Page 126 of Until I Have You

I peek through my fingers at my mom.

Her expression is soft and smiling.“You wouldn’t have chosen him the way you did if it wasn’t more than that.”

“Don’t encourage me, Mom, don’t–”

“How could I not?I followed my heart with your father.And I made choices people thought were ridiculous.I mean, when things ended, your grandmother got in her share of ‘I told you so’.God rest her bitter soul,” she says, tipping her head back and looking at the ceiling.

I scoff.“Yes, and we all know how things turned out between you and Dad.No offense.”

“None taken, it’s the truth.”

I rub a hand over my face.“I don’t want to get into something that’s going to blow up in my face.”

“Seems you already have, Abigail.The difference is, though, with your father and me, that was just not meant to be.We tried.Years of trying.And we grew in different directions.You and Theo–”

I groan at the mention of his name.

“Stop that and listen to me!I swear, you complain about your father being stubborn, but you’re just as bad.”

“Worse becauseyou’remy mother.”

She grins devilishly.“That’s very true.”

I hunch down in my chair, exhaustion settling into my bones thanks to my release of all these feelings.

“Your father, no matter what he’s feeling, does not abandon the people he loves.”

I shake my head.“What about when he wasn’t talking to us?After you guys broke up and he traipsed around Europe with Theo?”

“Oh,mo stór, that was my fault, not his.”Mom’s lips twist with awkwardness.“I told him to keep his distance.That wasn’t because he wanted it.”

I blink.“Really?”

“He begged to speak with you.But I was…I was selfish.I’m sorry, I didn’t know you still thought about that.”

It’s oddly comforting, knowing those three months of my life, Dad didn’t just disappear because he wanted to.There were other circumstances.“You mean he…he didn’t abandon me?”

“Edwin is a lot of things, but he loves you, Abigail.He’s always loved you unconditionally.His judgment just gets clouded sometimes,” Mom explains.“I’m so sorry I created that…that story for you.”

I glance out the window.

It’s gotten dark in the time I’ve been here at the pub.And the pub has filled up with patrons.Thank goodness Mom has another bartender on hand to deal with pretty much all the customers so that she can talk to me.

“It’s okay, I know you were doing your best.”

“Yes.Yes, that’s all any of us are doing, Abigail.”

I return my gaze to my mother, our matching eyes meeting.Her smile is apologetic.“His distance is only temporary.I promise, your father would never–”

“He cut out Nate.”

“Years ago!Andif he ever dared to do that to you, he’d have to deal with me, and I’m sorry, but I’m much more bullish than Nate’s mother.In fact, you want me to call your father now?”

“No!”I exclaim, loud enough to cut through the Bruce Springsteen song playing over the speakers and get a few glances thrown our way.

My mother picks up a now cold chip off my plate, examines it, then pops it in her mouth.As she chews, she says, “A Brit, hm?”

“Don’t remind me.”Theo never let me forget it either.It used to bug me, but when we were together, I found it endearing.Another element of our forbidden romance.“And he’s old.”

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