Reunited

Chapter 6

I dared to come upstairs and peek into the bedroom. Adaline was laying on the bed with Cadence, soothing the baby girl to sleep. She had dressed her daughter in pajamas and was rubbing her back, trying to soothe her to sleep. I smiled, but I was also sad. I was watching my daughter who I had given up at birth, be the mother I never could. Somehow, without a maternal figure in her life, she had known how to love and care for her own baby girl.
I still can't believe I'm a grandmother and I'm not even forty.
With the both of us becoming mothers at a young age, I was now a grandmother at 36. To an almost two year old. I decided to see my way out before I disturbed the baby girl. I made my way downstairs and began to heat up the food. It was now getting very cold from the time spent in the to go boxes. I had been a few hours since we first discovered the house had been broken into. The clock read almost ten at night. I was certain that Cadence's bed time was far earlier than that.
I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see Adaline walking into the kitchen.
"Hey, do you feel okay leaving her in the bedroom by herself? I have a gate I use for my dog if you want to block the stairs." I told her.
"Oh I didn't leave her in the bed. Once she fell asleep I put her in her pack and play. It's a portable little play pen and bed." She assured me.
"Oh that's right. Ginny carts one around set for her son." I said.
"That's right, she plays Snow White. I forgot she had a son."
"Yeah." I said. I handed her two recently warmed containers, her rice and chicken.
"Listen. I really need to get this off my chest."
She sighed and sat down, raising her eyebrows in silent encouragement for me to continue.
"I was sixteen. Your father and I had been together for some months. When I found out I was pregnant I was terrified but I thought he would be around for you and I. He was a damn good liar. He had me convinced that he cared about me. He was two years older. I was just getting up the nerve to tell him when he took off. I didn't really have a way to track him down. All I had was a name and back then it wasn't much to go by. I told myself I didn't need him anyway and that I could take care of you on my own. But the farther along I got the more scared I was. I couldn't find a job, and every time I went into a store and looked at baby things I saw how much everything cost and I realized how expensive a baby was. My parents weren't exactly happy with me. They told me I had to do this on my own, they didn't kick me out or anything but they told me if I was going to have a baby I had to be the one to take care of it. By the time I was seven months I had decided to give you up and give you a chance at a family who wouldn't let you down. It was the hardest decision I'd ever made in my life. I cried for a week straight after I decided and for days up until your birth. I couldn't even look at you when the doctor held you. I'd never laid eyes on you until I met you. I cried for weeks after that and to this day I still break down from time to time when I think about you. And I am so sorry. I convinced myself you would land with a nice family who would love and care for you. And now I know you never had that. And I am so, so sorry."
At this point I was crying, unable to talk anymore. My sweet baby girl was tossed around her entire life when I thought she was with a family. I could have kept her and made it work somehow, but I was sixteen and stupid and I let her go.
"I'm sorry. I know I don't deserve your sympathy, I'm not looking for it. I just wanted you to know all of that. I wanted to explain myself so you didn't think I just tossed you away. And I am so proud of the woman you've become. You're a fantastic mother and you're so determined and hardworking. I wish I had been there to see all of it."
There, I finally got all of it off my chest. I just stared at her, waiting for her response. She stood up. I thought she was prepared to go back to her room upstairs for the night. Instead she came forward. I stood up when I realized what she was about to do and hugged her. I hugged my baby girl. She was all grown up. She didn't need me. But I needed her. And here I was crying into her shoulder.
"It's okay. I forgive you. I believe everything works the way it does for a reason. You and I wouldn't be where we are if you hadn't given me up." She said.
I sobbed again. "I would trade everything I have if I could go back and keep you."
"But I wouldn't have Cadence. Who knows where I would be. She and I have it pretty good, and now I have my mother and it's even better. It's always been just the two of us, but now she and I have you."
"Yeah, you do." I said as I pulled back. I admired her up close for the first time. Green eyes just like mine, long dark brown hair, tan skin, high and prominent cheekbones.
"You're so beautiful. I'm so proud of you."
She smiled and tears started to flow again.
"Better late than never. I might be twenty but I'm always going to need my mother."
I laughed. "I know we can't exactly start over. It's way too late for that. But I want to be there for you and Cadence if you'll let me."
"Of course."
We spent the next hour talking, getting to know each other. This time as mother and daughter instead of friends.
The time came far too quickly for her to go to bed.
Adaline POV:
I settled down in bed with a peaceful mind. The void within me that told me my entire life that I was without parents was filled, because my mother found me and came back into my life. Even though I wished she had been around my entire life, at least she regretted giving me up and found me. I'm sure it couldn't have been easy for her. I'm sure she was afraid I would blow her off and tell her to shove it. But no matter how angry I was before, I couldn't convince myself that I didn't want her around.
At that moment, Cadence woke. She was probably scared of being in an unfamiliar house. I missed home as well.
I gathered her blanket and stuffed toys, ones she was particularly attached too that somehow soothed her. I placed her on the other side of the bed under her blanket and surrounded her with her toys. She was awake and scared until she realized I would be right next to her. I snuggled into the bed and started to pat her back, the rhythm of it putting me to sleep as quickly as her.
Soon she was fast asleep, and I would have been well on my way if I hadn't heard a footstep behind me. I knew it was my mother, she was still wide awake when I excused myself to bed.
I felt her hand on the side of my head, she brushed the hair to the back of my head and continued to stroke. It was soothing, the touch of a mother I'd never had. Not too long ago I would tell myself I don't need a mother, or anyone. Now I can't imagine letting her out of my life.
When she stopped I heard her walk away, I turned my head and watched her shut the door behind her. I could only see the side of her head, but I know I saw a smile. I was certain she was at peace as well.