What I Should Have Said

30

Elizabeth double-checked the address on her GPS and the house she was parked in front of. She got out of her car and stood at the end of the driveway of the home. It was a quaint home surrounded by trees that kept it protected and provided some sense of security from the outside world. It had a wrap-around porch decorated with plants and rustic furniture, along with bushes of Lady's Mantle that wrapped around the porch. She took a deep breath and made her way toward the house.

She stopped halfway and hesitated. She wondered if this was all a mistake. She glanced back at her car and contemplated her choices. She could follow through and knock on the door or she could get back in her car and pretend this never happened and go back home. She took a deep breath and slowly approached the porch. Her heart was racing as she approached closer to the home. She stared down at the porch steps and hesitated to take the first step.

The front door opened and a woman cautiously stepped out. She removed her reading glasses and placed them on top of her head, "Can I help you?" She politely asked. Elizabeth looked up at the woman in front of her. She had beautiful caramel-colored skin that complemented her cream-colored cardigan and tight black curls. Elizabeth was captivated by her beauty and stared in silence, unable to form a sentence.

"Who is it?" Eleanor asked as she stepped out onto the porch and saw Elizabeth. "Betty?" She smiled, surprised but happy to see her. "This is Betty?" The woman asked. Eleanor nodded and looked back at her daughter, "Betty, Giselle. Giselle, Betty." Eleanor introduced.

This was the woman her mother had left her father for. "It's nice to finally meet you." Giselle smiled. Elizabeth stayed silent and looked over at her mother. Eleanor stepped down the porch steps and grabbed Betty by the hand. "Come inside." Eleanor smiled. "We promise we won't bite." Giselle joked trying to make light of the situation and ease Elizabeth's nerves.

Elizabeth stared down at her mother's hand holding hers and looked at her mother unsure. "It's okay. Whenever you're ready." Her mother calmly reassured her. Elizabeth nodded and walked up the porch steps with her mother. She followed her mother and Giselle inside and looked around the home. She was met with a calm presence when she entered. It was an obvious contrast compared to the tension and hostility of her childhood home.

"Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee? Tea?" Giselle asked.

Elizabeth faintly smiled, "Tea would be nice."

Giselle smiled and made her way to the kitchen. Elizabeth looked around the home. It was beautifully decorated with antiques, there were picture frames of her mother and Giselle on trips they had taken together. She couldn't help but notice the difference in these photos as opposed to her childhood photos. Her mother looked genuinely happy, happier than she had ever seen her look in any photos with her dad.

"Come out to the backyard we can have our tea out in the garden and talk." Eleanor said motioning for Elizabeth to follow her. She followed her out and took a look around the backyard. She followed the cobblestone path leading her to a large flower garden. A small round table with chairs was hidden in the middle of beautiful bushes of flowers. Eleanor sat down, "What do you think?" she asked.

Elizabeth looked around, "It's nice." She quietly replied. "We also have a garden we started planting vegetables and herbs in, it's been our new little project." Eleanor smiled. "That's... nice." Elizabeth replied trying not to sound hurt. She had let their garden die, but her mother made another one without her. It hurt to think that what possibly once meant the world to her meant nothing to her mother. It was just something she could easily replace, but for Elizabeth, it wasn't that easy.

Elizabeth sat down in silence. "So what brings you here? I mean I'm glad you are, I...I just didn't expect this." Eleanor faintly smiled. "I... figured maybe I was too harsh before and I wanted to..." Elizabeth sighed, "I just want to understand."