Mya nodded.
“Oh, sweetie, don’t think about them, okay? Rodney won’t be bothering us again.”
After the confrontation in the park, she phoned the police to report that he violated his restraining order. She wished she hadn’t taken so long to realize just how off Rodney was. She found it disturbing that she had allowed him so deeply into their lives.
“Okay, but what about your other boyfriend?”
“What about him? It’s over.”
“But you were so happy.”
Brandi sighed. She had been happy. Dammit, why did he have to turn out to be so damned rotten? “I told you, he wasn’t a good man.”
“Why? What was wrong with him?”
“He did some bad things.”
“Oh. Did he say he was sorry?”
“I don’t think sorry will fix what he’s done.”
“Why not? You said if you do something bad, you should say you’re sorry to make things better.”
“It’s more complicated than that.”
Mya obviously didn’t understand. She gave Brandi a long and inquisitive look. “It doesn’t have to be. I think you should make him say he’s sorry and then you can be happy again.”
“It wasn’t something he did to me.”
“Oh. Well, did he say sorry to the people he did the bad things to?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask him.”
“Why not?”
“You know, you’re asking a lot of questions.”
“You said I should ask questions if I don’t understand something.” Kids always had a way of throwing whatever you said to them back in your face. Brandi silently prayed for the Lord to give her patience.
“I didn’t like what I found out about him.”
Mya was silent for a moment. “I think you should say you’re sorry to him.”
Brandi looked at her daughter in disbelief. She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation with her eight-year-old daughter.
“Why should I apologize?”
“Well, it doesn’t sound fair that you didn’t ask him to explain. I would be sad if I was him.” Mya turned back to the sink to finish washing the potatoes.
Out of the mouths of babes. Had she been wrong? Should she have heard Mason out?
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Mason held Ben’s hand as they walked down the corridor of the retirement home.
“Do you think Nana will remember me? I haven’t seen her in a really long time.”
“Of course, she’ll remember you. I think you’re just the person to cheer her up. She’s been a little sad lately.”