Page 109 of We Are Yours

There was so much I wanted to say.

So much I wanted to do.

Except I didn’t do any of those things.

She set a plate of eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and toast on the dining table, patting the chair beside her for me to sit. This was like an episode of Black Mirror where we stepped into an alternate timeline. I was officially in another dimension that included their mother and her breakfast. A meal that looked good, as if she’d been making breakfast every morning.

My stomach rumbled. With one foot in front of the other, I stepped into her space, taking the seat she was gesturing for me.

Slowly, I sat down until I uttered, “With all due respect, Melody, what are you doing here?”

She beamed, her eyes shining bright at me. “Protective of my boys, I see… I like that.” She smiled bigger. “To answer your question, though, I’m here for Kraven.”

My eyebrows pinched together. “How do you know? Who told you?”

She shrugged nonchalantly. “That doesn’t matter. All that matters is I’m here now.”

I spoke the truth. “It’s going to matter to them. I promise you that.”

She wavered, grabbing my hand. “You let me worry about them.”

“Are you?—”

“Kraven has always been my quiet boy. Do you know that?”

“He’s mentioned something about it.”

She proudly professed, “My lone wolf. Even when he was just a little guy, he was a boy of few words. But when he did speak, his words carried strong meaning behind them. You know what I mean?”

I nodded. He was still like that.

“He’s so damn smart, too. He could have done anything with his life, and I hate that he’s chosen… well, you know… I can’t blame him.” She bowed her head. It was obvious the shame was eating her alive. “I don’t have to tell you how much he loves to argue. The boy thinks he’s never wrong.” She laughed to herself. “It’s one of my biggest regrets, you know? Julius had to drop out of school for him, but I’m better now…” She glanced up at me with a sincere expression. “I can be here for both of them. First, we need to go get my boy from the detention center, and then everything will be great again.”

I didn’t know what shocked me more—the fact that she was actually there or that she knew about Julius, too.

What else does she know? Has she been keeping tabs on them? With whom? Roland?

My mind spun faster with every word that flew out of her mouth. She seemed to be all over the place, and I silently prayed she wasn’t high. Although she didn’t smell like booze, her eyes weren’t glossy or red, and her pupils weren’t dilated. There were no obvious signs of drugs.

The longer I sat there, listening to her share so openly, the further I sank into my seat with worry. This was more than I ever thought she’d share with me. I didn’t even think I’d ever meet her. I wasn’t expecting her to come back into their lives, not after everything I’d learned last night.

One thing was for sure: it took a lot of strength and courage to do what she was doing, or at least trying to. I had a good idea how Julius would react based on his confessions, but with Kraven, I had no clue.

I took in everything she was saying, wanting to soak up as much information as I could when it came to her headspace, hoping that maybe I’d be able to help. Assuming neither would want to hear her out, I could be there, standing my ground, or a mediator.

They would probably want me to butt out of it, but how could I…?

Especially when the love in her eyes for them was very much alive and beating all around us, as she added, “I tried to do the best I could with raising them right when all they saw was wrong. As they got older, it became more apparent that the best I could do for them was leave. I didn’t think Joe would… I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m finally here to be their mom again.”

“I thin?—”

“But I did do something right! Just look at how amazing Julius is. He’s always been my golden boy…”

“They’re both good at heart, Melody.”

“Thank you. It’s nice to hear that.” She peered down at her lap, her demeanor quickly changing. “I’ve made some really bad choices. The boys were the ones who suffered the most because of me, and I failed them both. It took a very long time to accept that and move on. But now I’m here. My boys need me, and this is where I belong. It’s where I’ve always belonged.” She stood. “Anyway, this isn’t about me. I want to know about you!”

I nodded, allowing her to change the subject. She already told me so much. I didn’t want to cause her any more pain than what she visibly carried, and I knew the hurricane that awaited once Julius woke up.