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“Can we talk?” Her voice is soft, but I don’t trust her.
“I’m not sure we have anything to talk about. I haven’t seen your son since I left France, and I don’t know anything about that, so please leave me alone.”
I start to shut the door, but she calls my name. “Jasmine!”
I frown and turn to her again. What is she doing in New York? Is Alec here, too? What is going on?
“Please,” she begs. “I came all the way from France to talk to you.”
I stare at her for a long while before opening the door wider. “Please come in.”
“Thank you.”
She walks into the house and takes the single couch, crossing her legs at the ankles and setting her bag beside her. I take the chair across from her, uncomfortable with the fact that this looks like a reenactment of the scene in Alec’s house in France where she said the nastiest things to me. I haven’t gotten over it yet.
“How are you, Jasmine?”
I roll my eyes. “I’m sure you didn’t come all the way over here to ask me that.”
“You’re right.” She smiles, and I see crow’s feet at the sides of her mouth. Those weren’t there before. I’m tempted to ask if Alec is okay.
“Why didn’t you tell Alec I was the reason you left?” she asks, genuinely confused.
“Because I didn’t want any more strife between you two.”
She laughs, lowering her head to stare at her perfectly manicured fingers. “I wish I had a mother who cared for me.”
“Excuse me?” I ask, frowning, and when she glances up at me, there are tears in her eyes.
“That’s what my son said to me,” she replied, crying. “Alec. That’s what he said to me.”
“Oh.”
“He said I’ve always been his number one enemy and that without me, his life would be so much easier.” Tears slip past her cheek, and she struggles to pat them dry without smearing her makeup. “I love that boy so much. He’s my son. I love him more than I love anyone in this world.”
“Then why don’t you show it?” I ask. “I’ve seen you relate with him, and you never show him this.”
“Because I’m scared,” she whispers.
“Why?”
“When I met David, his mother didn’t want me.”
When my eyes widen, she chuckles. “Shocker, right?”
Despite my reluctance, I laugh. “Yeah.”
“Well, she hated me. Her name is Myra. She thought I wasn’t good enough for her son and that David could do better.” She sniffs, reaching into her handbag for a tissue. “David defended me like Alec did for you. He was so sure he wanted me, and he told his parents exactly that. Six months after we met, we were married.”
She smiles like she is remembering these events that happened years ago. “And then I got pregnant, and I gave birth to Alec. He was my little star, my everything. Alec made it all worthwhile, but Myra wouldn’t let me care for him the way I wanted. She was always interfering.”
“Why?”
“I asked her this one day. I got mad and told her to stay away from me and my son, and guess what she said?”
“What did she say?”
“She said that I will never be able to raise Alec into half the man David is.”
