He cut his eyes to me as he hugged her. “I was,” he said, pulling back. “But it’s the offseason. I have to return in a few weeks. Pre-season training and all.”
She looked at him and patted his face. “That’s nice, son. Perry and I love to watch you play.”
“I know, Mum. Listen, I have someone for you to meet. He’s come a long way to see you.”
“Really?” she asked. “Who would want to meet me?”
Axel’s eyes met mine when he motioned for me to enter. When she turned and looked at me, it only took a moment for her eyes to fill with tears as she covered her face. Thomas’s hand went to my back, urging me forward.
“Mum,” Axel said, gently, “do you know who this is?”
Her tears streamed down her face as she stepped forward. “Mason,” she whispered, “is that really you?”
Relief pushed away my anxiety as I smiled and walked to her. “Yes, ma’am. It’s really me.” My voice broke on the last word as she reached for my hands. I folded her in my arms as she cried. All my life, I’d wanted a mother to treat me like she loved me. Two seconds with Shannon, and I was where I should have been my entire life.
Axel looked on with a smile as she clung to me. “I didn’t know you were going to wreck her, baby brother,” he teased. “She’s never cried over me like that.” He smirked as he held out a box of tissues for us to use.
Without looking, she swatted at him, still unable to speak as she pulled some tissues to wipe her eyes. His perfectly timed humor did the trick, giving us a moment to get ourselves together. She sat down on the sofa next to her husband, and I took a seat across from her, beside Axel. Thomas moved to my other side.
“And who is this?” she asked, her eyes rolling over Thomas.
I introduced him to her, still unsure how to define who we were to each other, other than friends. I watched her eyes drink Axel and me in, side by side, taking in every nuance and feature. “Do you still live in Connecticut?”
Maybe it was irrational to be hurt that she hadn’t kept up with me. I wanted to think my father kept her apprised of my life while they were involved. At the very least, all the important things. Yet she had let me go. “No ma’am. I live in California. I play professional football for the San Diego Storm.”
Her smile grew. “I should have known you’d be an athlete like your brother. Tell me about your life. Are you married? Do you have children?”
I tried to smile, but the overwhelming sadness of my life settled over me. “Not married, and I don’t have kids. Football has been my life. But I have good friends and two sisters I adore.” I looked down at my hands clasped together. “And now I have Thomas.”
He slipped an arm around my waist, grounding me further. She smiled at him, then turned her attention back to me. “What about your parents?” Her eyes were hopeful. “I’m sure you’re close to them, right?”
I chuckled, humorlessly. Lying was an option, but my life had been so consumed with secrets that I couldn’t do it anymore. “No, ma’am. I was close to my father for a long time, until a few days ago when I found out about Axel.”
Her eyes filled with tears again. Was she concerned about my relationship with him? “Not your mother?”
I laughed and wiped my hand over my beard. “No. She favored my sisters.” It wouldn’t do her any good for me to tell her how my life had been. Hopefully, she didn’t need me to spell out how Melinda treated me. Anyone looking in could see I had money and any material thing I could ever want. But the one thing I really needed was sitting across from me.
Her hand went to her cheek as her face crumpled. “It’s my fault. He promised me you’d be loved and cared for. And he would return to me.” She looked frantic as she reached for Perry. “I never should have agreed to that. But he promised you would be fine.”
Anger licked a fire up my spine for everything my father had stolen from me. Feeling my mother’s love, growing up without my brother, and living a life where I felt like I belonged. I had to remind myself that my rage would get us nowhere, so I pushed it down and tried to smile. It was obvious she’d suffered enough, and even though she had played her part in this scheme, I couldn’t stand to bring her more pain. It wouldn’t change anything.
Leaning forward, I held out my hands to her. When she took them, I spoke softly. “I’m so sorry he did that to you. I can’t imagine how difficult that was, and I don’t blame you for the choice you had to make. But if you could, I need to know what happened from you.”
Another stream of tears trailed down as she agreed. “My memory is not the best, but the things I regret most in my life have stayed with me. I suppose that’s my punishment.”
My automatic reaction was to soothe her fears and reassure her that it would be okay. But I couldn’t promise that yet. When Axel saw where we were headed, he stepped in to stir things up.
“So Mum, how did you meet our sperm donor?” Axel deadpanned.
Our mother released my hands and stiffened her spine. She shot him a look that told him to behave. “Maxwell, I understand very well how you feel about your father.”
He grunted and rolled his eyes. “Just call it as I see them.”
“Be that as it may, he’s still your father. He loves you.”
Axel scoffed. “He lovedmeso much that he did what was best forhimself. Not me. Not Mason. And sure as hell not you.” My brother was indignant about the topic, making me regret that I’d asked the question. But Thomas’s hand landed on my back again, rubbing soothing circles over the fabric.
Perry stepped in with a comfortable ease as if he’d been mediating this discussion for years. “Okay, you two. While I agree with both of you, let’s keep in mind that we only have Mason with us for a short time. Let’s focus on him. Shall we?”
