And there it was–dropped like a lead balloon between them.
The harsh truth.
Every time she ever envisioned confronting her mother in her mind, it always ended with Georgia weeping loudly and begging for forgiveness.
The reality was slightly different.
Georgia primly cleared her throat, folding her own hands in her lap. “You know, the Coleman name always carried weight here in Magnolia Sound,” she began, “but we weren’t always the wealthy family you know us to be.”
That was…new.
“My grandfather–may he rest in peace–always worked so hard and he expected that of his children and grandchildren as well. So while the name had clout, out bank accounts weren’t overly impressive.” She picked at an imaginary piece of lint on her pants before continuing. “Anyway, my mother–your grandmother–always hated working. She despised it, really. She used to tell me the only way to survive was to marry a wealthy man so I’d never have to work a day in my life. She drilled that into me from the time I was a little girl and told me it was my right–that I was entitled to it.”
Peyton thought of her grandmother Betty and remembered she wasn’t particularly warm either. Why hadn’t she put two and two together before?
“Anyway, I’d like to think if my mother would have spent the time just loving me instead of grooming me for the role as wife to a wealthy man, maybe I would be different.” She looked up with a sad smile. “But it was all she could talk about. She used to criticize my weight, my hair, my wardrobe…it got to the point where I just gave up and let her just control every aspect of my life. When she introduced me to your father…well…”
“Oh my God,” Peyton interrupted, horrified. “You and Dad were set up by Grandma?”
She nodded. “Fortunately, he was someone I had been secretly crushing on. I never let her know those sorts of things because I used to fear she’d hold it against me.”
“But…how?”
Georgia seemed to ponder that for a moment. “I felt like if I said I had a crush on a boy, she’d find fault with them and do something to ruin any hopes I might have had with them. For the longest time she had her eye on Mayor Thompson’s son Lyle.” She shuddered. “He was awful. Beautiful to look at, but he had a reputation for having an awful temper. Naturally, when she set me up with your father, I was relieved. It turned out we had a lot in common and once we had gone out a few times, he confided in me how he was under a lot of the same pressure that I was and…we bonded.”
Bonded. That didn’t sound overly romantic, which is what she said to her mother.
“Oh, Peyton…romance is highly overrated,” she replied wearily. “We genuinely like and respect each other and made a good life together.”
“Yes, but it’s a little cold and emotionless, Mom! Didn’t you think about trying to break the cycle you obviously hated?”
“I did, but…I couldn’t. Things would come out of my mouth of their own accord and after a while…I just accepted that this was who I was. Your father has been much better about it, but…”
“Has he? Because from where I’m sitting it seems like he just opts to say nothing most of the time rather than call you out on your bad behavior.”
Her mother frowned at her. “You know, I don’t think I like this newfound sassiness from you, Peyton Eleanor. I’m still your mother.”
“I know that, Mom, but…I hate the relationship we have! I don’t want to dread seeing you or talking to you. I want…I want the kind of relationship Aunt Susannah has with Mallory! I want us to want to do things together!”
Georgia’s shoulders sagged. “When Susannah moved back here to Magnolia and she was temporarily estranged from Colton, I said those exact words to her.”
Peyton’s eyes went wide. “You did?”
She nodded. “You were in college and always so busy and Parker was off gallivanting I don’t even remember where and…I thought it was too late. I didn’t realize you might want the same thing.”
“Well, I do,” she told her firmly. “I have for a long time, but every time I think we’re making progress, you…you talk down to me and make me feel like a disappointing child rather than the successful woman I am.”
“You’re always going to be my child, Peyton. I can’t help that.”
“I know, but…maybe don’t talk down to me. Maybe just…smile and say you’re proud of me.”
Her mother’s expression softened as her eyes shone with unshed tears. “I’ve always been proud of you, Peyton. Always. You…you’re far braver than I ever was. Both you and your sister. I don’t know how I ended up with two such independent daughters.”
It would be wrong to tell her it was primarily because they were trying to escape her…
“I’d really like for us to work on this, Mom. Not just talk about it right now and then tomorrow have things go back to the way they were.”
She nodded. “I’d like that very much.” Reaching over, she awkwardly hugged Peyton.
Baby steps.
When she pulled back, she studied Peyton’s face. “So, you met Ryder’s mother and felt like we should talk about our relationship.”
“Yup. Ryder and I talked about it for days, and I realized he felt the same way about her as I felt about you. Sitting back and witnessing someone else dealing with all the same disappointment was very hard and it broke my heart for him. For the both of them. His mother just found out she has cancer and it was as if she were talking to a stranger about it and he didn’t have any particular reaction to it. I thought it was sad.”
“It sounds very sad.” She paused. “I’d hate to think if I were sick or dying that my children wouldn’t care.”
“I’d hate that too. Things need to change. I know you’ve been trying ever since Mason and Scarlett got together, but…”
“Yes, your sister-in-law does tend to call me out every chance she gets…”
“There’s a reason for that,” Peyton murmured.
“I know. I know.” Placing her hand over Peyton’s, she asked, “So where do we go from here?”
“Well…for starters, we should have lunch together sometime.”
“Peyton, we often have lunch together. That’s not anything new.”
“Then how about next time we go and you don’t comment on my hair or my clothes?” she suggested. “Nothing drastic.”
Georgia’s mouth was nothing more than a thin line before she sighed. “Fine.”
“Thank you.”
“May I ask you something now?”
“Absolutely,” she replied, bracing herself.
“Are things getting serious with you and Ryder?”
Peyton felt herself blush as she nodded. “Yes. I’m…I’m in love with him and I still can’t believe it’s true–that someone like him would even be interested in someone like me.”
“Why wouldn’t he be interested in someone like you? What’s wrong with you?”
“Really? You want to pull at that thread?” She paused. “Mom, you’ve pretty much destroyed my self-esteem! You put down every guy I ever dated or was interested in and then reminded me how I should be thankful for the men you found for me!”