Page 137 of Fierce-Hyde

“You’re not messed up,” he said.

“Yes,” she said. “I am. I’ve used this crutch to not let anyone into my life and I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry for doing that to you.”

“Don’t apologize,” he said. “I’m kind of glad you did it to guys before me. Otherwise we wouldn’t have gotten to this place.”

She smiled and wiped a tear that had crept down her cheek out of nowhere.

He didn’t want to panic with her crying but understood that maybe she couldn’t control it all.

The fact she was letting her guard down with him was more than he could have asked for.

He told her he’d be here for her, and she came to him.

Nothing more he could have asked for than that.

“Sorry about that,” she said.

“Don’t worry,” he said.

“Back to everything that happened. He just let me talk. He apologized more than I can count and I even yelled at him to stop it.”

“You mean you yelled at someone else other than me?” he asked, joking.

“I felt bad, but I just couldn’t keep it in. When it was all done I was crying. He shed a few tears. I think we were all drained. But on Saturday I had to go back. We never talked about what was going on with him and I needed to know.”

“You look lighter to me,” he said. “I know it was a heavy weekend for you. I wish I could have been there.”

“I know,” she said. “But if you went, none of this would have come out. After we talked about his health, we caught up. I told him all about you. He said he’d like to meet you if he can, but right now, there is a lot up in the air.” More tears rolled down her cheeks.

“We’ll make it work, Tori. You say the time and we’ll go. I mean it.”

“I know you do,” she said. “I appreciate it. He is starting treatment on Monday. It’s going to be grueling. Shelly is going to keep in touch with me. I’m not saying everything is resolved and we are going to be this loving family.”

“But it’s something,” he said. “And if anyone knows how important is it to be given a chance, it’s me.”

She smiled and stuffed her face. “I’m glad you came to me to ask for it.”

“Me too,” he said. He ate some more food and then said, “Did you talk to your mother?”

“Well, now,” she said. “That is a whole different thing.”

“Tell me,” he said. “You’re laughing.”

“It’s an ‘oh shit, what did I do’ laugh?”

His eyes got wide. “That bad?”

“You won’t think so. But I called her. I lit right into her and she tried to deny it all, but I know when my mother is lying. She’s done it enough in my life. She finally admitted that she told my father I wasn’t his child. That she was mad and didn’t think he’d believe it.”

“And she never once thought to tell him the truth?” he asked.

“She wouldn’t,” she said. “It’s not her way.”

“How did it end?” he asked.

“Not well,” she said. “I told her I’m not sure I can forgive her. After everything I’ve done for her in life and this is how she repays me. I get it—my father didn’t want to be a dad. He wasn’t the best father, but he was in my life. He did the right things whether or not he wanted to. My mother took that all away from us both. My father isn’t blameless, and if he tried to play that card, I’d be thinking differently. But he never once tried it.”

“Which is important,” he said.

---