Page 47 of Buried Dreams

“Oliver,” she hisses at him at the same time I gasp out in shock, my hand going to my mouth.

“Maddie,” he says, dropping his hands, “it’s enough time, don’t you think?” He shakes his head, looks up at the ceiling, and lets out a huge sigh. “Call me later,” he says, walking out the door and slamming it behind him. My eyes followed him across the room and toward the door, and I just stare at it before turning and looking over at my mother, who is now in front of the sink, looking out the window.

“Mom.” She turns back to me, and I think she’s going to blow me off, but instead, she looks straight at me. “Is it true?”

“Yes,” she whispers. “We met in eighth grade. His family just relocated, and we struck up a friendship in science class.” She smiles. “God, he was the cutest boy I had ever seen. We became inseparable. I loved him with everything I had. Then he got into medical school. And it was so big, but he was on the fence about leaving me. I knew there was no way I could keep him back. There was no way I could tell him not to go, so I broke up with him.” My hand goes to my mouth. “Worst day of my life.” She shakes her head. “Started dating someone right after to show him that I was over him, and even though we used protection and I hated every single second of it, it was too late.” She smiles at me, but her smile is sad. “I would never, ever wish that you weren’t here.”

“I know that, Mom.” I get up, and she holds up her hand to stop me from going to her.

“The best thing that ever happened to me.” She pushes through the tears.

“But Oliver,” I say, my heart breaking for both of them.

“He found out I was pregnant and left town shortly after that,” she explains, her voice sounding as broken as I thought it would be. I know exactly how they both feel. “When you were ten, he came back to town. Just to visit, I think. Was here with his wife.” I gasp. “The way that hurt me to this day, I cannot explain it.” She puts her hand to her stomach. “This is what I wanted for him. This is why I did it. Heck, I had a child with someone else. But seeing him and his wife together, holding hands and laughing, it was a bit too much for me. I avoided him like the plague until he walked into the coffee shop one day. Both of us were shocked that we were in front of each other. It took one look at him, face-to-face, for me to admit I would never love anyone like I love him, so after that, I didn’t even bother. I was happy just being with you. Two years later, he came back, but this time he was divorced. Came to the coffee shop and we spent an hour talking to each other. But his life wasn’t here, it was in New York, where he was working as a cardiologist in one of the biggest medical hospitals in the country. He was working his way up the ladder, but every single week he would call. Then he would visit occasionally, and when you turned sixteen, he told me he was moving here. That he was tired of loving me from afar. Tired of living his life half empty. I couldn’t give him what he wanted. I had to think about you.”

“Mom, I would have wanted you to have that.”

“Oh, I know, but I was just fixated on pretending it was nothing and thinking that any day he was going to leave.”

“Mom, you almost died,” I remind her. “It’s time for you to live your life and be happy.”

“I am happy,” she finally says, shouting.

“Then go after him and be happier,” I say, and she looks up.

“What if we did all this, and he doesn’t feel the same way about me?” She finally gives in to her fear. “What if it’s working so well because we aren’t together?”

“What if it’s even better than you thought it would be?” I ask. “Mom, that man loves you so, so much.” She rolls her eyes. “With the attitude you give him, he is still here day in and day out. Do you love him?” I get up and face her. “Like, do you really, really love him?”

“Do you really, really love Brock?” She turns it around.

“Yes,” I say without a question in my mind.

“You love him?” she asks again.

“Yes. I don’t think I ever stopped loving him, to be honest.”

“What are you going to do about it?” she asks the loaded question, and I shrug.

“What are you going to do about it?” I ask, and she laughs, wiping her nose.

“Look at us,” she says, laughing. “Aren’t we a pair?”

I walk to her and give her a hug. We hear the door open, and both look over at Oliver. “I’ve had it,” he huffs out, “we’re done.”

I open my eyes wide. “Oliver,” my mother yelps, her face showing she’s worried.

“No, Maddie.” He shakes his head. “Enough is enough. We are going to stop this fucking shit right now. I love your mother.” He looks at me. “More now than I did back then. Never stopped loving her, and she knows it. She knows how I feel for her. I’m tired of living like we aren’t together,” he snaps. “So from now on, we aren’t. You are going to move in with me, or I’ll move in here. I don’t care. But we are moving in with each other, and we are also getting married.”

I gasp but not as loud as my mother. “Yeah, you heard me.”

I look at my mother and expect her to tell him to go fly a kite, but instead, she just shrugs. “Okay, fine,” she concedes, as if he’s forcing her to go out with him, “but we are not going to leave my daughter by herself.”

“Your daughter is thirty. She’s fine.” He looks at me. “And you will be more than welcome to live wherever we are.”

“Your daughter is also leaving,” I interject. “You guys can hash out the details on when you are getting married.” I smile at him. “I’m not calling you Dad.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to, but I’d be honored.” I smile at him and secretly thank him.

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