Page 97 of Fatal Attraction

Three soft knocks met the door, and I winced as I tried getting up, yelling at whoever it was to wait a minute. Just in case it was my dreadful mother, I had to hide the ultrasound photos. I swiftly slid them under my hospital pillow and blew out an aching breath as I got myself back in bed.

“Come in,” I said when I was acquainted.

The door opened, and I scowled, rolling my eyes when Mom stepped in, closing the door behind her.

“I owe you an apology, Charlotte.”

“Don’t bother,” I murmured, looking away from her and toward the window. “I’m really not in the mood to hear it.”

“Wh-where’s your father?”

“In the cafeteria, getting us something to eat. I doubt he feels like dealing with your bullshit either, so you might as well go.”

“I know I was out of line, and I’m sorry. Your… Your father was right. I did cost him his relationship with you.”

“Is that all?” I asked, still refusing to look at her.

“I don’t blame him for wanting a divorce. After our…disagreements, I became bitter. It is true that I said a lot of nasty and awful things—I’ll admit that much. But in my defense, I was furious over what Karl did to you. So furious that I wanted him to hurt just as badly as he hurt you and I wanted him to suffer for his mistakes. I understand what it feels like toget cheated on, Charlotte. Your father did it to me plenty of times in the past.”

I scoffed at that. “Yeah, okay Mom.”

“You don’t believe me?” she challenged. “Ask him for yourself and see what he says. There are two sides to every story, Charlotte.”

That was fair. I’d give her that much.

“Tell me what happened.”

“Is it okay if I sit down?”

I rolled my eyes. “If you must.”

I felt her smile from across the room. From the corner my eye, I watched as she ambled closer, grabbing a chair and scooting it closer as she sat, placing her purse on the floor.

“Your father and I have been together since we were kids. As you know, I was 16, nearly 17 when I found out I was pregnant with you. Your father was 18. You were way too young to remember, but when you were barely a year old, your father cheated on me with one of his coworkers. At the time, he’d just turned 19 and was working as a telemarketer. I forgave him. I was young, a new mom, and with you being so little, I couldn’t imagine raising you without him, so I stayed. When you were 3, he did it again. Same job, but with a different woman. Long story short, he cheated at least two more times after that, each time with different women. He would’ve never gotten caught if he hadn’t started acting funny and had given me reason to crack the password on his phone.”

I spared her a glance and found there were tears shimmering in her eyes. “If that’s true, then why did you stay with him?”

“When I caught him all those years ago, I had all of our shit packed and was preparing us to move in with my dysfunctional alcoholic parents. I guess because I’d stayed all the other times he cheated, your father thought he could keep on doing what he wanted and that in the end, I’d always stay because we had you. But… That day when he saw all of our things packed up and when I told him I was leaving, taking you and going back to myparents’ place, he begged me not to. He broke down crying, begging me not to leave and that he didn’t want us living with my parents. So, I gave him a choice. I told him that if he ever cheated on me again,ever, I was taking you away, putting his ass on child support, and would file to have full custody and fight to relinquish all of his parental rights. I had more than enough proof against him to make it happen, and he knew it. So, he agreed.”

She paused then, reaching up to swipe away her tears.

“Again, I know what it’s like to get cheated on. I know how much it hurts, and I only acted the way I did because of my past. I know it was wrong, and I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I know given what I’ve said and done that it’s hard to believe, but I’ve always been on your side, baby. It’s like you told me before; you were married to Karl, not me, and you’re right. I should’ve let you handle your divorce the way you wanted. I was a very bitter and unfair bitch to you, and most importantly, I should’ve been there for you when you needed me the most.”

She froze again, more tears spilling down her cheeks.

“But I’m here now. An-and I want to be, if you’ll let me. I love you, Charlotte. Please don’t kick me out.”

I considered everything she’d said and opened my mouth, my breath falling short when the door abruptly popped open. Dad walked in, holding two sandwiches and a bag of chips in each hand, with both Spike and Phoenix behind him, each of them wearing stunned expressions as they laid eyes on my mother.

Shit.

“June,” Dad said a bit hastily. “I’m surprised you came back.”

I ignored whatever Mom said and gaped solely at Spike and Phoenix, whose eyes were padlocked on me, both wearing smiles which warmed my heart in ways I hadn’t anticipated.

“I’m sorry,” I said, flicking my gaze to Dad, then Mom. “But I need to speak with them in private. It-it’s important.”

Dad made no objections and left my food on the small table beside the hospital bed, curling his nose at my mother before he spun on his heel, scoffing as he departed.

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