AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“To you?” My heart dropped at the idea of my gentle mother in the hands of an abuser.
“To my dad. She was largely indifferent to me,” she answered sadly. “I lived in a state of constant vigilance. I don’t seem to have,” she drew an imaginary circle around her heart, “an internal sense of what is good about me. I’ve always needed outside validation. You, choosing to follow in my footsteps, validates me. You, seeking a career, seeking your own happiness, following your passion, triggered me to feel like my choices were less.
“I see now they’re just different. Not less. Not worse. Just different.
“And it’s the same for your choices. They are not less. Not better or worse. Just different from mine.
“Please forgive me for making you feel you’re anything less than perfect exactly the way you are.”
Tears welled in her cornflower blues so like my own.
Like Brayleigh’s.
I reached for her hand, and she latched on like it was a lifeline.
The echo of my words, on that day so long ago, rang anew. I owed an apology, too.
“Please forgive me if for even one minute I let you forget how much your choices meant to me growing up. Thank you, Mom.”
She nodded and thanked me, dabbing the corners of her eyes. “I want to say one thing with regards to Ares.”
“Okay,” I answered warily.
She faced me head on, her eyes begging me to hear her. “There is strength and honor in bending. In sacrificing. Your father bent himself nearly double for me, and I’m so grateful he did.
“In doing that, he gave me you.
“And you, darling, you are everything.”
“He’s everything, too,” I whispered.
She nodded. “Then he’s lucky he has you.”
For two days, I barely moved from my parents’ couch, but my mind worked feverishly asI resolved to pull myself together.
Deep in thought, I didn’t register the ringing of the doorbell until I heard Minty’s modulated tones coming from the front door. I jumped up from the couch and flew down the hall, certain something was wrong.
“Is everything okay?”
Minty’s cool, brown gaze found me. “I don’t know, beautiful. Is it?”
My mom closed the door behind Minty and relieved her of the cookie plate in her hands. “It’s lovely to see you again, Minty. I’ll put these in the kitchen and leave you two to it.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Your mother is lovely.” Minty smiled, her eyes crinkling with amusement before releasing her tinkling laugh. “She’s a bit of a live wire.”
I laughed. “She is.” I swept my arm toward the kitchen. “You want some lemonade to go with those cookies?”
Her eyebrows rose. “I could go for some lemonade.”
I poured two glasses then uncovered the cookies. “Mm, I love it when you make these.” I took a bite, closing my eyes, inhaling the sweetness. “That’s the stuff.”
I opened my eyes to find Minty in much the same state.
Her eyes fluttered open. “I love sugar.”
“I know you do,” I teased. My smile faded. “Lucky told you I lost my job?”
