet anyway, Emily,” Sera said from the doorway. “Buzz wasn’t eighteen yet, and I would never risk her going into the foster system. I had raised those kids for years, and I wasn’t letting them go; I’m still not.” She held Violet in her arms with her head resting on Sera’s shoulder, and Emma peeked out from behind her.
“Why didn’t you just tell him? Didn’t he deserve to know?” Emily turned to the woman surrounded by her grandkids.
“Yes, but at the time, I couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t just take my children from me and walk away. Everyone in the office knew he and Veronica were having trouble conceiving. What a gift if I had his child. And could I even fight it? I was a single mother with six children and no husband in sight. Add to that the fact that I had no money to spare. I couldn’t have hired a lawyer even though I worked in the same office as them. My divorce went through a small-time lawyer who barely got it done, and it was not contested. I would have lost my child.”
“That wouldn’t have happened.” Harrison was on his feet. All this time, he had seen her life as it was now, not seeing her from back when she had been pregnant and alone. How many of the older girls had been in college at the time? How many mouths was she still feeding every night and day?
Sera set Violet on her feet, ignored him, and kept talking to his mom. “I couldn’t take that chance, Emily. Not with my children.”
“What about when you were here, and you knew he would not take your children?”
