AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Whoa!” Thane lifted his hands again, clearly shocked. But I was too. Foster had never struck me as a person who would blame his mother for anything. “Mrs. Union?—”
But she just kept talking. “And that’s fine. That’s what he was supposed to do. Confide in you. Tell you everything. So he could heal. Which let you know just how imperfect and flawed I am for being unable to keep track of my own?—”
When her voice broke, and she needed a moment before she continued, Thane once again tried to reassure her. “Ma’am?—”
Except she’d already gotten her wind back. “But I love my son more than my own life. And I only want what’s best for him. So no matter what else you may think about me, I hope you at least realize that. Foster is my entire world. All of my children are.”
“Oh my God,Dahlia,” Thane broke in, not about to let her talk over him again. “I know you love him, and believe it or not, he never blamed you. Not once. Not during all the years that I listened to him talk in group sessions or outside them. Heneverthought you were at fault.”
Dahlia’s chest heaved and she pressed a fist to her heart as tears sprouted in her eyes. “H-he didn’t?” she whispered hoarsely, hope and confusion sparkling in her tears.
“No.” Thane shook his head as if the idea was ludicrous before he added, “He was always too busy blaming himself.”
“Himself?” Foster’s mother straightened with a stunned frown. “But why—why would he…?” She shook her head, not understanding.
“It was his idea to go to the beach that day,” Thane told her softly, almost ducking his face as if he didn’t want to say anything else. But then he continued. “Heinsisted. Remember?”
“But…” Dahlia shook her head. “No. It was never his—oh dear Lord. He blamedhimself?”
“He still does to this day,” Thane answered with a nod. “Why do you think he tries so hard to do everything just right? To be the best, to be perfect at whatever he does. He’s afraid to let you down again. He’s afraid to ask for anything for himself because the last time he did, his brother died. He still lives here, helping you with your children and your bills because he’s trying to make up for everything he thinks he did wrong.”
I covered my mouth with my hands, having a hard time hearing Thane’s explanation. My chest ached for poor Foster. I couldn’t evenimaginewhat his mother must be going through.
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she shook her head madly. “But…” She choked on a sob and had to pat her chest a few times as if attempting to restart her stalled heart before demanding, “Why did no one ever tellmethis?”
Thane looked regretful as he whispered, “Why wasn’t it alreadyobviousto you?”
Her shoulders heaved unsteadily, and she sobbed again as she realized she’d let down her child. For years.
“I’m so sorry if I was ever disrespectful to you, ma’am,” Thane promised her gently. “I don’t hate you, I swear. I just—why did you never try to reassure him that he didn’t do anything wrong? I think if he’d heard it fromyoujustone time?—”
“Because I didn’t know he felt that way!” she cried, clutching her head in both hands. “I blamed myself so much for everything; I couldn’t imagine that anyone else could possibly feel any kind of culpability.” Struggling for breath, she gasped a few times before weeping, “Oh my God.Foster.”
When she went racing from the kitchen, Thane cursed under his breath and hurried after her. “Mrs. Union. Wait!”
Crap.
Foster had no idea what kind of shitstorm was headed straight for him.
I zipped to his room ahead of them, starting to get used to popping from place to place in an instant. “Foster? Foster! You need to get up right now. Hurry.”
“Mmph…” His eyes flew open, and he sat upright, only to wince and grip his head. “What? What’s wrong?”
“Your mom and Thane are coming. And it’s bad. It’s so bad. She’s really upset.”
“What?” He squinted at me in utter confusion, plowing a hand through his hair and making his golden locks scatter in every direction.
“Oh God.” I started to wring my hands. “I wish I had more time to warn you, but it’s about Hayes.”
“Hayes?” Looking completely boggled, he turned as the door to his room blew open, and his mom streaked inside, crying hysterically with a panicked Thane hot on her heels.
“Foster,” she sobbed, going straight to him so she could sit next to him on the mattress and throw her arms around his neck. “I had no idea. I swear, I had no idea.”
“Mom? What…?” He gathered her close and stroked her hair, intent to calm her down, while widening his eyes over her shoulder at Thane, demanding an explanation. “Dude.”
But all Thane could say was, “Man, I’m sorry. I amsosorry.”
So I rushed out the words, “He told her you still blamed yourself for your brother’s death, and apparently she didn’t realize you’d ever felt responsible at all.”
