CHAPTER 35: THE NEWS
I got the call on a Tuesday.
It was my father.
"Evelyn, your mother is in the hospital."
I felt the air leave my lungs.
"What happened?"
"She had a stroke. It's serious. She's in the ICU."
I sat down heavily.
"She's asking for you."
"She's asking for me?"
"Yes. She wants to see you before..."
He didn't finish the sentence.
I didn't know what to say. My mother had been the source of so much pain. So much betrayal. So much anger.
But she was still my mother.
"I'll come," I said.
"Thank you, Evelyn. I know this is hard."
"It's the right thing to do."
I hung up and sat in silence for a long moment.
Daniel found me staring at the wall.
"What happened?" he asked.
"My mother is dying. She wants to see me."
"Do you want to go?"
"No. But I have to."
He took my hand.
"I'll come with you."
I nodded.
And I knew, in that moment, that I had made the right choice.
Because I didn't have to face the past alone anymore.
May you like
I had Daniel.
And that made all the difference.
