Why Me,Mom

Mothers Reckoning

I'm Back
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Mother, it's Ellis," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Ellis, what's the matter?" Margaret Miller's tone shifted immediately from surprised to concerned. She hasn't spoken to her daughter in months, even though she's close to her daughter there's been a distance because Ellis' work. Margaret loved her granddaughter they spoke a lot, she knows everything.

Ellis took a deep breath, her words tumbling out in a rush. "It's Meredith. I was at work when I found Meredith's hospital file and, she was... assaulted mom . And she never told me."

There was a long pause. When Margaret spoke again, her voice was calm but firm. "Oh, Ellis. I'm so I knew but she didn't want you to know."

"WHAT! Mom you knew but you didn't think I had the right to know!" Ellis shouted.

"THE RIGHT!!!" you we're barely Meredith's mother Ellis! You let my granddaughter get raised by nannies!, YOU PUT YOUR CAREER BEFORE YOUR OWN DAUGHTER AND YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT?!" Margaret angrily replied to her daughter. Margaret wanted Meredith to come live with her in Germany but Ellis refused so she visited twice a year.

Ellis was speechless because everything her mom said was true.

"I don't know what to do, Mother," Ellis admitted, her voice breaking. "I feel like I've failed her. Our relationship has always been so difficult. She didn't feel she could come to me with this."

"Ellis, listen to me," Margaret said gently. "This isn't about you. It's about Meredith and what she went through. She didn't tell you because she probably didn't feel safe or supported enough. That doesn't mean she blames you. It means she was hurting and scared."

"I should have known. I should have been there for her," Ellis whispered, tears streaming down her face.

"Every mother has regrets," Margaret said softly. "But this is your chance to make things right. To be there for her now, in whatever way she needs. You need to reach out to her, show her that you love her and that you're here for her."

"But what if she pushes me away?" Ellis asked, her voice filled with fear.

"Then you give her space," Margaret replied. "But you make sure she knows that you're there, ready to listen when she's ready to talk. Healing from something like this takes time, for both of you. Be patient, be kind, and let her set the pace."

Ellis nodded, even though her mother couldn't see her. "I don't even know where to start."

"Start by telling her you're sorry," Margaret suggested. "Tell her you wish she had felt she could come to you, and that you're here for her now. She needs to hear that from you, Ellis. She needs to know that you care."

Ellis took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Thank you, Mother. I don't know what I would do without you."

"You'll get through this, Ellis. Both of you will," Margaret said reassuringly. "Just take it one step at a time."

After they hung up, Ellis sat in her study for a long while, the silence pressing in around her. She felt the weight of her own failures, the distance she had allowed to grow between her and Meredith. But beneath the guilt and the sorrow was a flicker of determination. She couldn't change the past, but she could fight for a better future. For Meredith, and for their relationship.

Ellis looked at the time, Meredith will be back at 15:00. So, she has to collect her because she needed to have this conversation with her daughter.
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Hope you enjoyed this chapter
😘
~Q🌼