Page 89 of The Moment Promised

“I’m okay, love. Go grab your mom. We’re leaving.” His voice so normal, it’s eerie. His cheek bone already turns a deep shade of purple and swells, and it hasn’t even been a minute.

I enter the kitchen where my mom is collapsed in her chair, tears streaming down her face. Her shoulders hunch as if the weight of everything finally bears down on her in this moment. I carefully grab her hand. “Mom, we need to go.” She doesn’t even lift a finger, like she’s completely wrung out.

“Mom,please,” I practically beg.

“I deserve to be here, honey. Just go.”

“Nobody deserves to be abused, Marsha. Please come with us.” Finn enters the kitchen, and I selfishly thank God for him being here.

My heart rate slows a little in his presence, my mother nods in shame and follows us to the front door.

Jason sits on the couch, dramatically holding his fist as if it has been cut off. “Where the fuck are you two goin’?” he asks, dumbfounded.

I keep looking straight, hoping my mother will follow suit.

He doesn’t deserve any more of our breath.

Her face shifts to uncertainty, like she might stay. Obviously, he’s been here long enough to implant himself into her head again.

“Mom. Please,” I whisper so only she can hear.

“I can’t.”

“I’m not leaving you behind, so either you come, or I stay too.”

Something shifts in her expression. She steps through the front door.

For me.

It doesn’t go unnoticed, and I make myself promise to hang onto the memory for the future hurt I can already sense I am going to feel.

Why would you let him back in, Mom?

“Oh, Finn!” Finn’s mother cries out, taking her son’s cheeks into her hands as she inspects the bruise Jason left on his perfect face.

“I’m fine, Mom,” he mumbles, stepping to the side so she can see he isn’t alone.

“Hi, Mrs. Walker.” I gesture my mom to step up. “It’s a big ask… but do you mind if we spend the night?”

“Oh dear, of course! Come in, come in!” She herds us inside, glancing the surrounding area before shutting us in, and locking the door.

“Did I hear my son in there?” Burt says, oblivious from the hallway. He enters the kitchen and takes in the chaos that gathers in his quiet nest.

After we all say our greetings, and Finn catches his parents up to our trip and what happened when we got home, we all sit around the living room.

I’ve never gone into detail to Finn’s parents about my home life, but as I got older and would spend holidays like Father’s Day and Thanksgiving with them, I think they pieced together that I didn’t come from a conventional home. They seemed horrified to find out Jason put his abusive hands on their innocent son, and on my mother for years.

His parents take up the couch. My mother isolates herself to the furthest end of the room, occupying the accent chair. I wasn’t sure where exactly I fit, so I sat on the floor next to Finn.As I retold the horrible tale that happened only moments prior, he gathered me in his arms and pulled me against his chest. It doesn’t mean anything. He was just trying to console me. I don’t know where we stand now that we are home and facing reality.

I inhale a deep breath once I’ve caught everyone up, and Finn places a kiss to the back of my head.

All of us have a serious discussion about what needs to be done. Jill takes photos of her son’s face. Burt makes calls to find the best lawyer. Finn and I spend the rest of the afternoon filing a police report at the local station.

I insisted my mom come, but she refused. I try to be sympathetic toward her, choosing to leave with us today was a big step in itself for her. Going to the police station with us would mean finally accepting she’d been abused. She needs time, so I respect her wishes to stay back.

Finn and I told a police officer what happened. He took pictures of Finn’s face, but when I pulled up the video I took earlier in the day, my heart sank. It had all been for nothing. The footage was so blurry from my trembling, the audio only picked up my panicked breaths. The police report wasn’t enough evidence to lock Jason up.

The next morning, all of us eat breakfast together, deciding to take a break from how serious everything truly is, even just for the duration of this meal.

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