Page 132 of Scores Of The Heart

“Newspapers print lies, Mom, and make them look like something else. We’ve no idea what the article is going to say yet, but we wanted you to be prepared. Tyler is my boyfriend and that is that.”

“It’s a disgrace!” She shouts, folding her arms across her chest. “Impregnating a woman out of wedlock and then shacking up with someone as pure as my daughter.”

Pure? Oh, I’m sure she thinks I’m as pure as the driven snow. But she wouldn’t be thinking that if she knew what me and Tyler had been up to lately.

“Mom, plenty of women have babies out of wedlock, and as Tyler has told you umpteen times, he didn’t know until now. They broke up over six months ago.”

“Well, I’m not having it.” She folds her arms over her chest as we’re about to get up and leave, because she was never going to accept Tyler even without all the ex shit going on. What a joke this has all turned out to be, a very sad one at that.

I know it isn’t ideal circumstances, but what relationship doesn’t have problems? At least we’re being upfront and tackling things head on.

“I don’t care if you’re having it or not, Mom. I love Tyler and he loves me. So you can like it or lump it.”

Her face reddens, and she looks like she’s going to explode. “How dare you, young lady! You can’t just spring this on me and expect me to be okay with it.”

I laugh haughtily. “You were never going to be, no matter what we said.”

I glance at Tyler, who’s looking like he wants to shrivel up and die. “I love your daughter,” he says simply. “I’d never do anything purposefully to hurt her. This has all come out of the blue, but I’m going to make it right.”

“Hopefully by leaving her alone!” Mom shouts.

“Don’t shout at him!” I yell back. And I can’t say I’ve ever yelled at my mom like this before. Even that day at the restaurant wasn’t this bad. We’re here bearing our hearts on our sleeves, trying to navigate a very delicate situation, and she’s not even willing to listen. We’re grown adults. She needs to accept I’m not a baby anymore, and she can’t keep casting her judgment over me like a dark cloud. Nothing I’ve ever done has been good enough for her. Nothing at all.

“I’ll shout all I want to. I knew this was a bad idea not having someone looking out for you. When I spoke to your father recently, I said that attack in college really set things back, and you’re still not thinking straight.”

I gasp. It’s like she’s hit me in the guts. My head flicks to Tyler. This is something he doesn’t know about. Something I’ve been toying with telling him, and I wanted to in my own time.

“Mom!”

“I don’t suppose she told you that, Tyler? She had a man stalk and then attack her in college. This wouldn’t have happened, you know, if we’d stayed in Buffalo and you’d married your betrothed like you were supposed to.”

“Now wait a minute!” Tyler’s tone is more than assertive as he glares at my mom.

He puts his arm around me in a show of protection. I swallow as I look at him. Tears spring from my eyes as we share a look. I shake my head, though, in case he blurts out something he might regret.

How could she say something like that? Why is she still doing this to me?

It’s sick and I tell her as much.

“How dare you, Mom! Just because you want to keep your standing in the precious church. I said it before about Damon, so why don’t you just go back to Buffalo and marry the whole lot of them!”

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do! I’m moving back to Buffalo. Sheila and Damon are here for the weekend, helping me sort out the details. I’ve been trying to call you about it, and your sister.”

I gasp. Oh lord, my head is going to spin off at any moment.

She’s brought up my attack out loud without my consent, and now my ex and his mom are here in Tacoma?

“What are you talking about?” I stammer.

I don’t even get to hear the details as Tyler intervenes by wiping my tears away with his fingers and looks at my mom. “I’m sorry you can’t see what a beautiful daughter you have, Adele,” he says. “But I can’t listen to this any longer.” He tugs at my hand and I nod. “We need to leave.”

I take hold of Henry, who’s sitting at my feet because he isn’t allowed on the couch. He’s looking very uncomfortable at the raised voices and all the angst in the air.

It’s stifling, to say the least, and I need to breathe.

I don’t even register what Mom is saying about moving back to Buffalo.

When was she going to spring that on me and Caitlin? She’s the most uncaring, selfish woman I’ve ever come across.

---