Page 53 of All That She Needs

"When?" I asked, my tone sharper than I intended.

She raised her brows. "When what?"

"When did you talk to him?" I clarified, trying to stay calm.

"About two days ago," she replied.

"And you didn't think to tell me?" I pressed, feeling my frustration build.

My mother abruptly stood up from her stool, glaring at me. "And you didn't think to tell me you two separated?" she snapped.

"This isn't something we should discuss over the phone, Ma. I wanted to tell you in person," I explained, trying to keep my voice steady. "I just haven't had the time, with work and the kids having their exams this week."

"He's been living separately for a few months," she shot back, her voice hard, her pale face reddened. "You and I, we've spoken on the phone several times, and you didn't think it was important to tell me?"

"You never called me, Ma," I reminded her. The tension between us thickened. "When youcalled, you only asked for Kayden and Chloe."

"And you never called me either!" she countered, her voice rising as she planted her hands on her hips. "Aiden called me, and he was so sad, asking for advice."

I clenched my fists, barely believing what I was hearing. "Did he tell you why we separated?" I hissed.

"He said he made a mistake," she continued, her voice lowering slightly. "That he wanted to fix things, but he was at his wit's end about what to do."

"Fix things?" I echoed, disbelief washing over me. "Mistake? He cheated on me, Ma. He cheated on me for over six months."

"He admitted that. He regrets it and will do anything to make it right."

"You can't possibly just blindly believe that!" I shot back, my voice laced with frustration. "He's a liar and a cheater, Ma. And people like him don't just change overnight."

"But, Asha, this isn't just about you and him," she said, softening her tone. "What about the kids? They deserve to be with their father, even if he's made mistakes."

"Oh, my God, Ma." I threw my hands into the air in exasperation. "That was exactly what I was thinking before I realized how wrong I was. He hurt my children too by spending more time with her than with us. By always choosing her over us. That disappointment is going to stay with them for a long time. Their father needs to work hard to gain their trust back. But most importantly, I don't want their father's behavior to be an example. I don't want Kayden to grow up to be like him. I don't want Chloe to grow up to be like me, someone who was too weak to stand up for herself until it went too far to fix anymore."

My mother opened her mouth to respond, but the words faltered on her lips. I could see the conflict in her eyes, the tug-of-war between defending Aiden and acknowledging my pain. She loved him like a son—I knew that. He'd been part of our family for twenty years, so this separation wounded her, too. But that didn't excuse her dismissal of what I was going through.

She was quiet for a moment, looking like she was processing my words, but what she said next boiled my blood even more. "I know you're hurt. I'm not asking you to trust himblindly, but maybe you should talk to him again. Or find some counseling. You might find some understanding."

"Ma," I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to steady myself. "I'm not saying this to hurt you; I really don't. But I don't know if I can take marriage advice from someone who's never been married."

"I am giving you advice as a mother!" she shot back, her voice rising in anger. "Do you know how hard it was to raise three kids by myself?"

"I know it's hard, Ma. I was there, remember?" I sighed, feeling exhausted by this conversation. "But Kayden and Chloe are good kids. They won't give me a hard time like the three of us gave you, I promise. And they still can have their father. They can still spend time with him."

My mother nodded slowly, as if weighing my words carefully. "I understand, Asha, trust me. But what I'm trying to say is that you don't have to forget what he's done, but you need to give him one last chance. Think about this. If Aiden genuinely wants to change, wouldn't it be better for the kids to see their father trying? To strive for redemption?"

"He's only asking for a chance because now he has no other choice," I countered, my voice shaking with the anger simmering beneath my skin. "I can't trust him to keep his word anymore. He's broken our trust too many times. I will not risk letting him hurt us again."

"Why is it so hard to make you understand, Asha?" My mother sighed in frustration.

I was about to retort when familiar footsteps echoed behind me, and I stiffened. A jolt of shock ran through me. My eyes widened at my mother. "You've got to be kidding me, Ma. You called him here?"

She shifted on her feet, a look of guilt crossing her face. "I thought I could encourage you to sit down with him and talk things through."

"What made you think we hadn't done that?" I shouted, unable to contain myself any longer. "You need to stay out of this, Ma. It's not your place to interfere like this."

I turned to face Aiden, the bane of my existence. I hated him so much I could kill him. "This is just reducing your points even more, Aiden. I hope you know that. Involving my mother in our problems? Convinced her to take your side? That's low, even for you."

"I told Elaine that you would hate this," He said quietly. "I wasn't even sure if I should come."

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