Page 62 of Another Love, Another Time

Both of our moms have been trying to reach out to both of us.

Auggie has told them neither one of us is ready to talk.

The last time I spoke to my mom was the morning she came over to ask me about breaking Melissa’s nose.

I’m still hurt by the conversation. I don’t care if she is ready to apologize; I’m not ready to hear it.

I’m brought out of my thoughts when I hear screeching. I look over to my right as Melissa is being brought out of the hospital. She looks like a wild woman. She’s handcuffed. Her hair is everywhere. Her nose is crooked and bruised. She has two faded black eyes, and she’s sporting her hospital gown.

Auggie is waiting on my left side. He hasn’t seen her since she was admitted. She tried calling, but he didn’t answer any of her calls. He said he doesn’t want anything to do with her, that she showed her true colors, and he doesn’t want her in his life.

Melissa finally notices us. She drops, trying to get out of the officers’ hold. They struggle to get her back on her feet.

She screams at me, “I hate you, you fucking bitch! He is mine. He has always been mine. Why couldn’t you have just left us alone?” She’s shrieking like a wounded animal.

Auggie grabs onto my pinkie. I know he’s worried about me, but I can take this. Hell, I expected this.

“Are you okay?” I ask him. “I know you used to be friends.”

“Are you kidding me? Not after everything she has done. This is exactly what she deserves. I’m just sorry that it has taken me this long to see through her. No. I’m good.”

“Good, because I have a feeling this isn’t over yet.” That’s the last thing I say as we watch them put her in the back of a police car.

~~

It wasn’t long before Melissa’s mug shot was on the police department’s Facebook page. I chuckled to myself. She looks rough. There were a ton of shares, so I figured it wouldn’t be too long before I heard from my mom.

When I get home from work today, I’m not surprised that she is waiting for me on my porch. I figure I should get this out of the way now that everything is out in the open. I get out of my vehicle and walk up to my porch.

“River, please talk to me,” she pleads.

I open my mouth to say something but stop when Auggie pulls his truck up behind my vehicle.

He jogs up to stand by my side. “Aunt Ashley,” he starts, “I thought I told you to wait until she came to you.” He seems a little miffed.

I’m surprised. He told me he spoke with our moms, but seeing proof warms my heart.

I know he’s trying to protect me, but I don’t need him to, not at this moment.

I grab his pinkie and squeeze. “It’s okay, Auggie, I got this. I think it’s long overdue.”

“Okay. I’ll be inside if you need me. I’ll start on dinner.” He releases my pinkie and walks into the house.

My mom looks at where Auggie just walked through the door and back at me. She wants to say something but doesn’t. She knows she doesn’t have the privilege to ask about us right now.

She asks, “Can you sit down and talk to me?”

I nod and sit down in the chair opposite her. I said everything I wanted the day she came over to talk about Melissa’s broken nose.

“I’m sorry, River. I know it may be a little too late, but I mean it.

My intentions came from a good place, but obviously, my intentions came with consequences for you.

I always knew she was jealous of you, of the relationship that you had with Auggie, but I just thought she would grow out of it. That….”

She shakes her head and continues, “I’m not here to make excuses.

I can’t take back the decisions I made. I just wanted you to know I know I failed you as your mother.

I should have protected you. I should have taken your side.

I should have allowed your relationship with Auggie to grow without any disruption from me or your Aunt Connie.

I should not have forced Melissa into your life, especially as you got older. ”

She pauses before going on. “Looking back, I don’t have an explanation that would help you understand. I just wanted…. Growing up, I was close to my cousins. Yes, we would fight, but we always forgave each other. I wanted that for you and Melissa.

“Also, I thought I was doing something good by showing her love and including her, but…. Well, you see how that worked out. Your father and I had several conversations about forcing Melissa into your life, even after knowing how much you all disliked one another. Your dad was always on your side.”

She’s quiet for a moment. “I have a feeling he knew who was behind your attack. He tried to imply it when talking to me one day, and I just,” she looks up at me, “didn’t want to believe it.

I know it was selfish and cowardly, but if I believed she was capable of doing something like that, then I didn’t do my job as your mother.

I—” she takes a deep breath, holding back tears, “I wasn’t ready to admit that to myself. ”

She meets my eyes. “I want to be a better mother to you. I hope that one day you can forgive me for not protecting you or being there when you needed me the most. Will you give me that chance?”

I’m surprised she hasn’t brought up Melissa’s arrest. “Aren’t you going to ask me about Melissa getting arrested?”

“No. After what she did to you, she has no room in my life, and I don’t even want to speak her name.

I should have done that a long time ago.

Like I said, I can’t change what I chose to do in the past. I can change what I do moving forward, and that is removing her from my life.

If my sister can’t get on board with that, then she will be out of my life too.

You’re more important than either one of them. ”

Hearing her put me first for the first time makes me start crying. It makes me miss my dad, and I feel like I have my mom back. She gets up and, without hesitating, wraps me in her arms.

I needed this. We have a lot to work on, but she’s my mom. I need her.

I wrap my arms around her, and she starts crying louder. “I’m sorry, River,” she manages. “I’m so, so sorry. I promise I’ll do whatever it takes to repair our relationship.”

We sit there, weeping in each other’s arms, until our tears dry up.

“Mom, I love you. Thank you for coming over here. It’s not going to happen overnight, but I do want you in my life. Just give me some time. Can we take it at my pace?”

“Yes, sweetie.” She wipes away the last of her tears as Auggie opens the door.

“Dinner’s ready if you’re hungry,” he announces. He looks at me as if to ask, “Should we invite her?” I give him a slight nod. He looks at my mom. “There’s plenty if you would like to say and eat.”

“I’d love to.”

Auggie opens the door to allow my mom to walk in. As I walk through, he pulls me into a hug, our foreheads pressed against each other. I squeeze him reassuringly.

Today has provided a lot of closure. I’m optimistic about the new chances I have with the people I care about, especially without Melissa’s shadow over us. We still have to get through her trial, but I can survive that with my family on my side.