As The Mill Grinds

CLOSURE CHAPTER 18

What do you mean let's bury this? For years mom lied to us! Why are you trying to deny that?" Zack dragged his hands down his face unable to find an convincing enough reason for his dad to support him.

"I am not trying to deny anything Zack, it's just_"

" just what dad? Weren't you trying to expose the truth also? I mean I thought we were in this together. Why are you changing your mind now? "

Thomas was caught between 'a rock and a hard place'. He knew his wife  cohersed this whole lie of having Zack in Barbados and finally coming to work on their marriage. He wanted to see her reasoning behind all her decisions, even though in his mind everything screamed it was wrong, he loved his wife and wanted nothing but the best for his family.

"Zack listen to me. There is so much that you don't understand about your mother. She might have gone about things the wrong way but she really loves you."

"But she's not my mother!" Zack was beyond reasoning. "Which mother in their right mind would do something like this. She stole me from my mother, my real mother! Now you are here begging me to roll over and pretend that none of this ever happened? Is that what you want me to do dad?! or should I be calling you Thomas because I met my dad and he had no idea that he still had a son." Zack didn't realize it, but he was standing arguing his point as tears flooded down his face.

"Zack please." Thomas urged but there was no use. He watched as the only son he knew and love broke down in more ways than one. He felt helpless. He searched for a solution but none came. Thomas reached out to touch Zack on the shoulder only to be jerked off by Zack's sudden movement as thought burnt but something extremely hot.

Thomas shoved his hands in his pockets and watched him hopelessly.  He turned around and to his surprise was Nancy. She stood in the doorway tears ruining her make up as it gathered in murky pool in the caves of her collar bone. She looked haggard and unkept. Where was the once elegant Mrs. Wellington now?

She moved closer but stopped immediately when Zack gave her his best death defying stare. He disregarded her as his mother and saw her as only the intrusive woman that ruined his chance of growing up with his family.

"I did what I thought was best for-" She began despite his glares.

"For who mom? You tricked a young vulnerable girl into giving up her baby."

"She gave you up on her own!" Nancy snapped back. "I had to save you."

Zack snorted sarcastically. "Really now mom. Do you really believe you are the savior in all this?"

"Hate me all you want, but I am your mother. I have invested in you my flesh and blood and I did it because I loved you as though I gave birth to you myself." Nancy took hold of the silence as an opportunity to convince him. "Who was there when you were sick and needed comforting? I was. Who was there to make sure you had the best upbringing? I was. And when you suffered a broken leg who was there? Me! I am more than just the name mother I am your mother and I always will be." By the end of her speech she was standing in front of Zack eye to eye.

"But you are not his mother I am." 

Nancy spun around with her eyes wide open. She never imagine that she would come face to face with Nadine ever in her life again. "YOU!!" Anger enraged her and she charged towards Nadine with a hand raise in efforts to slap Nadine with all her might. But she was suddenly held back by the wrist with her hand stuck mid air.

She flung her head around all railed up and shouted, "LET GO OF ME!" 

Zack released her hand and stepped in the middle of the two women. "I won't ever let you touch her." He said, tensing his jaw muscles.