Page 63 of Free to Live
My heart hurts for them, but I lost Mary too. I’ve been over and over and over it. And I did exactly one thing wrong.
Love her.
And that gave me Grace.
“Eden. Seth,” I say politely. I don’t know what direction this conversation is going to take, but if it’s an opportunity to bring them back into Grace’s life, I’ll take it. During one of our phone calls, Holly offered to make up photos like the ones she gave to my mother for Mary’s parents. When I explained they weren’t in Grace’s life at the moment, her only comment was “That’s tragically sad.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Our collective loss of Mary is just that: tragic. Her life ended too soon with too many people who loved her that are still mourning her loss. Although I will always love her, the pain of every day is edging away. Time will never take away our love; it’s just dulling the edges of the legacy of its ending. I’m finding it easier to remember and share with Grace the laughter and joy. All because someone taught me how to do those things again.
Because she was brave enough to be my friend.
But as for Eden and Seth, I can’t fathom what they’ve been through. The very idea of losing a child—especially now that I have one—is incomprehensible. I want Grace to know them, but not at the cost of polluting her joyous innocence with pain she can’t shoulder.
“Where is she?” Eden venomously throws out. Seth steps behind his wife, crossing his arms.
I’m so taken aback, I physically move. In the process, I knock over my mug of coffee. “Who?”
“Your new girlfriend. It’s the talk all over town that you’re dating some woman. We hear she’s even been to the house you bought for our daughter. What are you going to do next? Move her in?” Eden cries piteously. Seth doesn’t say anything. Instead, he just continues to glare at me.
Before I can open my mouth, a voice comes from behind me. “This ends right here. Right now.” Matt, the owner of The Coffee Shop, ambles forward. “First, I won’t stand for my patrons to be harassed.”
Seth opens his mouth, not to stop his wife’s antics but to enable them. “Then come outside…”
“Stop. Just stop. Do you hear yourselves?” Matt goes on before I have a chance to escort Mary’s parents out of the front door. “Mr. and Mrs. Moss, is this honoring your daughter’s memory any?”
“It’s honoring it better than the way the father of her child is,” Eden snaps. “She’s barely gone, and he’s dating some…”
“Don’t,” I bite out. “You don’t know anything about what is going on. Once again, you’re being judgmental based on your own overinflated, self-righteous…”
“I know if it wasn’t for you our daughter would still be alive!” Seth thunders.
A quiet settles over the restaurant. Matt moves from around the counter to stand next to me. “Tell me how that is, Seth. Did I force her to go shopping that day? No. I asked her not to. Did I ask her to buy new clothes? No. Tell me what it was I did?” I scream the last in the face of the man who would have been my father-in-law.
“You got her pregnant! She would have never stayed with you! You…”
I hold up my hand to stop his tirade. “And that?” I say thinly. “That right there is why you will never see your granddaughter until you can get past these emotions. Because the only living piece of your daughter will not be tainted by your pain.”
“Just wait till you see what we do to your girlfriend,” Eden hisses. “I hear she has a business in town. By the time she’s done, she’ll barely be able to get any work.”
They wouldn’t do that to people they don’t know. But the smug smirks on their faces tells me they not only would but that they likely have already started. I open my mouth to respond, but Matt beats me to it.
“Mr. and Mrs. Moss, I reserve the right to refuse service. At this time, I’d like for you to leave the premises.”
“Excuse me?” Seth says haughtily.
“I don’t think I need to make myself clearer. If I do, I’ll be contacting the CPD.” Matt crosses one arm over the other.
“We’ll see how long you stay in business as well,” Eden declares.
Matt just laughs. “The door is directly behind you.”
Without another word, Seth takes hold of Eden’s arm and escorts her out. The only sound is the ringing of the bells. My mind can’t wrap itself around what just happened.
“Joe.” My head whips toward Matt. “Don’t let them get to you. Nothing will come of what they said. The Freemans are too well respected in this town. Talk to Holly.” Matt ambles off behind the counter.
Talk to Holly? If I do, I could ruin her, I think wildly.
