Chapter 18 - The Rebuilding
Months passed.
Mom completed her counseling.
She paid back the money.
She kept her distance.
I started to trust her again.
Not completely.
But enough to have a conversation without screaming.
---
"Claire, thank you," she said one day.
"For what?"
"For not giving up on me."
"It wasn't easy."
"I know. But you stayed. You kept your distance. But you stayed."
"Mom, I never stopped loving you."
"I know."
"I just couldn't trust you."
"I know."
"But we're getting there."
"Yeah. We're getting there."
---
Grandma finally agreed to see Mom.
They met in a neutral location.
A coffee shop near the assisted living facility.
I watched from across the room.
---
They talked for two hours.
They cried.
They hugged.
They started to heal.
---
When Mom came to my table, she was crying again.
"She forgave me," she whispered. "She actually forgave me."
"Mom, that's amazing."
"I don't deserve it."
"Maybe not. But she's giving it to you anyway."
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