Page 33 of This Is Love (The Light to My Darkness 3)

“You haven’t been acting like it,” he mumbled.

She sighed and turned back to me. “I’ve apologized to you and your brother. And your wife, James. I don’t know what else you want from me. Anyone who marries into wealth understands common associations with doing such a thing. Where do you think the term gold digger came from?”

“We’re leaving,” I said.

Penny grabbed my arm. “No, it’s okay. Honestly, she’s right. Not about the hussy thing, obviously. And I don’t love that insinuation. But it’s hard marrying someone who has so much. I’ve certainly felt like I didn’t belong more times than I can count. And she wasn’t calling me a gold digger. She was simply using it as an example. Right, Mrs. Hunter?”

My mother smiled. “See. She understands my apology.”

“I understand where you’re coming from. But technically you haven’t uttered the words ‘I’m sorry.’ And I for one would really appreciate hearing them.”

Her words made me stand up a little taller. Sometimes I forgot that Penny didn’t always need my protection. She could fend for herself. She was strong and brave. I was in awe of her.

Rob clapped our mom on the back as he walked over to Penny. He folded his arms across his chest as he stood beside us. Three against one. A united front. I was glad he was here. I’d never be able to accept my mother’s apology until she apologized to him too. This was about all of us. Not just me and Penny.

“For heaven’s sake. I’m sorry, Rob. I’m sorry, James. I’m sorry, Penny. Truly. I am.” She sounded sincere.

I looked down at Penny. This was up to her. She was the most important person in my life. It was crucial that she and my mom both knew it.

She smiled up to me, definitely less nervous than before. “If your sons forgive you, I forgive you,” she said and glanced at Rob too.

Rob winked at her. "Sure,” he said. “But I’m still calling you Susan until Daphne agrees that you can be part of our lives too. It’s not just about me anymore. I have a whole family that you haven’t wanted to be a part of.”

Our mother sighed. “Fine. Don’t call me mom. But maybe my grandkids can call me grandma?” She looked at all of us hopefully.

I wrapped my arm around Penny’s back. She nodded up at me with a smile on her face. For a few days, I thought my family was falling apart. Now we were more whole than ever. I looked back at my mother. “Okay, Grandma. Ready to meet them?”

Chapter 9

Monday - Penny

I had memories of James being closed off. Hard to read. Moody. But he wasn’t like those memories. His heart was so big. He'd forgiven his mother. And I know I had said the same words, but I was still watching her suspiciously. She could say all the rude things or nice things in the world to me. But all that mattered to me was how she treated my husband. And Rob. Rob was one of my best friends. I wanted to protect him just as much as I wanted to protect James from pain. Maybe it was the momma bear in me.

I bit the inside of my lip. I hoped I really was a good mother. I hoped that this time when I saw my son I remembered him, instead of just meeting him for the first time. I’d know him now, right? I’d remember?

The elevator dinged open. I don’t know what James had to do to get all of us up here. But any amount of money would be worth this moment. I stopped outside the NICU window and stared inside. I knew I had technically already met him once. But that wasn’t me. That person was a ghost, a shell of who I really was. She hadn’t known James. She wasn’t whole. A shadow of what could have been if I hadn’t run into James in that coffee shop so many years ago.

My train of thought halted when my eyes landed on my son. It felt like my heart ripped in half. I rushed to the door and pulled it open.

“Mrs. Hunter…”

I pressed my hand against the glass that was surrounding Liam. “I need to hold him.”

“He’s sleeping, Mrs. Hunter. I think…”

“Please let me hold him.” My voice cracked. God, he was so small.

“Penny, he’s getting stronger every day,” James said.

I barely even heard him. I felt his hand on my shoulder, but I didn’t really feel it. All I could feel was this shadow cross my soul.

“Please.” I blinked back my tears. “I need to hold him.” I need to say hello before I miss the chance. “Please.”

“Alright, one second.” The nurse stopped protesting and started maneuvering all the tubes attached to Liam.

As soon as he was in my arms, my tears started flowing freely. He felt like home in my arms. Like a piece of my soul was staring back at me. “Hey, baby boy.”

His eyes stayed closed. I knew he was sleeping. I knew that, but for some reason, his closed eyes overwhelmed me. Open your eyes. Open your eyes for me, Liam. It was like I could feel him slipping away from me. I watched as my tears fell, staining his cheeks. And he still didn’t move. He was so still and it terrified me. Open your eyes. Please.

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