"Here you go, Emma."
Sarah walked into the living room, carrying a tray of tea. She had stayed in the kitchen to give the mother and son more space but had heard everything, and to say she was heartbroken at hearing Emma's story was an understatement.
Emma looked up and smiled warmly. "Thank you, my dear." she said gratefully while picking a cup.
"You're welcome." smiled Sarah and sat beside David, putting the tray on the coffee table.
"And how are you living now?" asked David, unable to control himself, feeling the lump in his throat suffocating him.
He needed to hear that she was happy and living at ease. He needed that.
Emma smiled at him with love, her bottom lip trembling again. "I have gotten to see my eldest son and talk with him after long years ." she managed to say. "I'm fabulous. I have my grandchild in my arms finally. I'm really grateful."
She sniffled a bit and kissed Daisy's head. "And don't worry about my living condition." she said. "As I said, after your dad died I got back to my feet. I had my friends. And my old lover, that enemy of your father who had a crush on me in the uni, we met 7 years ago and we married after three months. I'm good."
David nodded, happy that she was at least not alone. That helped him to feel less shitty and guilty.
"David," called Emma softly, bringing him out of his thoughts. She smiled warmly once he looked at her, but she looked so nervous at the same time. "I wanted to come and help you the moment I heard the bad news. But Aiden said you didn't want to see me. Please, my son. Let me help you. Let me support you in this hard time. Maybe I can't support you financially that much, But I will do anything to help both of you."
She gulped and fidgeted a bit, looking at him hopefully and desperately. "Will you let me in, son?" she asked. "Will you forgive me?"
David stood up abruptly, startling both women.
"Dave?" asked Sarah worriedly, not liking the cold look on his face. She was so going to kick his ass if he would do or say something shitty.
Emma watched fearfully as David walked around the coffee table and bent down to take Daisy.
"Stand up, please." he said gruffly while turning and passing Diasy to Sarah.
Emma stood on her shaky legs, on the verge of fainting from so much stress. But the moment she did, she was engulfed in the strong arms of his son. It took a few seconds for her mind to realize that her son was hugging her and that was all it took for her loud sobs to fill the room and her tears to flow.
She wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him tightly, basking in the feeling of having her baby boy in her arms after 18 long and painful years.
"I'm sorry." he whispered over and over as he buried his face in her neck like when he was a little boy, letting his few tears soak her blouse. It felt amazing to have his mother in his arms and feel the safety that she always brought with her once again.
He kissed her head a few times, before pulling back to be able to see his mother's face. "Don't cry anymore." he said, wiping her cheeks gently. "I'm so sorry. For ignoring you, for causing more pain for you, for becoming heartless just like father. I'm so sorry, mom."
Another sob left Emma's lips at hearing the word mom from his lips after so many years. She put her hands on both sides of his face and brought him down to kiss his forehead a few times.
"No. I am sorry." she said. "I'm sorry for leaving you. Aiden has told me everything about your father's application of discipline after I left. I would have never left if I knew he would hurt you this much. I'm sorry, son."
YOU ARE READING
Fall and Rise
De Todo"Show me," he whispered and pulled her closer to his body and buried his face in her neck, inhaling in her soothing scent that he had come to love. "Show me how to be a human. Show me the true way of living." She lightly kissed his jawline and rubbe...
