Page 84 of Veiled Vows

“Theresa for you.” The captain hands me a phone, then tilts his head indicating for me to follow him out of the warehouse.

“Theresa?”

“Darling.” Theresa’s relaxed voice drifts through the phone. “I trust things went well?”

“Not as I hoped, but almost exactly as I expected.”

“That’s how it always goes. I’ve received word that the caretaker we picked up earlier, the man in place to take over from the man you just killed, is eager to agree to your terms.”

“Excellent.” I sigh deeply as soon as the late afternoon sun hits my skin. “If this works, if what we’ve done really works, we might be looking at more product that I’ll know what to do with.”

“Don’t tempt me to take you over,” Theresa laughs gently. “This is your chance. Take a look at what you have and own it. I’m looking forward to my thirty-two percent.”

“Mom?”

She’s exactly where I left her three hours ago when I left. Sitting in the conservatory with a pot of tea, her favorite books, and a good show on the television. When she hears me enter she lifts her head, but instead of looking at me, she glances outside and then returns to the television.

“Mom, I’m back.”

Nothing. Not a word.

I sit next to her with a heavy heart and then slowly take her hand in mine. She doesn’t respond to my touch at first, but after a few seconds, a smile spreads across her face. “Hi, sweetie.”

“Mom?”

“Have you seen this episode? The detectives are looking for a dog because it ate a piece of key evidence. You know, I always loved watching this show with your Dad, wherever he got to.”

Her words are like a knife to the heart. I lightly squeeze her hand and encourage her to look at me. “Mom…Dad passed away, remember? He isn’t with us anymore. We had his funeral, remember?” The doctor advised it was good to remind her of these things, but I’m not sure how much good it actually does. She always reacts the same.

“Oh,” she says distantly. “Yes.”

“I can take you to see the headstone if you like? It was put in a few days ago. If you want to see him?”

She shakes her head and glances back at the TV. “I don’t have time for that, silly. Not with your wedding coming up. So muchto do and so little time. After this episode though, I want to see them catch the dog.”

Trauma does terrible things to the mind. Killing my father seems to have been the final nail in my mother’s mental state. In some ways it’s a blessing. If she doesn’t remember what she did, then it can’t hurt her.

But I remember.

I lost my Dad, and somehow I’ve lost my Mom too.

And Roman. Thinking of the wedding adds another pain to my heart, and I close my eyes as the crumbling emotions I’ve been sitting on threaten to well up and overwhelm me. Not yet. I still have so much to do. I can’t lose control yet.

“Your father…” Mom’s hand tightens in mine. We look at each other and pain fills her eyes. This is the other side of the coin. When she does remember, there’s nothing but pain and distress. “You know I was trying to protect you, sweetheart, you know that right? I’ve kept you safe, haven’t I?”

Repeating this conversation taught me there’s only one good way to end it, so I smile and kiss her cheek. “Yes, Mom. You did. You saved me.”

“I saved you,” she says softly.

Suddenly something pings from under the cushion next to her. “What is that?”

“Nothing, honey.”

“Is that…what is that?” I ask as another ping sounds. It sounds like a phone, but I’ve kept all phones away from her just in case she decides to call and confess to the wrong person. “Mom, what is this?”

She starts to fight me as I dig into the cushions, but I’m faster than her and quickly snatch out the phone from underneath and stand.

“Jasmine!”

---