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“Okay, Mom, I’ll talk to you later. I hope you feel better after you get some rest,” Rory expressed.
“Thanks, sweetie. I’ll speak to you later.”
After the two hung up, Andrea sat on her bed and placed her head in her hands as she leaned over, feeling overwhelmed.
After some time of sitting in the same position, she got up, threw on a robe, and went downstairs to the kitchen. She opened the freezer and removed the large tub of chocolate fudge brownie Ben & Jerry’s ice cream before setting it on the kitchen island and getting a spoon from the drawer. Andrea dug into the sweet confection, willing all her troubles away.
“I know that look,” her mother said, walking into the kitchen.
Andrea put the spoon back into the ice cream as she looked up at her mother guiltily. “Hey, Mom,” she greeted lowly.
“What’s got you eating comfort food at two a.m. in the morning, sweetie?” Becky queried, coming to sit across from her.
Andrea went to put the cover back on the ice cream when her mother swiped the container from before her and held out her hand for the spoon.
“It’s nothing, Mom. I’ll handle it,” she assured Becky, not wanting to burden her with her problems, knowing that she was carrying her own burdens from her illness.
“Drea…” Andrea looked over at her mother from the seriousness in her tone. “I’m your mother, don’t shut me out,” she pleaded.
“Mom…” Andrea sighed. “I don’t want to burden you with my problems when you have…” she trailed off, leaving the weight of what she left unsaid in the air.
“Yes, I have ALS, but that doesn’t give you girls the right to treat me like an invalid. I am your mother,” Becky finished strongly. “I just want the chance to be your mother the way I didn’t get to be for twenty-four years,” she continued.
Andrea could hear the hurt and pain behind her mother’s words, and her heart broke for her.
“I know, Mom.” Andrea ran her palm soothingly against the back of her mother’s hand. “I’m sorry if I made you feel like you don’t matter because you do, and I really need your advice.”
Becky flipped her hand over and held her daughter’s in an act of strength.
“Remember when I told you all those years ago when you visited me back in New York that Rory’s father died?”
“Mm-hmm,” Becky replied.
“Well… I lied,” she confessed, ducking her eyes away from her mother.
“Drea,” her mother breathed out in shock.
“I know, Mom. I shouldn’t have lied, but Rory’s father didn’t want anything to do with her, and I didn’t want my daughter growing up believing that she was unwanted…that she was a mistake,” she expressed as tears began pooling in her eyes.
“Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry that you had to go through that,” Becky replied in a pained voice. She rushed over to hug her tightly against her chest as Andrea’s tears fell unhindered.
“It was the worst experience I’ve had, Mom; even worse than Dad turning his back on me,” she cried.
Becky lovingly ran her hand over her daughter’s hair as she clung to her and released the pain she’d had inside for so long.
“I was so lost, and I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to come home, but then I remembered what Dad said, and I was young and stupid and proud…”
“Shh, sweetie, it’s not your fault. We should have been there more for you, girls. I should have been there more.” Becky cupped her daughter’s face in her hands as she looked into her tear-filled eyes. “I am proud of you for being strong for yourself and your daughter when no one else was there to be strong for you both,” she soothed her daughter.
Andrea beamed at her mother through her tears, comforted by her words.
“Thanks, Mom,” she replied in gratitude.
Becky gave her a warm smile before placing a kiss on her forehead.
After Andrea had finally calmed, she was ready to tell her what the problem was.
“He died… Rory’s father and he’s left something for her. I’m not sure what, though. The lawyer says she has to accept the terms by the end of July. I don’t know how to tell her this, and I’m scared I’ll lose her if I do tell her,” she admitted.
