She smiles, causing the laugh lines around her eyes to appear. “Yes. Your husband loves you. In his mind, not telling you what she did was his way of protecting you. I understood his thought process, but I know you are stronger than that. This hurts, but it needs to. Pain makes us stronger and wiser. You needed to see your mother for who she really was. A snake won’t ever change. It may shed its skin, but it will always be a snake.”
She’s right. This was another betrayal by my mother, but I needed to see it. I needed to finally close the chapter on Evelyn. Closing doors was painful but always necessary.
Ms. Rose wraps me up in her arms again. I lay on her shoulder and take in all that she has to offer me.
Placing the wine glass to my lips, I lift it, yet the rush of the dry red wine never assails my lips. Pulling the cup back, I realizeit’s empty. Reaching for the bottle placed beside me, I poured more in my glass.
I’ve gone through most of my day in a fog. My emotions were all over the place. One moment I was good, and the next I was in my feelings. I’m now sitting out back on the patio staring at the crystal-clear water of the pool as it wavers in the moonlight.
I appreciated Ms. Rose today. She’s done well to help take care of Noah so I could have moments alone, and when I’ve needed a shoulder, she has shown up for that too. The woman needs a raise, and I plan to mention it to my husband.
The sound of the sliding glass door opening catches my attention. I turn to glance over my shoulder, expecting to see Nico or Ms. Rose. I’m completely caught off guard when my father steps out onto the patio. Standing at 6 foot 5, with a bald head and chocolate brown eyes, and a huge smile on his face.
“Daddy,” I shout, jumping to my feet. I’m in his arms before I know it. “How did you get here?”
His all too familiar scent of Davidoff Cool Waters surround me. It hasn’t changed since I was in elementary school.
“Your husband came and got me on a private jet. Told me you needed me. So, I dropped everything and came right away. Now tell me what’s going on?”
Just knowing this man was always going to be in my corner has those tears I thought I was done shedding falling back down my cheeks. I bury my face in his chest as I sob. He pulls my face away and looks down at me. His brow furrowed.
“What’s wrong, Muffin?”
I can’t answer. Lifting on my tiptoes, I wrap my arms around his neck and hug him. He stops asking questions and just hugs me back. This was exactly what I needed.
When I open my eyes, I spot my husband. He’s leaning against the open sliding door. His suit jacket is off, his sleevesare pushed up and his tie is loose. His hands are stuffed down in his front pockets.
I mouthed the words thank you to him. Without ever saying a word to Nico, hell, without even knowing myself what I needed, he gave me exactly what I required. I needed my father at this moment. Only he will understand why what my mother did hurt me so much.
Nico winks at me and then nods before turning and heading back into the house. I pull away from my father and take his hand, leading him to the lounge chair beside mine. I take my seat and face him.
“What’s going on, baby girl? What’s got my muffin so upset her husband had to fuel up a private jet to come get me?”
Taking a deep breath, I tuck my legs under my butt, and then tell my father everything. I tell him about how I went to stay with Evelyn for a short time because of a disagreement with Nico, and then I tell him about her showing up here. I gave him the full recap until the moment she walked out of my kitchen today.
My father leans forward and swipes the tears off my face.
“I know I shouldn’t be crying over her. And I’m not, it’s just…”
“Hey, don’t do that,” he says, scooting to the edge of his seat closer to me. “Don’t tell yourself how you’re supposed to feel. She hurt you. No matter how much we know Evelyn will never change, it doesn’t lessen what she did and how you should feel about what she did.”
See, that’s what I needed to hear. Look, I get it. My mother was never really a mother, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt realizing that she will never be the woman I need her to be. And even though I am a twenty-eight-year-old grown ass woman, I still wanted that mother/daughter relationship.
“I think it hurts more this time because we were getting along.”
He sighs. “That’s Evelyn for you. I fault myself for this.”
“What? Daddy…”
“No, I’m at fault,” he says holding up a hand. “I kept trying to push you to establish a relationship with your mama. Even though I’ve always known how she was. Evelyn has always been a bit entitled, selfish, and manipulative. I was so enamored with her when we were younger that I overlooked all those things. Your grandparents tried to warn me.”
He shakes his head and scrubs a hand down his face.
“But trying to convince a bullheaded teenager that’s in love to leave a girl alone is like trying to roll a boulder up a hill.”
He and I both chuckle.
“I knew even before your mother left us I wasn’t going to be able to keep her happy. Everyone told me when my basketball career was over that she wouldn’t stick around, but I thought they were wrong. I thought my love for her would override her issues.”
