Page 155 of False Start

I looked to Kyle for guidance, and he swallowed, nodding, promising me with that one look that he’d explain what I’d missed later. Gently, he guided his mother over to where I stood.

“Mom, this is Raven Isabel.”

“Oh,” she said again, her hands shaking. “Oh, she’s beautiful.”

I offered a small smile. “Would you like to hold her?”

Mrs. Robbins’s eyes shot wide when they found mine. “Could I? Once I wash up, of course,” she said quickly, holding out her hands before she was wringing them together again. “Airplane travel and all.”

I nodded. “Absolutely. Nothing better for a baby than grandma cuddles.”

The look Lynette gave me then was one of disbelief, like she couldn’t believe I was treating her with such kindness after what she’d done to me, to Kyle, to both of us.

But if there was one thing I believed in now more than ever, it was forgiveness. It was compassion for people who were just trying to do what they thought was right, just trying to survive. I may never understand why she did what she did, but she was still the mother of the man I loved.

I would respect her always for that, if nothing else.

“Come inside,” I said, leading her toward the living room. “We just put on a movie. And I can make you some tea.”

“Iwill make tea,” Kyle said. “You go rest.”

I chuckled, leaning into his kiss when he pressed it against my cheek.

Lynette watched the whole interaction with tears in her eyes.

After she’d washed up and Kyle had taken her bag upstairs to a guest room, Lynette and I sat down on the couch next to one another. I gently handed Raven over to her, making sure her little head was supported as Lynette did her best not to cry once her granddaughter was safely in her arms.

She was quiet for a moment, staring down at our precious new addition to the family before she looked at me.

“You’ve always brought out the best in him,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I didn’t stand up for that, for you, when I should have.”

I swallowed, covering her hand with mine. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to tell her it was okay — because it wasn’t. But I nodded. I wanted her to know that she was welcome now, even if we still had a lot to work through.

Kyle brought us both a cup of tea, and then he sat down on the floor next to Sebastian, who had sprawled out in his favoriteLovesac. I laughed as they watched the movie together, both of them reciting the same parts that they knew by memory since this was my son’s favorite movie in the world.

And next to me, a woman I thought was out of our lives forever was coming back in, asking for forgiveness, willing to try to be better.

I didn’t need all the details right now. All I cared about was that my family was in this house — my parents, my future husband, my son and my daughter. And now, my future mother-in-law, who showed bravery just by coming here on her own. I knew without asking that that hadn’t been easy for her to do, that there likely had been a fight, that she’d made a choice — her son over her husband.

Whatever the future held for us, we were family.Allof us.

I found so much hope and comfort in that fact alone.

One Year Later

Kyle

“I can’t believe you managed to wait so long for this,” Mom said, messing with the lapels and tie on my suit even though I knew it looked perfect. My guess was she just needed something to do with her hands to keep from crying.

“That makes two of us,” I said. “But, then again, I guess it wasn’t fair of me to expect Madelyn to want to get into a wedding dress less than three months after giving birth.”

Mom chuckled. “The only thingIwas wearing three months after birth was compression leggings and you. You loved being wrapped up tight to my chest.”

She smiled with the memory, her eyes going misty the way they had often over the last year since she’d shown up on our doorstep.

I didn’t know if things would ever benormalbetween us — then again, I didn’t know what normal was when it came to my parents.

All I knew was that things werebetter.