Page 48 of The Lucky Heart (Jamison Valley 3)
“It’s just a scratch. I’ll be fine.”
“Mom,” I said gently. “Was your slip because of a blackout?”
She looked to her feet and nodded. “Sorry.”
“No apologies, okay? I’m just glad you’re okay.” I feared the day that I came over and she had seriously injured herself. “How about some dinner? Your choices are stuffed pork chops or a homemade chicken pot pie.”
She smiled. “Both sound wonderful. You decide.”
I went back to my bags, picking them up and taking them to the kitchen to start unloading supplies for pork chops. “I know you’re nervous about those tests but I really do think it’s for the best.”
She nodded and gave me an unconvincing smile.
Her appointment at the hospital was in two weeks, and with any luck, we’d have the results back within a month. I only hoped that with the results would come the good news that there was something more we could do to help Mom avoid her spells.
I wanted to know why she was so nervous about the tests but I didn’t ask. Was it because they could find something? Or that they wouldn’t? Pushing too far with this topic had always made her uncomfortable.
“So, I quit my job today,” I told her while I cooked.
“What?” she gasped.
“It’s for the best. The time has come for me to do something new. Now I just have to figure out what. Brainstorm with me?”
She took a seat at the small round table in the kitchen. “You’d be good at so many things. How about opening up a clothing store? You always look so nice.”
“Not a bad idea. What else?” I went to the sink to rinse my hands.
“Hair stylist?”
I shook my head. “I’d rather not have to go back to school.”
“How about a job at the bank?”
“Maybe, though I’d rather have a job with a bit more flexibility and independence. I think starting a business could be fun. Can you think of anything that Prescott is missing?”
“Hmm. Let me think.”
I did the same while stirring the stuffing mix. When I couldn’t come up with anything, my mind wandered to other topics until, like always, it landed on Silas. I hadn’t heard from him since the party and that kiss. He had said that he understood why I’d left, but after another long stretch of no communication, I was doubting his sincerity. Just like I doubted he really wanted to be friends.
“Mom, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Do you think it’s possible to truly forgive someone who broke your heart?”
“Oh.” She sat back further in her chair, likely surprised by my complete change of topic. “I don’t know. I guess. It probably depends on the situation.”
“If Dad came home and begged for forgiveness, would you take him back?”
It was a risk, bringing up Dad. She’d erased him from our lives after he’d left, removing pictures and throwing out any of the things he’d left behind, and she never spoke of him. I half expected her to ignore my question, but I needed to know if forgiveness—even under extreme circumstances like hers—was possible.
“If it was just me,” she said, “yes. But he left you and Jess too. I’ll never get over that.”
I smiled. Maybe there was hope for me and Silas after all. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Is this about Wes? Did he break your heart?”
I could see why she’d wonder. Silas hadn’t been the only person I’d abandoned without explanation. Neither Jess nor Mom had ever gotten the full story as to why I’d left so suddenly after high school. I’d called them from Seattle, told them I’d needed a change and that Wes and I had broken up. End of discussion.
