Paper Hearts | ✓ | [ e d i t i n g ]

Chapter twenty-two - Forgive someone who's caused you a lot of pain

Theo flipped through the magazines, eyebrows laced together as he flipped through the pages. 

My mother walked up, " Lemonade guys?"

Theo smiled, " yes please." So did I, " of course." 

She returned the grin and trotted down the stairs to get us each a glass of lemonade. My mother was more than okay with Theo and I dating; she shipped us about as hard as she shipped Rose and Jack from the Titanic. Looking over at him, I said, " I think I know who I'm going to forgive?"

" You've put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?" He teased, meeting my gaze.

I rolled my eyes, flipping the page of my magazine, " yes, actually. I wasn't sure who to forgive. I didn't even think I had someone to forgive. But I do." 

" yeah, and who's that?" He asked, cutting out spoon. 

" my uncle ernie." 

Theo paused, mid cut, and asked, " why?"

I closed the magazine and set it off to the side, taking the spoon from Theo and setting in on the paper off to the left of the carousel horse, " because letter guy is right; I can't keep pinning all of my grief on him. I'm the one who controls me, not him. So it's no use holding a grudge." 

" You're pretty much spot on there." He replied. 

" what about you?"

" Do I have to forgive someone?"

I shrugged, " I guess not. But I don't really want to be alone in this."

He sighed softly, " i'll forgive my birth parents."

" really?"

A nod, " yeah. I mean, they really didn't get the chance. It's not there fault I'm fucked up. They weren't even here to try."

I smiled, and patted his knee, " I'm proud of you." 

He offered a darling faux grin, " thanks dear." 

" anytime sweetie." I said, fluttering my eyelashes and pressing the tips of my index fingers against my cheeks. 

He did his sort of laugh thing and went back to flipping through the magazine pages. My mother came back up with our lemonade, handing us each a glass before saying, " I'm off to work. Text me if you're gonna be out late."

I nodded, " will do."

Kissing me and Theo both on the forehead, she trotted back downstairs. Theo raised a brow, and I shrugged, " she loves ya."

" there's a first." 

I punched  him in the arm lightly, and a faint smile touched his lips. We finished a portion of our Happiness Carousel Horse collage and got ready to go our seperate ways. Theo had to go home for supper, apparently. Either they found out he was the china thief or they finally decided to tell him where his parents were after putting it off for so long.

" You should find out tonight, so we can go tomorrow." I said, hugging him around the waist and resting my chin on his chest, 

He looked down at me, his eyelashing casting shadows in his irises, " I'll try." 

Gently, we kissed, then walked downstairs where my mother hugged him goodbye. After he had left our driveway, she said, " I like that boy, Mari. I like him a lot."

" Me too mom."

" He sure spends a lot of time over here. Maybe you guys should go to his house one of these times." She replied, wiping her hands on a towel.