AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Of course, she’s your best friend and Soph’s aunt. You need her support, and besides, I’d love to get to know her better. She’s important to you.”
I want her to feel as comfortable as possible ‘in my world’, as she calls it. I want her to see it as our world.
“Okay, well, I’ll let you get back to work, and I’ll come up with ideas on how to tell Soph so we can decide on one tonight.”
“Okay, sounds good, lo—I’ll see you later.”
I love you almost slipped out. I’ve been wanting to tell her since the moment I saw her that I love her, that I never stopped loving her.
“See you later.”
She hangs up the phone, and I want to smack myself. She just now agreed to live in the same apartment as me on the weekends; she’s nowhere near ready to hear that I love her.
I refocus myself on my work and make sure I get everything done that can’t wait for next week. I told Tanya that I was going to try harder to be there for her and Soph, and that means working less. I’m trying to do that, which includes not working on the weekends. With Sophia still in school, we don’t get to be together during the week, the least I can do is make sure I’m one hundred percent present on the weekends.
I leave work early so that I can get home before the girls do, and while I wait, I go ahead and make a call to my mother.
Here goes nothing.
I sit on the couch in my living room and hit the call button.
“Why in the world do I have to find out that my son has found the love of his life and that I have a granddaughter in the news?”
“Hey, Mom.”
She scoffs. “I don’t think so. You don’t get to be cute. You knew the press was there, and you knew that I would see the pictures. Why didn’t you at least call me then?”
The guilt I’ve been feeling over not contacting her grabs hold of my chest so hard that I try and rub at my chest to ease it.
“I got caught up in the moment; I just wanted to keep them to myself for a while. I wanted to make sure it was all real.”
I can hear her sigh, and I don’t want to make her feel guilty as well.
“There is also something else that the news didn’t mention and that only a few people know about.”
“You can’t tell me that baby girl isn’t yours. She looks just like you did at that age.”
I smile at the thought. I love that she looks so much like me.
“No, the reason Tanya disappeared is because she was in a car accident and has been dealing with amnesia. She hasn’t known who I am for the past nine years. She still technically doesn’t, but we’ve been getting to know each other.”
Mom is quiet on the other side of the phone.
“Mom? You okay?”
A small sniffle comes through the phone before she speaks.
“I misjudged her; I thought she left you.”
Most people did.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I should have listened to you more when you told us that something had happened.”
The only person who believed me when I said Tanya didn’t leave me was my dad. I had many long conversations with him over the years.
“I know, Mom. It’s okay. I understand. Everyone thought that she left me.”
“I’m not everyone; I’m your mother and I should have listened to you.”
