Page 28 of When It Snows

“Merry Christmas, Mom.” I hug her. “Shall we get started on dinner?” I walk toward the door but she shackles my wrist to stop me.

“We need to talk.”

Shit. She heard what I said. It doesn’t matter how judgmental my parents are, they don’t approve of one of their children actually calling them on their behavior.

“Mom,” Hazel grumbles. “It’s Christmas.”

Mom sits on the bed and pats the spot next to her. I sigh before sitting down. Hazel sits on the floor in front of us.

“I’m sorry you don’t feel welcome here.”

Here we go. Guilt trip incoming. “It’s not that I don’t feel welcome.”

“But you think your father and I don’t approve of your choices in life.”

“You’ve made it pretty clear what you think of my choices. There’s no doubt in my mind you don’t approve. I’m putting on airs. I think I’m better than you. Need I go on?”

She wrings her hands together. “I haven’t always been this way.”

She has my attention now.

“I was similar to you once. I loved school and thought college was my career path.” She glances away to stare outside. “But college didn’t end the way I thought it w-w-would.”

Her voice breaks and I grasp her hands. “What happened?”

Hazel scoots closer and places a hand on her thigh. “Mom?”

“It’s the same old story. I was stupid and trusted the wrong people and suffered the consequences.”

My heart stops. What consequences?”

“I went to a party.” She inhales a deep breath and I squeeze her hands. “I don’t know what happened, but I woke up back in my dorm room. I’d been…”

My stomach clenches and tears threaten. My mother was sexually abused. “You don’t have to say the word.”

“I couldn’t prove what happened because I couldn’t remember. I quit school and came home. When I met your dad and he found out what happened, he promised to protect me and our family forever.”

Everything makes sense now. Dad and Mom have been trying to protect me. They want me to stay on the island because they can watch over me here.

“I’m sorry about what happened to you. Do you want to talk about it?”

Mom wipes a tear from her face. “No.”

I blow out a breath. I don’t want to be selfish but I know my mom. If I don’t speak now, I might never get another chance.

“I appreciate everything you and Dad have done for me. I understand you want to protect me. But I’m not a teenager or a college student anymore. I have a good job, and I make decent money. I’m happy with my career. I can’t give it up.”

She stands. “I’ll speak to your father.”

“You don’t have—”

“Yes, I do.”

I watch her leave with my mouth hanging open. Mom has never been forthcoming about her past before. I didn’t even know she went to college.

“Wow,” Hazel murmurs. “I would’ve never guessed.”

“Me either. I wish she had told me. I could have been more understanding.”

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