“I was gonna do that today,” she replied to him with the same tone.
“Yeah, well, you should’ve given me a heads up.”
“I was going to.”
Those two were whispering to each other with smiley faces like I didn’t exist.
“Guys, I’m standing right here. Hello?” I spread out my arms.
“Sorry.” Greg cleared his throat, finally meeting my gaze.
“Honey….” Mom stepped forward, her eyes sparkling in a way I hadn’t seen in years. “Your mom is officially off the market.” She raised her hand, revealing the ring on her finger. “I said yes.”
My brows rose instantly, but my expression remained neutral. Blank. This was the happiest I’d ever seen her, and that beautiful smile of hers thawed something frozen inside me.
She mistook my silence for disapproval and drew a little closer, trying to explain herself. “I’m sorry, I was going to tell you sooner, but….”
She was still talking when I rushed into her arms and held her tightly.
“Oh.” An abrupt laugh escaped her lips. “I expected a little resistance, but okay.” She smoothed my hair back.
“I’m happy for you, Mom,” I said quietly, my arms still wrapped around her.
“Thank you, sweetheart.”
I broke away from her with tears in my eyes. “After everything you’ve been through, you deserve all the happiness in the world.”
She placed a hand on her chest, her smile broadening by the second.
“And Greg,” I turned to him, “you’re lucky to have such a priceless jewel as your fiancée.”
He beamed at me, reaching out to hold her hand.
“I’m sorry I hid our relationship from you,” Mom said, her eyes locked to mine.
“I should’ve known better. Now, I feel stupid.”
We burst out laughing, shoulders trembling in excitement.
“This calls for a celebration!” Greg said. “I grabbed a bottle of wine.”
“And I’ll grab the glasses!”
As I watched them tease each other on their way to the kitchen, a tear streamed down my cheek. My mom found love and happiness, and I was genuinely happy for her. However, it didn’t stop it from hurting.
I saw the way Greg looked at her, the way he treated her like a queen. He was a good man—one deserving of a woman like my mother.
I wiped my eyes, refusing to let my own sadness ruin her happiness. She’d been through enough already. It was time for some fresh air and a new beginning.
***
The following day, I buried myself in work at the office, trying to take my mind off my miserable life. My fingers rattled across the keyboard as my eyes stayed fixed on the laptop’s screen when I heard a knock on the door.
“Come in, it’s open,” I answered without raising my head.
A second later, someone walked. “I have a package for Emika Morgan.”
I glanced up at the visitor, a courier. He was holding his helmet in one hand and a brown box in the other.
