Chapter 104 #2
As I let my body relax and the first flutters of sleep began to claim my mind, I thought about how much I wanted him to be right. The thought of living in a world run by the royals was too much to accept. Bringing a child into that world, especially a shifter child, was not even a possibility.
The next morning as I headed out of my room to go downstairs, I heard more murmured arguments from my parents’ room.
It was still too soft for me to make out individual words.
I could imagine what they were probably talking about.
Gabriella. They’d said they could overlook all that had happened, but I realized that was mostly lip service to make sure I didn’t get pulled in two different directions.
Until they all were able to air their grievances, nothing would be normal again.
I strode over to their room and knocked. Mom answered a moment later. “Maddy? Yes?”
“Be downstairs in ten minutes,” I said. I turned and walked away without waiting for an answer. They’d be there. No question about it.
Next, I headed down to the game room Gabriella was using as her bedroom. I asked her to come to the dining room. She looked more hesitant, probably somehow anticipating what was about to happen. All she did was nod in agreement while chewing the inside of her cheek.
Ten minutes later, we were all sitting around the table, staring at each other.
The tension wasn’t as thick as I thought it would be.
I could see the blush on Mom’s face as she looked across the table at Gabriella.
Dad was busy studying the top of the dining room table, unable or unwilling to meet any of our eyes.
“Okay,” I said, placing my palms on the table. “Now that we have a few minutes, I want us to get it all out in the open. All the questions, answers, hurts and wants. Let’s go. Get it all out.”
The three of them looked at me like I was crazy before Mom sighed and slumped in her chair.
She gestured toward Gabriella. “Fine. I guess I’ll go first. This woman made us believe she was someone else all those years ago.
I thought she was Doctor Malia Stanford.
Now, I find out she’s your birth mother.
I have to question her moral standing.” She finally looked at Gabriella.
“You continued to pretend and stayed on as Maddy’s doctor even though you knew exactly who she was.
Not only that,” she added, “but you were the one who got us the suppression drugs. You had us suppress Maddy’s wolf even though you knew the consequences of that as a shifter yourself.
How do you justify all that?” Mom looked exhausted by the time all the words were out.
Gabriella nodded slowly. “You’re right. It wasn’t moral of me to stay Maddy’s doctor.
It was simply impossible. The first day she came into my practice, and I set eyes on her, my wolf and I both knew who she was.
The most heartbreaking thing I ever did was give her away.
I was selfish and used my time as her pediatrician to be around her.
It was only two or three times a year, but those few times were the most precious days I ever had.
Whenever you’d make an appointment to come in, I was excited and giddy for days leading up to it.
“When David died, and I was on the run, young, pregnant, and scared, I did what I thought was right for my baby. I hid the fact that I was a shifter from everyone to keep my head down and stay safe. There was no guarantee that the royals wouldn’t find me at any time.
I wanted her to live, and it was the best I could do.
It was worse than losing a limb. An arm or a leg can’t look at you with those little eyes and love you the moment they see you.
Giving away a child is like giving away your whole heart.
I gave her away to protect her, and I took what few chances I could to be with her.
I can’t and won’t apologize for that. The same goes for the drugs.
The longer the wolf was suppressed, the better the chance that Maddy would go unnoticed by the royals.
So, again, I can’t and won’t apologize for giving them to you. ”
Dad looked up and gave a weary shrug before glancing at Mom. “She’s right, you know. Wouldn’t we have done the same thing for Maddy? If you had to give her away, wouldn’t you have done anything to be around her? Even if it was only once or twice?”
Mom turned and looked at Dad, first giving him a withering look like he’d betrayed her, but then her face softened. As the idea sank in, she looked a little ashamed. Finally, she nodded. “I suppose you all are right.”
Gabriella sat forward. “You have to know that nothing was done with ill intent. Everything was done to keep Maddy safe. I falsified records and blood tests, all to keep the royals off her tail. I never meant to hurt anyone. I hope you can understand that.”
The conversation bounced back and forth between the three of them.
The tension that had filled the room when we started slowly filtered out until they all seemed at ease with each other.
It wasn’t long before Mom and Dad were telling embarrassing stories about my childhood to Gabriella, who sat enraptured and living vicariously through their tales about me.
Finally, having had enough of stories and jokes at my expense, I cut in. “It sounds like the hatchet has been buried?”
My three parents glanced at each other before they all gave me a nod and some contrite smiles. “Yeah, we’re good,” Dad said.
“Good,” I said, staring at Mom and Dad. “You all need to understand that nothing will change the fact that you are my parents. You raised me and loved me, and turned me into the person I am. But I can also grow to love Gabriella. That’s fine as well.
It will never negate what and who you all are to me.
Don’t ever think, for a second, that I’m not telling the truth. ”
That seemed to defuse whatever tension might have still been in the room. Mom looked at Gabriella and reached across the table. Gabriella was hesitant at first before reaching over and taking her hand.
“Thank you for letting us have a daughter. Thank you for giving us such a wonderful woman to raise.”
Gabriella’s eyes were glossy with unshed tears. “And thank you all for taking such good care of my baby. I couldn’t have asked for better people to take care of her.”
“Oh shit, here we go,” I muttered, wiping my eyes. “Okay, okay, we gotta be done, or I’m gonna screw up my mascara for the rest of the day.”