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“I try.”

“Did you talk to Bianca today?”

“I did,” I answer. “They’re moving forward with pressing charges.”

“I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that trial.”

“Oh, I fully intend to be sitting in the back row for it.”

“Vindictive children,” Jackie tuts, humor in her tone. “The both of you.”

“Absolutely,” Ezra laughs.

“Less talking, more cooking,” I urge.

He shoots me a look over his shoulder, one I feel right down to my toes. He starts chopping things after, chatting with his mother about her day, and the ease of the moment, the absolute simplicity of sitting in this room with the pair of them and being surrounded by the love between them…it’s mesmerizing. It gives me a sense of clarity.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell them both, excusing myself.

Ezra’s brow furrows. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just need to make a call.”

They go back to chatting as I step out onto the balcony attached to Ezra’s living room, sinking down into the patio chair and pulling my phone out to make a much-needed phone call. It only rings twice before she answers, and her voice is a balm. It always has been, I realize.

“Dani?”

“Hey, Mom.”

“Hi, sweetheart. How was today? Good news?”

“It looks that way,” I tell her.

“Wonderful!” Her voice is brimming with pride. “So we’re still grabbing dinner this weekend? I expect to meet this man of yours. Can’t believe you kept him a secret for so long.”

“Technically, you met him.”

“And you didn’t say a thing! Can’t say I blame you for snatching him up though, such a handsome man, that Ezra.”

“Mom,” I groan.

“Sorry, sorry,” she laughs. “I’ll be good, I promise.”

“I highly doubt that.”

The silence stretches, and as always, my mother seems to have a better sense of my emotions than even I do.

“Are you okay, Dani? You seem down.”

“I…Mom, I…I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been…angry. At you…at Dad…I blamed you, I let myself believe that you stole my childhood from me by lying to me for so long, but I…I’ve realized lately that yougaveit to me. That you both sacrificed your own lives so that I could have one for myself. I’ve never thanked you for that.”

“Honey,” she says thickly. “You don’t owe us a thing. We love you. We did what we didbecausewe love you. It was never a hardship for us. We didn’t sacrifice a thing.”

“I just…” I have to choke down my emotions. “I’ve always felt like I stole part of your lives. That you could have found happiness so much sooner if it hadn’t been for me.”