I wince at the hurt look on her face—her shock and confusion so clearly visible. My own emotions flicker, guilt for hurting her, but resolve to speak my truth.
“Mary,” Dad placates, “surely you saw this coming?”
Mom scowls as she points the spatula at him and snaps, “How could I have? Cage has settled down here, Drew has responsibilities, and her leaving would be a mistake! This is her home!”
Dad clears his throat, clearly wanting to snap at Mom and her naïve ways, but I nudge him slightly before I focus on my mother.
“This isn’t my home, Mom, Bellamy is my home,” I say softly, earning her glare but I’m used to this in my sister's favor, so I power through. “This was just a place where I’d sleep. This town doesn’t hold happy memories for me as it does for you. I only had myself,” She flinches as if I just struck her. I swallow hard, “I’m not trying to hurt you, Mom. I love you. But Bellamy is my future. He’s the man I want to marry and have more babies with. If he chooses to go home, I’ll happily close my studio and start fresh in Hill Crest. He has family there—brothers and a role he’s spent his whole life learning to take over before he lost his best friend.”
“You have family here!” Mom chokes, and I sigh.
“And you’re only three hours away, not half a country, Mom. I can take my ballet anywhere, I can teach anywhere, he can’t lead his club from here,” I remind her gently.
She shakes her head as her tears fall, and she cries, “I thought he didn’t want that life! Why would he take you away from me?”
“Fuck’s sake,” Dad mutters, clearly not happy with Mom’s antics.
“Mom,” I say before he can snap. “Bellamy isn’t taking me from you. He’s giving me the sense of family that, I am so sorry, but you never gave me. While I understand now why youfavored El and neglected me, it doesn’t take away years of feeling unwanted and unloved.” She lets out a sob, but I don’t stop, “I need to do this. I cannot and will not live without that man.” I stand and walk to her, gently taking her hands in mine. I remind her, “This is what you wanted, Mom. You wanted me to find someone to fall in love with and start a family. Guess what, I’m doing it, and I am so grateful you pushed for me to—because I have never been so happy.”
I lean my forehead against my mom's, and I whisper, “I’d give up ballet for the rest of my life and never dance again if it meant I got to keep him.”
Mom squeezes her eyes tight, understanding the love I have for my boyfriend. He comes before my passion. She quickly takes me into her arms.
I hold her tightly as she cries, “I’m so sorry…” causing my grip to further tighten.
"Mary," Dad says softly as I pull back and wipe away Mom's tears. When she looks at Dad, he questions gently, "Did you really think I was going to allow our daughter to move three hours away?"
I tilt my head in confusion. Mom sees exactly what he meant and gasps, "You want to go home?" and my eyes widen in shock.
Dad smiles gently and admits, “Chains has looked after my home for years, my cut that I got before leaving for college is still hanging in my closet.”
“Dad,” I whisper with so much emotion but then part of what he said hits me, and my mouth drops. I accuse, “You’re a brother?”
He smiles my way and confesses, “Technically, yes. The leather is still waiting for me.” I blink, then blink again before he admits, “Cage isn’t the only one who wants to go home, sweetheart. I do as well. I miss my old life and the brothers. Ihave spent years living for you girls, for your mom, I want to live for me now and to do that, I need to go home.”
Oh my… I nod, feeling a tightness in my chest, as I look at Mom, whose tears continue to fall. I wait, unsure if I am ready for what she’s about to say.
Will she agree?
Or will she want to stay here? In her hometown?
She says softly, “You’ve done nothing but put me first through our whole relationship, our marriage. Even when I messed up with Drew, you still stayed by my side, even when I didn’t deserve it and you hung up that cut for me, so if you want to go home, then I’ll be right beside you. You are my home, Joel, and I refuse to miss any time with my grandchild after I hurt our daughter so much.”
My eyes blur with unshed tears, and I quickly blink and then wipe away the few tears that have fallen.
"I'm glad you're both on board," I say, my voice hoarse. "But there is one person we need to try and convince, and by we, I mean you, Dad..."
“Crap, your sister,” Mom whispers which doesn’t shock me that she was the first person to come to her mind.
Dad instantly shakes his head. “No, not El, Cage.”
Mom looks at me with anger, clearly wanting to know why I’d put us through this conversation at five in the morning, especially if Bell hasn’t even decided to go home or return to his family yet.
"He confessed last night after I asked him to take away all the pain and hurt. I asked him where he wanted to be, and he said he wanted to go home, but he’s holding himself back," I admit and Dad sighs.
"He's scared to confront his ghosts," Dad says.
I nod and reply, "He's also scared I'll resent him if he moves us back to Hill Crest. Dad, it wouldn't matter how much I tell himotherwise, he'll always have that thought, and he'll self-sabotage without meaning to."
