Page 105 of Single Mom's Christmas Wish

“That’s why I’m here,” she cuts me off, taking a deep breath. “Honestly, I don’t expect you to ever forgive me. What I did was unforgivable. I’m not going to say that I wasn’t thinking straight or that I was under the influence of something or someone. I’m owning up to it. That was all me, plain and simple. Me, through and through. And for what it’s worth. I am sorry. I do regret it. I went too far because I couldn’t face my own pain regarding that messed-up family of ours.”

“Oh,” I mumble, slightly surprised. It’s not what I was expecting but I do welcome the twist. “You didn’t know the whole truth about our dad. Reed told me.”

“Yeah, Reed smacked me over the head with that truth,” Callie exhales sharply. “It took me a while to recover, to process, to start digging into my mom’s old stuff and grandma’s. I read every letter I could find. They lied to me. For years, they lied to me.”

“They were hurt and angry.”

Callie shakes her head. “That’s not an excuse. I was a kid. It wasn’t my battle to fight. Not my bitterness to swallow. So, yeah, I am sorry, Dakota. I’m sorry for despising you, for being jealous of you, for everything.”

“I can’t say it’s okay, but maybe it will be someday, right? I ask, my heart softening as I see Callie in a slightly different light. I can see the change in her.

“Right,” she says, nodding slowly. “Can I come closer?”

“Sure.”

Careful in her approach, Callie reaches my bedside and takes a long, warm-hearted look at my baby daughter. A smile blooms on her face. “She looks a lot like you. Pretty sure she’ll have grandma’s nose, though; see that bridge?”

I glance down and spot some familiar features. They’re subtle details that will likely become more obvious as she grows up. “Oh, I think I do.”

“Yeah. She’s going to be gorgeous; just wait.”

“The Monroe genes,” I laugh lightly.

Callie shoots me a cool grin. “Eh, the Faulkner genes had their say in her, too. I wonder what kind of green her eyes are going to be. The triplets seem to have different shades. Did you get a DNA test?”

“No, we decided not to. Unless it’s needed for medical reasons, but they’re triplets, so we’re talking about identical genes here,” I say.

“Hey, whatever works and you’re happy with. As you might’ve noticed, I kept quiet about it.”

“I do appreciate that.”

“Nah. Nothing to appreciate. It’s the least I can do. Listen, Dakota, I brought something. For the baby,” she says and takes a small box out of her tote bag. It’s a pretty velvet box. “It’s a family heirloom.”

“Oh.”

She opens it and shows it to me. It’s a small but beautiful charm bracelet. Sterling silver with a collection of highly-priced andunique charms made with precious pearls and diamonds, rubies, and mother-of-pearl inlays.

“Oh, wow.”

“Katherine gave it to Mom when I was born. Mom gave it to me when I turned sixteen. It’s been passed down through the Monroe generations. I felt like you’d be better suited to have it next. You and this little angel.”

“Callie, Katherine gave it to you. It was meant for you. I can’t possibly—”

“You can, and you will,” she cuts me off, her brow furrowed. “It’ll be a long time before I’ll be able to forgive her and Mom for the lies they told me and the secrets they kept. I’m glad I didn’t get the money in the end. I would’ve squandered it just to piss them off. I can’t sell the mansion, unfortunately. All I can do is live there while I figure out what I’m going to do with the rest of my life. I don’t have any clarity yet.”

“I’m sorry, Callie, I really am.”

She shrugs lightly. “Nothing to do with you. But this charm bracelet, it needs to go to her,” she says, nodding at my baby girl. “She’s pure and innocent. She has no idea where the bracelet comes from. It’s like a fresh start for the Monroes, in a way. It would be an honor for me to see her wear it when she gets a little older. You can even add a charm of your own to it if you want.”

“Thank you,” I say as Callie sets the box on the bedside table. “Really, thank you.”

“It’s the least I can do.”

We smile at each other for what feels like a very long but peaceful minute. The relationship we have is fractured. In some respects,it may be broken beyond repair. But time might be able to mend a few things. I obviously have some trust issues where Callie is concerned, yet I am willing to forgive. I won’t forget, but I can’t judge and despise her for the rest of our lives, either. We do the stupidest, most hurtful things when we’re in pain. She’s been in a lot of pain for many years. Only now is she rediscovering herself and the truth.

It’s a process, and she deserves patience.

I can give her that. Besides, with Chelsea and the Faulkner brothers loving me as fiercely as they do, Callie wouldn’t stand a chance if this were just another attempt to hurt me. They’d see right through her.

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