Memory Lane

Chapter 26. Revealed

Tara

The clubhouse was packed beyond capacity with anyone associated. Jax had taken the hit on Wendy's house to such an extreme. We were practically stacked on top of each other from how full it was. My stomach was in knots from looking out for Viviane. She told me she'd be here in the afternoon, and I honestly didn't know how the estranged mother would be perceived. Desiree was totally oblivious as she spent her time making the guests comfortable with Gemma.

Watching her was so interesting because her actions were innate and she knew exactly what her duties were. She didn't need to be told or asked to do something because she just did it. She was even able to get Gemma to sit down and drink a cup of coffee. This was surprising because I'd always assumed that Gemma would only listen to someone when her lips were blown off her face. Gemma didn't take orders well even if those orders were placed in order to protect her.

She had a bond with Gemma that I didn't have, or that I had lost along the way. They understood each other to the point of not having to use any words. Which raised the question of how bad was Desiree's mother that she ran to Gemma for comfort? I was starting to think that I had made some kind of mistake by inviting Viviane over here.

But before I could pick up the phone and fix my mistake, a silver sports car pulled up in front of the club. Everyone stopped and stared as Viviane stepped out of the passenger seat looking rather expensive. She just oozed rich, step ford wife while who I assumed to be her husband was dressed in designer. They both looked equally disgusted as they inspected the clubhouse. I refrained from going outside to greet them based on how many lips curled at the sight of them.

"Hell must be frozen," Gemma said loudly causing Desiree to notice her parents. Desiree seemed shocked to see her parents at first, but once Viviane and her husband walked through the door, her shock turned to annoyance.

The room was quiet as Desiree and her mother stared each other down. Viviane shifted uncomfortably as she played with the tennis bracelet on her wrist. "Well, aren't you going to greet your mother?" Viviane said with a shy smile. She embraced Desiree in an awkward, one-sided hug and placed a kiss on her cheek. Desiree looked disgusted to have Viviane in her presence and didn't hide her feelings as she took a few steps back from her. "What are you doing here?" she said coolly.

Viviane started to laugh and looked back at her husband, "can you believe this? Is that any way to speak to your mother young lady?"

Her husband seemed less than amused, "c'mon Vivy, let's make this quick." Desiree laughed mischievously as she sent daggers at the man, "oh what's wrong Phil, late for your date with another teenager."

My mouth fell slightly open as Phil muttered something under his breath. Viviane scolded Desiree as she turned around to whisper sweet nothings to Phil to keep him calm. "Desiree don't be so crass, have some respect! Phil and I are willing to put everything you did behind us, and you are welcome to come live with us at our vacation home."

Desiree scoffed, "I am not going anywhere with you, I don't need your pity." Desiree turned her back on Viviane and made her way to leave. "You were always like your father! Never wanted any help, never knew what was good for him!"

Desiree just about snapped her neck as she turned around. She charged for Viviane until they were inches apart from each other. "Do not speak about my father, he had morals and dignity, something you've always lacked. You could never amount to the person that he was."

Viviane rolled her eyes, "there you go putting him on a pedestal. Your father was nothing more than a broke man with dreams, he never did anything, never was nothing, and died being nothing."

"Oh, so you're something I'd bet. What do they call your kind nowadays? A gold digger, an absentee mother, a bi-" A cold slap landed on Desiree's cheek as Viviane hit her mid-sentence. Desiree's head snapped to the side due to the impact of the slap. Viviane was breathing hard, "I don't need this, the only reason I came here was because I was called! Do you think I came here to be ridiculed and disrespected? I am your mother! Not whatever these people have told you!"

"You are not my mother! Mothers protect and love their children. They don't put them in harm's way, they don't wish death upon their grandchildren, and they certainly don't call their daughters' liars to protect their gross husbands."

"Phil never touched you!" Viviane yelled back. Desiree was seeing red as she grabbed a beer bottle off the bar table and smashed it, holding it up to Viviane's neck. She cornered Viviane as the older woman shook with fear from having the sharp object in her face. I noticed that Phil was about to react but the guys had circled around him, daring him to make a move that he'd regret.

"You never believed me, you were there, you saw him, but you called me a liar," Desiree shook with every word as her eyes became glossy with tears. "You never loved me and it killed you to see me love anyone more than you."

"I was your mother, not her!" Viviane yelled pointing at Gemma.

"She was there for me more than you ever were. You left me and dad when you found out he was dying, it was too much for you to be a wife for once. I prayed every day for you to come back because somehow I had convinced myself that it was my fault that you left. That I wasn't good enough, perfect enough for you and for your expectations!"

"Des," Viviane said trying to console her daughter, "we all make mistakes."

"Shut up!" Desiree pushed the bottle closer to her mother's face, "a mistake isn't leaving your daughter at sixteen to take care of her dying dad. A mistake isn't allowing your husband to get away with assaulting her and turning your back. A mistake isn't looking at your pregnant daughter and telling her that you hope her baby dies. You are an awful person, and I want nothing more than to slice your neck with this bottle in my hand!" Viviane clamped her eyes shut as the words left Desiree's lips. The bottle was dangerously close and we all watched in anticipation to see if Desiree would go through with her words, but thankfully, the bottle slipped out of her hand and fell on the floor. "Get out."

Viviane scrambled away from Desiree as she grabbed her husband to make a clean exit. Desiree's hands were shaking as she knelt down to pick up the broken glass on the floor. Gemma shoved past me to get to the weeping woman on the floor. She embraced her in a tight hug as Desiree tried to compose herself.

I struggled with what to say or what to do because If anyone found out that it was me who called, I didn't know how Jax would react. He looked so pained to hear about what Desiree's mother had said about their unborn child, I doubt he'd see my reasoning for reaching out to Viviane. I made the conscious decision right then and there to keep my mouth shut and deal quietly with my obvious mistake.

Jax walked over to Desiree and extended a hand out to her. She gladly took it as he helped her up from the floor. He had tears in his eyes as he examined the memorial tattoo that Desiree sported on her forearm. He finally reached out to hug her as he enveloped her in his large arms. His hand was on the back of her head as the other one held her body close to him. It was such a protective display of affection; as if he was devoting his body to her as her own personal shield. It was how he held Abel, how he held Thomas, and how he used to hold me.