Page 69

Fuck. Oh my god. Shit. I don’t know how to deal with this.
“Are you freaking out?”
“Yes. A lot.”
My birth mother was here. In this very hospital. After all these years of wondering, imagining what she might be like, she was just downstairs, close enough that I could walk down there and finally meet her face-to-face.
A million thoughts and emotions swirled through my mind. Excitement, fear, curiosity, dread - it was a tangled mess that left me feeling paralyzed and more than a bit sick. Part of me desperately wanted to run out and see this woman who had given me life. But another part, the part shaped by years of abandonment and rejection, screamed at me to stay put, to protect myself from more potential hurt.
Rhett came and sat beside me on the bed and took my hand in his. “Hey, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” he said softly. “This is your call. I made it clear to Laura that I wouldgive you the heads up first and if you weren’t okay with it, that was that. I wouldn’t have brought her here and forced her on you. She completely understands and will turn around and drive back to New Bern, if that’s what you want.”
I swallowed hard against the lump forming in my throat. As much as his thoughtless actions had upset me before, here was the Rhett that would go to the mat for me. Right here was the Rhett that I needed, more than anything.
“No, it’s...it’s okay,” I managed, my voice choked. “Thank you for handling it for me.” I drew in a shaky breath, trying to calm the storm raging inside me. “I want to meet her. I think... I think I need to.”
He studied me for a moment, those intense eyes of his seeming to bore straight through me. “Are you sure about this? With so much else going on, I don’t want to put you under even more stress.”
“I’m sure. Now that I know she’s here, I can’t not to do it, if that makes sense.”
He nodded once, squeezing my hand before letting go and rising from the bed. “Alright then. I’ll go get her and bring her up, if that’s what you want.”
“It is.”
“I’ll be right back.”
This was really happening. After over thirty years, I was finally going to meet the woman who brought me into this world, then gave me up. The woman whose very existence had been a mystery until recently. A million questions crowded my mind -why did she give me up? Did she ever think about me over the years? Did she regret her decision?
My leg bounced with nervous energy as I waited for Rhett to come back. It felt like hours had passed, eons even, but it was only minutes. When the door finally opened again, I held my breath, my heart climbing into my throat.
And then she was there - a medium height woman with dark brown hair and kind blue eyes. Those eyes widened as they landed on me, her hand flying to cover her mouth.
“Oh... oh god,” she breathed, the words muffled. She looked from me to Rhett and back again, clearly overwhelmed and maybe on the brink of tears.
I opened my mouth, but no words came out. What was I supposed to say in a situation like this?
Thankfully, Rhett took the lead, always my savior. “Laura, this is Scarlett,” he said gently. “Scarlett, this is your…this is Laura Parker.”
Laura. She looked like a Laura, which seemed like a super weird observation to make at a time like this. She took a tentative step towards the bed, her hand dropping from her mouth to reveal a trembling smile.
“It’s so wonderful to finally meet you.” Her voice was thick with emotion. “I’ve thought about this day for so long, but I never imagined...” she trailed off, shaking her head slightly.
I wanted to respond, to say something - anything - but my throat felt tight, like someone had tied a noose around it. All I could do was nod mutely, my gaze drinking in every detail of this stranger who was somehow intimately connected to me.
After a beat, Laura seemed to regain her composure a bit. “Do you mind?” She gestured towards the chair beside the bed.
“Oh! Y-yes, of course,” I managed to stammer out. My heart was pounding so hard I could feel it reverberating in my skull.
As Laura settled into the chair, Rhett cleared his throat. “I’ll give you two some privacy,” he murmured.
“No!” The word burst from my lips before I could stop it. Laura looked startled, but Rhett just raised an eyebrow at me. “Please... please stay,” I said, a little calmer this time.
He studied me for a moment, that unreadable expression on his face again. Then, with the faintest of nods, he moved to sit at the small dining table. I turned back to Laura, feeling small and exposed under her intense gaze. “I’m sorry, I just... I don’t know if I can do this alone right now.”
Understanding flickered in her eyes. “Of course. Whatever you need.” She dragged in a deep breath, folding her hands in her lap. Maybe to stop them shaking? I could relate. “I can’t imagine how overwhelming this must be for you.”
A brittle laugh escaped my lips. “You have no idea.”
We lapsed into silence again, the air thick with unspoken questions and decades of lost time stretching between us. Finally, Laura spoke up again, her voice soft but laced with unmistakable longing.