“She does. I texted Taylee, and she said you had a few free hours tonight, so I, um, got you an appointment.”
“Tonight?” he exploded.
Scott was walking down by the lake and whipped around. “Cruz?” he questioned.
Cruz waved and forced a smile. “Sorry, man, I’m good.”
“Tonight,” she confirmed. “I’ll send the directions to the prison to your phone. The appointment is at seven.”
“I’m not going, Cat. I don’t need some kumbaya forgiveness with her. I just need to forget her and move on.”
Cat didn’t speak for a few seconds, and then she said, “I’ve been praying about you, Cruz. I think this might be exactly what you need, but you’re a grown man. You decide. Love you.” She hung up.
Cruz slid his phone in his pocket and walked to the patio railing. He gripped it and stared out at the beauty of the lake without seeing it. He’d been doing so well only focusing on Meredith. Go see his mom? Why would he willingly subject himself to that torture? If he didn’t, could he ever truly let the pain go? He hung his head. He didn’t know the answer and didn’t want to know the answer.
Two hours later, Cruz sat in a small room, shifting impatiently in the hard chair. Curse Cat and her stupid ideas. He leaned back. This wasn’t Cat’s fault, but he had no clue what had gotten him here. The only real reason he could say was that this drive was two hours closer to Meredith. He’d consoled himself with knowing if he spent a few minutes with his mom, then he could drive straight to Meredith. He’d tried to call her repeatedly, and it had gone to voicemail.
The door opened, and a guard walked in with his mom. She shuffled with shackles on her wrists and ankles. Even in prison orange, she was exquisitely beautiful. She looked a lot like Cat with the Spanish heritage, the long dark hair, smooth tanned skin, and delicate features.
Her face broke into a smile. Cruz leaned farther away. That smile seemed … genuine.
“Cruz!” She cried out. “My boy, look at you.”
Cruz stood to be respectful and nodded to her, praying she wouldn’t try to hug him. Who was she faking for? The guard? The guy seemed less interested in his mother than any grown man Cruz had ever seen. His mom had turned many a head. Unfortunately for his dad, she’d let all that male attention go to her head and had cheated on him and ditched him. Yet he’d often thought his dad was much better off without this nightmare in his life.
“I’m only here because of Cat,” he said.
Her smile flickered but didn’t die. “I know. Thank you so much for coming.” She sank into the chair, and he sat down too. The hard chair was much more comfortable than how he felt in his mother’s presence. When would she start telling him how stupid and lame he was? He wouldn’t listen … right?
“What do you want, Mom?” His voice sounded tired. He felt tired. He only wanted to be with Meredith. He only wanted the happiness he portrayed to the world but mostly only felt with Meredith. Was that too much to ask?
“Cat told you I’ve been getting help?”
He nodded shortly.
“I should’ve done it years ago. All of my adult life nothing has made me happy. I lived for vain compliments and men checking me out, and I was so miserable inside. Sadly, I took my agony out on those who mattered most: your dad, Cat, but especially you.” She sniffled, and a tear traced down her smooth, brown cheek. “I was so mean to you.”
Cruz shrugged. He wasn’t going to lie and say she hadn’t been horrible to him. Was that tear fake or real? He tried not to let it get to him.
She leaned forward, but thankfully, wasn’t close enough to touch him. “I don’t expect you to forgive me or love me or anything like that, but I wanted you to hear this from me. I hope you can believe me when for so many years I’ve told you so many lies. I was bitter, I was angry, and I was wrong. My dad beat and belittled me until I escaped from Argentina at sixteen.”
Cruz straightened. He hadn’t known his grandparents on his mother’s side, but his mom had told them they’d died when she was sixteen. His dad had told him once that his mother had worked hard to hide her accent and her heritage, which had seemed sad to Cruz at the time.
She nodded. “I lied to protect you from ever having to meet him. He beat my mother to death because she tried to protect my little brother when he was in a rage, but he was never prosecuted for it. Back then, in my home village, women were treated like possessions. I loved my mama, and her death about killed me too.” She paused for a moment, and the room was silent. Then she waved a hand. “I’m not trying to make this about me, like I’ve done so many times, but I needed help mentally and emotionally. Your dad tried to coerce me into it, but I refused to listen. I would berate and belittle him all the more when he tried to help me see reason because it made me so embarrassed and irrationally angry. Even worse than how I treated him was how I treated you. I was so angry inside that I couldn’t handle your adorable light and happiness.” She smiled wistfully at him. “You were so cute and funny, and instead of being proud of that, of loving you like any sane mother would, I tried to kill your happy spirit. I am so, so sorry.”
Cruz’s breath was coming in hard pants. He felt something break inside of him at his mom’s confessions. Not only that she’d deliberately tried to break him, but she’d been broken herself by her father’s abuse and her mother’s death. His throat was so thick he couldn’t swallow, and his eyes pricked with a strange wetness.
He found himself on his feet and rushing across the space. He gently tugged his mother up and, for the first time in years, gave her a soft hug. She couldn’t hug him back with the shackles, but she leaned against him, and he heard her sniffle. Then a gut-wrenching sob shook her small frame. Cruz let the tears run down his own face, and a peace washed over him. Free. Hugging his mom and forgiving her was setting him free. He said a prayer inside to thank the good Lord for this moment, for his mom getting help and confessing this to him, for Cat pushing him, for Grams, for his dad, and most of all for Meredith.
When he finally pulled back, he released her and said, “I forgive you, Mom.”
Her lip trembled, and her face was more beautiful and radiant than he’d ever seen it. “Thank you, Cruz. Thank you.” She sniffled and pressed her bound hands to her nose. “I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, or God’s, but I’ve prayed for it every day. Cat has forgiven me, and maybe someday your dad can.”
“Dad’s a good man. I think he’ll forgive you.”
“I hope so. I want him to be happy.”
“Time’s up,” the guard said, shifting from foot to foot and not looking at them.
“Thanks for coming,” his mom said. “I know you travel a lot, and I’m super proud of your success, especially rising above … me.” She licked at her lips and said, “If you’re ever in the area, I would love to see you again sometime and hear about your life.”
An hour ago, Cruz would’ve laughed at her request. Now he simply nodded. “Of course, Mom.”
“I’ll be praying for you,” she said as the guard took her arm and walked her away.