Page 84 of The Bratva's Secret Twins

He shrugged. “Well, in my defense, I did tell you that I would be bringing her to the wedding.”

“Pay no attention to him; he can be silly at times,” Caroline said to me.

“Oh, trust me, I am well aware,” I replied, and we laughed.

“Hi,” another voice broke in.

It was a very familiar voice, one I hadn’t heard in ages.

I turned around, and it was my mom. She was standing there, clearly overwhelmed with guilt and remorse. She was twisting her fingers in front of her, and her eyes landed on the ground.

As I laid eyes on her, I felt a mix of pain and anger, but mostly joy. Regardless of everything she’d put me through, I still loved her because she was my mom.

“Hey, babe. Why don’t we go get something to eat?” Tyler grabbed her by the hand.

“But we’re still talking….” Caroline tried to resist, but he insisted.

“Trust me, they have the best pastries you’ll ever taste.” He whisked her away.

Tyler understood that we needed some time alone.

“Hey, Mom,” I said to her.

“You look amazing, my dear,” she said to me with a smile.

I reciprocated the gesture. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

“I am so proud of the woman you’ve become, Vivian,” she said, her voice revealing the truth behind her words. “I know that I wasn’t always there for you, but somehow, you still managed to make something meaningful out of your life.”

I felt my tear glands charging up, but I had to hold them back because this was supposed to be my happy day.

“I wasn't the best mother to you; I wasn’t a good mom. But look how you turned out.” She seemed to be struggling with her tears, just like I was. “I might have brought you into this world, but you’ve proven that you didn’t need me….”

“You’re wrong,” I said softly. “I needed you, Mom. But you weren’t there.”

She lost the battle, and her tears dropped, rolling down her cheeks.

“I know, honey. I know,” she choked out.

I’d fought so well to keep mine back, but a few drops managed to escape. I shot my head up and gently wiped them off, careful not to ruin my makeup.

“Mom, can we not talk about this now?” I sniffled. “It's my day. The only tears I'm allowed to shed are tears of joy.”

She wiped her tears. “Of course, sweetheart.”

“For what it’s worth,” I said to her, “I’m glad that you came.”

She smiled, and I could tell that my words had made her happy.

I hugged her and allowed myself to enjoy the warmth of her embrace.

As the night wore on, the wedding reception transformed into a vibrant party. The music pulsated, and the dance floor was filled with laughter and spinning bodies.

“There she is,” Asher said as he approached me alongside Sienna Summers. “The most beautiful bride I have ever seen.”

Sienna embraced me tightly.

“Viv, I am so happy for you,” she said.

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