Page 114 of My Mistake To Make

‘I know, Mama. I know. I was just so mad, so fuckin’ hurt.’

‘You’re telling me thatJessietold you about these letters,Jessiegave them to you, and you believed her—after everything?’

‘Yeah, I know. I messed up.’

‘You sure did, son.’ She sits again and reaches for my hand once more. ‘Jessie wasn’t raised right. We all know that. Shedidn’t have parents that guided her the right way. She was taught to look out for number one, always, and it hurts me to say that about my grandbaby’s mother, but it’s true. How could you believe that of Cara?’

‘It was in black and white. I had the letters in my hand.’

‘And now?’

‘Cara kicked me out. I went to see Jessie, and she told me she had written the letters. I’m an idiot.’ I hang my head, not sure whether to even tell her the next level of crazy. ‘She said Cara is her sister.’

I feel the light squeeze of my hand as she tenses, and I turn my attention to her.

‘Mama?’

I notice the tight line of her mouth and the way her breathing has picked up in pace.

‘Mama.’

‘Oh my—’ She releases my hand and brings hers to her chest.

‘You have got to be fucking kidding me.’

‘Nobody was supposed to know,’ she whispers, and I jump up to stand.

‘Are you telling me this is true? How?’

‘Please, Doug. Just give me a minute, okay?’

She gets up and heads inside the house, leaving me reeling. Is she confirming what Jessie said—that Cara is her sister? That, my probably nowex-girlfriend, is my baby’s aunt?

Harley watches me intently as I pace on the patio, waiting for my mom.

‘I’m sorry, sweetheart. I needed to get this.’ She hands me an envelope and written on the front are three words:To my baby. ‘You need to take this to Cara, Doug.’

‘She won’t see me, Ma.’

‘Then make her. She’s going to need you there when she reads this.’

‘Are you going to tell me what it says?’

‘If she doesn’t, yes, I will. But she needs to read it first.’

I inhale deeply—so many questions in my mind, but the main one is whether she’ll even allow me close enough to give her this.

‘Fuck,’ I mutter undermy breath as I walk up toward the porch. I don’t see this going well.

The door opens, and I see Missy standing there. Shit.

‘Uh uh, I don’t think so. You can turn around and walk your ass back to that pretty bike of yours.’

I keep walking, stepping up onto the porch as she glares up at me.

‘I’m not leaving, Missy. I need to talk to her.’

‘She doesn’t want to talk to you.’

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