“Spit it out,” I pushed.
“Mom drove down with me. She was hoping you might consider talking to her.” I blinked rapidly at her admission.
We were interrupted by Serenity opening the front door. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” She walked toward me and planted a kiss on my lips. “Is something wrong?”
Luna chimed in, “I may have dropped the bombshell that our mom drove down with me and would like to talk to Grant.”
“Oh boy,” Serenity said. “What are you thinking?”
I grabbed her hand, and she squeezed lightly. “I think if I continue to avoid the hard stuff, I’ll never truly heal to be the best man I can be. Especially for you.”
“So, you’re open to it?” Luna asked, hopeful.
“I am. Go ahead and call her back. I know I can handle anything with you two by my side.”
Luna went to make the call with such excitement.
“I’m so proud of you.” Serenity gave me an understanding expression. “Your Gram and Avery would be so happy you found your way back to each other, and that you’re open to hearing your mom out.”
“Will you be here with me when I talk to her? I don’t think I’m as strong as you are to do it alone.”
She wrapped her arms around me. “I’ll be by your side every step of the way, and I’m here to support you with anything you need.”
“I don’t know how to thank you or how I will ever make up for you bringing my sister home, but I will never stop trying.” I kissed her deeply, never wanting to forget that moment.
She took a step back from me and gave me a serious expression. “We’re going to be okay, aren’t we? Through our trauma and grief, we found each other. Even though we still have our panic attacks, sleepless nights, and flashbacks, we still put our love first.” I wrapped my arms around him. “I spent all day with Emma crying because I knew how much seeing your sister would mean to you. You helped raise a beautiful young woman, and I can’t wait to see how your influence guided her to some of the great things she’s done. I think even if things don’t go well with your mom, you both will be okay and present in each other’s lives moving forward.”
“I’ll make damn sure I never lose her again. I know I can do just about anything with you by my side.” I kissed her passionately.
Luna came back into the room, clearing her throat. “She’s on her way.”
FORTY-EIGHT
PRESENT
The doorbell rang, and the three of us stared at each other for a moment before Grant and Luna went to answer the door.
She was the spitting image of Grant. Luna introduced them and led her into the house.
“This is my girlfriend, Serenity,” he introduced me.
“Aren’t you stunning?” his mom said, bringing me in for a hug. I don’t remember my mom ever hugging me. “I’m Linda, lovely to meet you.” She had kind eyes, and although I knew she made mistakes, I felt a kinship toward her. I could have let my trauma take me down a dark path as she had, but she was here hoping to make amends, or at least a connection with her kids again.
“Welcome to our home. Can I get you anything to drink?” I looked over at Grant, and he was anxious. He repeatedly balled his hands into fists.
“Water would be great!” Linda exclaimed. I quickly grabbed her a glass of water as we settled into the living room.
Linda turned her attention to Grant. I put my hand on his thigh, and he wrapped his in mine. “I know you might hold hatred and resentment toward me,” she started, “you should. I make no excuses for leaving, but I hope by sharing my story, you might be open to being in each other’s lives. I lost my chance to be a mother to you, but maybe we can be friends.”
Grant’s breathing became rapid. “Why did you leave? Why couldn’t you get better for us?”
Linda’s face fell, saddened. “I lost my way when my dad died. Mom went on like our whole world hadn’t just crumbled. I needed to numb the pain and the memories. I tried to stay sober when I had you, but I was already too far gone. I stole from Mom, left you alone, and made terrible decisions. I figured if I stayed, I would do more harm than good, so I left. I called the first few years to check on you, but I hated myself for leaving, and hearing about how good you were doing made me stay away.” She paused to wipe the tears that fell. I reached for the tissue box from the table next to the couch and handed it to her.
Grant stood up and paced. “What about for Luna? What about all the years since? You didn’t even come around when Gram died. Did you even know?”
“I was in a bad situation when I had Luna. I couldn’t keep her in that environment. I wanted better for her. I knew Mom would take care of her like she took care of you. All my friends were addicts, so I was constantly exposed to bad people and bad things. I wish I could’ve been strong enough to say no or leave, but I wasn’t. I didn’t want to be around when I wasn’t sober. I had to get there, but when Mom died…I lost my way even more. I never truly thanked her or apologized for everything I put her through. I was at the funeral, though.”
Luna’s eyes snapped to Linda. “You were?”
