Page 53 of Receiving His Mercy
Dementia was a cruel, horrible disease and she was right. It would be hard to prove that she knew what she was doing, even with her history of abuse . . .
“You went to visit her? How long has she been in the unit?”
“Um, let me think. I guess six months. Her lawyer tracked me down to inform me. And he let me know that my father had died three years ago.”
“She didn’t tell you that your father had died?” he asked.
“No. But then she didn’t know where I was or how to contact me. At that stage my grandmother was gone and I’d sold her home in England.”
“You said you lived with your grandmother after you left your parents. But did she know about how your parents treated you?”
“Yes. I never even knew her until she rang on the house phone one day and I answered. I had just turned fifteen. We were both shocked to learn that the other person existed. Apparently, no one ever told her about me and she’d beenestranged from my father for years. I don’t even know why she called that day. Anyway, we started secretly talking after that. And she told me that she was coming to visit but that it would be a surprise for my parents.”
She smiled slightly. “I remember the day she turned up. I hadn’t told them, because I didn’t want them to stop her from coming. My mother was fuming but trying to pretend that she wasn’t. My father just seemed confused. They were on their best behavior around her. God, having her there . . . it was like the sun coming out after years of gray skies you know? I dreaded her leaving.”
“But she took you with her.”
“She had left that day to go to the city to meet friends. My mother snapped over something, I can’t remember what it was. She started in on me, ranting and raving. Grammy had returned for some reason. Jeez, you should have seen her. She came into the room like an avenging angel. And she laid into my mother. I had never seen someone talk to my mother like that. It was magical.” She sighed happily.
Thank God she’d had someone on her side. It was all he could do not to get up and punch something. The anger was building up inside him until it was tightly coiled, ready to spring free.
“After that episode, my grandmother started asking me about how my life was when she wasn’t around and if my mother often talked to me like that. I just started to sob and it all came out. I could tell she was horrified, but she remained calm and just asked me if I would like to come and live with her in England. I said I would love to, the only person I would miss was Lacey. What I never expected was for my parents to refuse. Well, my mother, anyway. My father seemed indifferent. Grammy was his mother but he barely even acknowledged that she was there. While they were arguing I slipped out of the house and ran to Lacey’s. I remember you guys were all there, having fun. Thatshe’d invited me over. I wanted to tell her what was going on. But I knew I’d have to explain about my life and . . . I just didn’t want to say goodbye. I should have said something, however I didn’t realize I would be leaving that day. When I got back, Grammy had her bags packed. She said we were leaving in twenty minutes and to take what I could. I didn’t even see my parents before I left.”
“What did she do?”
“I think she threatened them. Maybe she was going to ruin their reputations, after all that’s what they cared about most. Well, my mother. My father cared only about his research.”
“Thank God she did that.”
He still wished he’d known about what was happening to her when she was a child.
“Like I said, I sent Lacey a letter. And I tried to call, too. But her father answered and he said he’d tell her I called. But he never did. Of course, I didn’t know that. I thought . . . I thought that maybe she’d figured out that she was better without me in her life.”
God. His uncle.
Such a fucking prize.
“Grammy saw how upset I was that she didn’t call or write back, so she told me that she thought it would be best to cut all contact. I wish I’d tried again.”
“My uncle probably wouldn’t have given her the message.”
“Yes, probably. Years later, I saw an article about Lacey and that asshole who stalked her and I decided to track her down. I didn’t think she’d want anything to do with me. But I told her everything and the next day she called me. Then, when I had to come back to the states for a while I couldn’t think of anywhere I’d rather be than near Lacey. I just turned up on her doorstep one day without warning and she took me in like we’d never been apart.”
She’d had to come back to the states? Because of her mother? But why only move to New York now?
“And you moved to New York because of your mother?”
“That was one reason, I guess. Not a big one. I have a few things going on and thought I’d make my base here for a few months before I move on.”
She really was only here for a few months? He didn’t like that thought.
But you have no reason to ask her to stay.
That would be ridiculous. Even for him.
“What happened when you went to visit her?” he asked, needing to know about the bruise on her forehead. “And can I see your arm?”
She raised her eyebrows. “You’re asking? Are you feeling all right?”
