Under the Stars

Chapter 29

~CHAPTER TWENTY NINE~

   The days following graduation were a whirlwind of emotions and events. With the ceremony behind me and Carl's family by my side, I finally felt like I could breathe. But there was one more hurdle to overcome—the relationship with my own family. As much as I wanted to avoid it, I knew it had to be addressed. And so, I found myself back at my mother's house, standing on the familiar porch with Carl by my side.

“Are you ready for this?” Carl asked, his hand reassuringly gripping mine.

I took a deep breath and nodded. “As ready as I'll ever be.”

   We stepped inside, the air thick with tension. My mother, aunt, uncle, and grandmother were all gathered in the living room, their faces a mix of emotions—anger, regret, and something else I couldn't quite place.

“Lyla,” my mother began, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "We need to talk."

I nodded, feeling Carl's reassuring presence next to me. “Okay.”

   We sat down, and for a moment, the room was silent. My mother took a deep breath, her eyes meeting mine. “Lyla, I know I've been hard on you. Too hard. And I'm sorry for that. I thought I was protecting you, but I see now that I was only hurting you.”

   I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I forced myself to stay calm. “It hurt a lot, Mom. But I'm willing to listen.”

My mother nodded, her expression pained. “We all are. Your aunt, uncle, and grandmother—we all want to make things right. We realize now how wrong we've been.”

My aunt spoke up, her voice shaky. “Lyla, we've been unfair to you. We didn't understand your dreams, and instead of supporting you, we tried to control you. We're sorry.”

   My uncle and grandmother nodded in agreement, their faces reflecting genuine regret.

I looked at Carl, who gave me an encouraging nod. “I appreciate your apologies. It means a lot to hear you say that.”

My mother reached out, taking my hand. “Your father would be so proud of you, Lyla. I should have seen that sooner. I shouldn't have been so overprotective.”

I squeezed her hand, feeling a mix of emotions. “I hope we can move forward from this. I want a better relationship with all of you.”

My mother nodded, tears in her eyes. “So do we. And Carl... we're sorry for how we've treated you too.”

Carl smiled, his hand still holding mine. “Thank you. It means a lot to hear that.”

My aunt added, “We've seen how much you care for Lyla, and we can see how happy you make her. We're willing to accept you into our family if you'll have us.”

Carl looked at me, and I nodded. “We'd like that,”he said, his voice steady.

My grandmother, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.“Lyla, you're a remarkable young woman. We've been blind, but we want to make things right. We're proud of you.”

   The room fell silent again, but this time it was a comfortable silence, filled with the promise of healing and new beginnings.

   As we left my mother's house later that day, I felt a sense of relief and hope. The wounds of the past were still there, but they were beginning to heal. And for the first time, I felt like my family and I were moving in the right direction.

“How do you feel?” Carl asked as we walked back to his car.

“Better,” I admitted. “It's a start. I just hope it lasts.”