Page 52 of The Grinch who Loved Me
EPILOGUE
RYLAND
TEN YEARS LATER
Aria was due home soon and Ryland had just gotten the girls off to Raegan’s for a sleepover.
Aria was pregnant again and was having a little boy this time.
It was the last time for them. They had two girls and now a boy and they loved it.
It was enough.
Aria was the best mom there was. She was so hands on and took the kids to work with her when she could and if she couldn’t he would have them with him.
His dad would stop working on cars to hold the baby or to play with the girls and he was such a softie now.
Ryland loved it. Rick had come out of his shell as much as he could have and Ryland appreciated the work his dad had put in and that he was going to see his doctor regularly and learning to cope with his head when it got to be too much.
He had come a long way and Ryland was glad he got to witness it all.
And his mom came back. She was only visiting the town when Aria stumbled into her.
She was holding Ryland’s hand and he pulled her carefully away from the woman and then went still.
“Ryland? Is that you?”
Ryland nodded and Aria looked up at him and then back at his mom, “What are you doing here?”
She shifted on her feet, “I don’t know. I never thought I would come back, even though I told you I might someday. I know I was an idiot for leaving and hurt you and your father badly. I am sorry Ryland. For doing that to you. To your father. I never meant to do that. I just was so depressed I needed a change or I was going to hurt myself and I didn’t want that to happen. So I left. I went to a hospital for a while and got my head on straight and then I traveled. I saw what I needed to see, but I missed you. I missed your father and I knew I messed it up. That he might not ever forgive me. So, I tried to stay away, but I wanted to see you one last time. To see you grown up. But I didn’t expect to run into you. Or your, woman.”
Ryland felt Aria squeeze his hand and he sighed, “I am sorry too. For not fighting for you. For not seeing you needed help. You went through a lot alone and dad knows he fucked it up. Knows he should have tried harder. But he didn’t know how and he has also worked on himself. I am glad you came back. If you want, I would love for you to meet our girls? They should know their grandma.”
Aria nodded and his mom sucked in a breath, “I’m a grandma? Really?”
Ryland nodded, “Mom, this is my wife, Aria. We have two little girls, Eira and Kari. They are so beautiful.”
His mom burst into tears and Aria gathered her close while Ryland rubbed his mom’s back.
“Thank you Ryland. For giving me another chance when I didn’t deserve it.”
“You do mom. You didn’t leave because you hated us. You left because you had issues like we all have. But you came back. Come on.”
They took her home and Rick was there babysitting and when he saw who it was, he stood, looking unsure.
Ryland introduced the girls to his mom and then Aria took them over to Raegan’s so that they could all talk.
Tillie apologized for leaving and told them all about her depression and how hard she struggled, but didn’t let on and how she wanted to stay more than she wanted anything but knowing that she could hurt herself if she did.
Rick cried and fell to his knees, apologizing for not being a better husband. For failing to see the struggles his wife was having right in front of his face.
And Tillie shook her head and the two talked for three hours. About all of the things they had accomplished.
And all they had overcome to get to where they were. And they each forgave the other.
Rick knew that Tillie had never asked for a divorce and he told her that he would never let her go and that he would try hard to show her the world and let her have her dreams come true.
Tillie told him she was content to just be in the small town now that they had their grandbabies to take care of and she wanted to be there to see them grow. She told him she missed enough of their lives and of Ryland and Aria’s that she wanted to stay. For a long time.
