Page 95 of Everything We Left Unsaid

“What?” I ask in surprise. She’s never mentioned any hardships in her and my grandfather’s relationship.

“Our families did everything they could to keep us apart. His parents wanted him to marry a nice Italian girl, and my family had all but promised me to the son of a prominent tribal leader.”

“Enisi, you never told me this!” I had no idea they’d had a forbidden love affair.

“We broke up once,” she admits, sadness and longing dimming her deep brown eyes. “His mother had convinced me I wasn’t good enough for him and that he’d be much better off with one of the sweet Catholic virgins they’d chosen for him. She was a meddlesome old hag, and I let her get the best of me. But your pappy,” she says, her lips turning up in a triumphant smirk, “he put her in her place and fought tooth and nail to win me back.

“My father raged, cussing and yelling when I told him I wouldn’t marry the man they tried to force on me. When we finally realized our families would never support us or give us their blessing to be together, we packed our bags, went to the courthouse, and eloped. He’d saved up enough money that we didn’t need his parents’ help or financial support to move away and start our life together.”

“His family came from money?” I’m dumbfounded. I never knew any of this about my pappy or either of my grandparents’ families. I knew they didn’t have a close relationship, but I thought that was just something that happened when you grew older and had your own family.

“They did,” she confirms. “They weren’t nearly as wealthy as Jacob’s family, but they were well off. Your great-grandparents were going to buy him and his new bride a house as a wedding present. When they found out he married me, they cut him off completely. So we started over in a new town with new jobs and began our life together.”

“I understand where you’re coming from, enisi, I do. But Jacob’s family won’t cut him off, and he isn’t going to cut ties with them. And I don’t want him to. I just want...” Do I even know what I want? “I just want his mom to stay away. I can’t even stand the thought of looking at her. She’s not a good person. Even before all this, I knew she was a bad apple. Jacob told me things… things that made me leery of her before we ever met. I don’t think she’s capable of changing, and I don’t want Chloe to get caught up in her cruel, terrible web.”

“You’re not going to like hearing this, but it needs to be said.” I gulp, preparing for her to deliver her speech. “It sounds to me like she genuinely feels remorseful over her actions.” I open my mouth, but she holds up her hand to cut off my rebuttal. “I’m not saying it’s okay, but her confession proves that she regrets her decision. People who aren’t sorry for their actions don’t fess up to their wrongdoing. She was wrong, so very wrong, but it sounds like she’s had a change of heart.”

“Maybe you’re right, but I still don’t know if I could ever trust her. And I can’t allow someone I don’t trust around my child.”

She nods her head in understanding. “You have to do what you feel is right. Just think long and hard before you make any decisions. This will affect all of you.”

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