“Sometimes it isn’t easy loving someone.”
“Like Shrek. He was big and green, and pretended to be mean. But he was only angry because he thought no one liked him. Fiona showed him he was perfect, just the way he was.”
Richard handed Jack a towel. Paris had done the same thing. Her quirky sense of humor, her kindness, and her patience had touched something deep inside him. He wasn’t big and green, but he had given up on finding someone who would love him for who he had become.
After he finished in the bathroom, Jack climbed into bed and Louie settled beside him.
Richard kissed his son’s forehead. “I love you, buddy.”
“Love you, too. Can you turn on my night-light?”
“No problem. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Okay. Dad?”
“Yes?”
“Tell Paris to remember Fiona.”
“Fiona?”
“From Shrek. She thought she had to hide who she was for people to like her. But Shrek loved her best when she was herself. It didn’t matter if she was a normal girl or green like him.”
Richard took a moment for his son’s words to sink in. “I’ll tell her. Have wonderful dreams.”
“I will.”
Before he went downstairs, he took a blanket out of the linen closet. Listening to Paris’ mom talk about her relationship with her daughter made him realize how lucky he was. Through their own challenges, his parents had loved and supported him. Although his dad wasn’t here anymore, they’d shared a special bond that Richard would always treasure.
How Paris had survived her childhood with an alcoholic mother was beyond him. But, she’d not only survived, she’d created a completely different life from her mom’s.
When he walked into the living room, Paris was still asleep. As he draped the blanket over her, she opened her eyes.
“Hi,” she said sleepily. “Is Mom okay?”
“She’s fine. It took a few minutes to get her settled into The Welcome Center, but she seemed happy with the room.”
“That’s good.” Slowly, Paris sat upright. “Where’s Jack?”
“He’s in bed. He asked me to remind you about Fiona.”
She frowned and then smiled. “My favorite part of Shrek is when Fiona turns into her true self, knowing Shrek will love her whatever decision she makes. Do you think Jack’s trying to tell me something?”
“Knowing my son, anything’s possible.”
She rubbed her eyes and yawned. “Thank you for looking after mom. I feel really bad for not taking her home, but she would have kept drinking…” Her eyes widened. “I forgot about the bourbon. I should call Pastor John and warn him—”
“It’s okay. Donna gave me the flask and a bottle of bourbon before we left your house. They’re sitting on your kitchen counter.”
Paris sighed. “I’m sorry about tonight. You must think I’m heartless to want mom to stay somewhere else.”
Richard sat beside her. “I don’t think you’re heartless. You’ve spent most of your life living with an alcoholic. At some point, you had to set boundaries. Otherwise, you could have ended up like her. What did you do when you were younger?”
“Grandma looked after me. Whenever I walked to her house, she always made me a meal and let me stay with her. If Mom realized I wasn’t at home, she’d pick me up. If she’d been drinking, Grandma would tell her to come back when she was sober and could look after me.”
“When did you realize your mom was an alcoholic?”
“I think I was about eight years old. None of the other children in my class had mothers who drank until they couldn’t walk straight. When mom forgot to buy groceries or fill out the forms for school, I made excuses for her. Later on, I felt like I was the adult in our relationship and mom was the child.”
