“Tillie,” Delaney greets her.
“Is that any way to greet your mother?”
“Stepmother,” Delaney corrects, and lets that hang in the air between them.
“What did you do?” She turns and glares at me.
“It was Dad. He left me this.” She holds up the letter. “I get it now. The reason you wanted to control me. I understand that you hated this town and this house. But Kent, he did nothing to you. You kept my daughter from her father for your own selfish reasons. You robbed the three of us of so many years.”
“Oh, and I suppose your father is innocent in all of this? And him”—she points at me—“his mother and her,” she spits, “were close. I knew they would tell you.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong, Tillie. Georgia recognized me right away, but she never said a word. She never let on, not once. Not until I read the letter from Dad, and she found out he had told me the truth. I understand he cheated on you. I can respect the fact that you were hurt and angry. I’m grateful you stepped in as my mother under those circumstances.”
I watch Tillie closely and see the cracks in her armor. Her shoulders deflate just a little and the scowl on her face is less prominent.
“Thank you for raising me. Sure, you were a little controlling.”
I hide my grin, pretending to cover a cough at my girl’s dig.
“But you were good to me. That is until you weren’t. I can’t remember the days when Kent and I were dating. Not really. I’m having more and more flashbacks, but the truth still remains the same. You lied to me. You kept me from him, and him from us. You sabotaged my family.”
“I was your family!” Tillie yells. “Me. I raised you. I loved you. He was going to take you away from me.”
“No, Tillie. He wasn’t. That never would have happened. You were selfish. You didn’t want to have the memories thrown in your face, so you lied. You manipulated me. You took advantage of the fact that I lost my memory. You made me think he was a bad man when he’s anything but. His friends, his family, they’re all incredible people who enrich our lives. Kendrix and I have had their love and support from day one.”
“He’s feeding you lies.”
“No. My father… that’s who you’re upset with. I understand that too, but you chose to stay. You chose to raise me as your own. You chose to lie to me. Those choices, they were all yours. You ruined our relationship. Not Kent and not my father. That was all on you.”
“So, what? That’s it? I’m no longer your mother? I’m not welcome in your life? What about K—my granddaughter?”
“See.” Delaney points at her. “You still can’t even say her name. A name that is so much like her father’s. Even not knowing him, I named our baby after him. That’s love, Tillie. Deep-rooted, forever-in-your-soul love.”
My need to touch her outweighs anything else. I move in closer, where we’re both standing with our backs leaning against the kitchen counter, and slide my arm around her waist. “I love you,” I whisper, my lips next to her ear.
“I love you too.” Her voice is loud and clear. No hesitation.
“You’re all I have,” Tillie says, her voice cracking.
Finally, her stone-cold façade is slipping. Delaney leans into me, and I stand strong, offering her support.
“You should have thought about that sooner. I’m staying here, Tillie. I’m keeping the house. Kent and I are going to live here, with our daughter.”
“What does that mean?”
“That means that I’m not coming home to California. I would appreciate it if you would ship our things, but if not, I’ll make the trip and do it myself.”
“I’ll never see you.”
“You know where I live.”
“I hate this town.”
Delaney shrugs. “I don’t know what to tell you. I can’t just forgive and forget what you did to us. I’m not saying never, but I am saying not right now. If you want to see your granddaughter, because through it all, to her you’re her grandmother, you’re going to have to come here. I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone with her.”
“I never meant to hurt you, Delaney. I was scared of losing you, and I needed you to listen.”
“So you yank on my hair, causing me to slip on the ice and be knocked unconscious? You know I can press charges against you, right? That what you did was assault?”
Her eyes well with tears. “Yes, and I’m so terribly sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”
“What exactly are you sorry for?” Delaney asks, her hands resting on her hips.
“All of it,” she whispers.
“We have plenty of space. You’re welcome to stay with us,” I speak up. Even through everything, she’s still the only mother and until recently grandmother my girls had in their life. I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy, and I hope one day we can all be on better terms.