I didn’t know what to say, so I just stood there, staring at her.
“Well, good-bye, Gunner. Thank you for your time.”
As she turned and started to walk toward her car, I noticed it had new plates on it.
A few months back, Jeff had told me that his mother had contacted him through his lawyer. She’d wanted to sell their house and buy a condo to get away from all the bad memories. Ellie had wanted so badly to ask where their mom had gone, but she’d avoided the subject, and Jeff had never given Ellie a reason for selling the house. Later, Jeff had mentioned to me that he’d let his mother keep all the equity in the house since it was really her house, but for the last nine months, she had been sending money to his lawyer to pay the equity back to Jeff.
She looked back one last time and gave me a weak smile as I heard the door open behind me. I spun around to see Ellie walking out.
“Mom?” Ellie barely got out.
Sharon didn’t hear Ellie, and she was just about to get into the car.
Ellie called out, “Mom!”
Sharon stopped and snapped her head up toward the house.
“Ellie,” Sharon said as she started to cry.
Ellie grabbed my hand before she started to walk us toward her mother. My heart was beating a mile a minute.
“Ellie,” Sharon said as tears were rolling down her face.
Lord, please don’t let her mother hurt her again. Please.
“Mom? Why?” I asked on the verge of tears.
My mother started to move toward me as she began crying harder.
I tried like hell to hold back the tears, but seeing my mother standing in front of me, crying…I finally allowed myself to let it go.
I must have missed when Jefferson had pulled up, but I could see him now out of the corner of my eye. He was standing near his truck with Ari. I glanced over toward Ari, who was holding on to Luke. She covered her mouth with her free hand as tears rolled down her face.
My mother stopped right in front of me as she began wiping away her tears. “Ellie, I have so much to say to you, and I don’t even know where to begin. I can only ask for your forgiveness. I was in the dark for so long, but I’ve been sober for a while now. I have a steady job, and I’m finally seeing the light. I need your forgiveness to help me stay in the light.”
“Mommy…please don’t ever hurt me again. I need you so much, Mom. Please don’t go.”
She took me in her arms as we both continued crying.
“I promise, baby…I promise to never hurt you again.”
When I looked over at Jefferson, I noticed he was wiping tears away from his face. Leaning over, Ari said something to him. She took his hand and led him over toward us.
“Um…” Jefferson tried to talk, but he had to clear his throat. “Mom?”
Mom turned around and sucked in a breath of air. Jefferson pulled both of us into his arms. After a few minutes, my mom started talking.
“I talked to Sue, and she told me about the babies, and I just…I’m so sorry. I just had to try and come see you. Come see both of you. I’ve been sober for over a year now, and I’m…” Her voice cracked as she looked between Jefferson and me. “I’m so sorry I hurt you both. I’d give anything to take it away.”
When I looked toward Ari, she was smiling and crying, and in her arms, Luke was just watching the whole show. I had to smile. He looked exactly like Jefferson, but he had one hundred percent of Ari’s personality.
“As God as my witness, I promise you both that I’ll never hurt or leave either one of you again. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I swear to you, I will earn back your love with every ounce of energy I have in my body.”
Jefferson took a step away and smiled at our mom. “Mom…I have someone I’d like for you to meet,” Jefferson said as he reached out for Luke.
“Dada!” Luke laughed.
Mom gasped and started giggling as more tears rolled down her face. I couldn’t help but smile.
I glanced at my mother. I needed her more than I ever thought I did. My heart actually felt like it was finally healing.
Jefferson grinned so big. “Mom, any special name you want him to call you?”
She shook her head as she wiped away the tears. “Whatever he wants!” she said.
“Luke, can you say hi to your Gramma?”
Luke looked right at Mom. It was as if he were looking into her soul with how he was staring at her.
“Well, hello there, my sweet baby boy! You look exactly like your father.”
“I told you!” Ari said with a laugh.
Mom turned toward Ari and smiled. “Arianna, sweetheart, how are you?”
Ari let out a small chuckle. “I’m doing wonderful. Thank you, Mrs. Johnson.”
“Please, sweetheart, call me Sharon.”
Ari nodded. “Sharon, it is!”
“Does he really look like me, Mom?” Jefferson asked.
Sharon smiled and nodded. “Spitting image of when you were his age. He might be just a tad more handsome though.” She winked.
Jefferson threw his head back and laughed, and then he held Luke out toward our mother.
She looked shocked. “Are you sure?”
Jefferson nodded. “Everyone deserves a second chance,” he said as he looked at me and winked.
When my mother took Luke in her arms, I could tell she was fighting back the tears.
“I’m so happy to meet you, Luke.”
I walked up and kissed Luke on the cheek. “Luke, can you say Gramma?”
As Luke stared at her, he laughed, and then everyone began laughing with him.
Then, Luke said, “Mam.”
Everyone stopped.
“What did he just say?” Ari and Jefferson asked at the same time.
My mother started to giggle as she said, “Gramma.”
Luke laughed again. “Mam!”
My head snapped up at Jefferson. “Is he…”
Ari laughed as she started jumping up and down. “I knew he was going to be brilliant!”
My heart started pounding. “I think he’s trying to say it, Mom.”
“Mam!”
I looked over at Gunner and then back at my mother.
Is this all happening? Is my mother standing in front of me with Luke in her arms? Is she really sober…and happy?
“Jefferson, I think Luke heard you calling her mom, so he’s trying to do the same!” Ari said.
Jeff started laughing.
Gunner reached for my hand, and when I turned to him, he was looking back toward the house. I glanced over, and I saw Garrett sitting on the front porch, holding Alex. When Garrett gave me that knock-me-over smile of his, I started to laugh. He must have been watching this entire thing take place. After I nodded, he stood up and began walking toward us with my precious baby.
Jefferson, Ari, and my mom were laughing, still trying to get Luke to say Gramma instead of Mam.
When Garrett reached us, my mother looked at him and then Alex. As she started crying again, my heart broke all over.
She wasted all those years. She missed everything—my wedding, my pregnancy, and the birth of my child.
Jefferson reached for Luke, and I was shocked when Luke started crying.
“Mam!”
Jeff and Ari looked stunned.
“Wow, Sharon. That didn’t take long for him to fall for you!” Ari said with a giggle.
Mom smiled and kissed Luke on the cheek. “I’m going to meet your cousin, my sweet little man,” she said as she handed Luke to Jefferson.