Chapter 23 #2
“I didn’t have to tell you,” Brian reminded her. “I assured Carly, Cate, and Tom that you and Dad would do whatever I asked you to. And what I’m asking you to do is what’s best for a girl who came into this world under less than ideal circumstances and who’s flourishing despite it.”
“How did you find out about her?” Michael asked.
“I took one look at Zoe, and I knew.” He added in a whisper, “I just knew.”
“So you weren’t going to tell him?” Mary Ann asked, her tone accusatory.
“No, I wasn’t,” Carly said.
Exhaling a snort of disbelief, Mary Ann sat back against the sofa to study her son. “How can you go forward with this marriage, knowing she would keep such a thing from you?”
“How can you ask me that after what we’ve been through? She did what she thought was best for me. She gave up her baby so I could get through college and law school. If that doesn’t tell me how much she loves me, what the hell ever could?”
“Brian,” Carly said, reaching for him.
He squeezed her hand, stood, and ran a hand through his hair as he fought to calm down. “I’m sorry, Mom. I just can’t bear the idea of you holding this against Carly like she set out to maliciously deny you your granddaughter.”
“He’s right, Mary Ann,” Michael said. “Those were dark days for all of us. It wouldn’t be fair to judge Carly on decisions she made at that time in her life.”
“Thank you,” Carly said to Michael.
“I’m sorry I can’t forgive and forget so easily,” Mary Ann said. “I understand it must’ve been a terrible time for you, Carly. As a mother, I get that. But how you could just leave us out of the whole thing . . . I’m sorry. That part I can’t forgive.”
“I hope in time you’ll be able to forgive me,” Carly said. “I’ve always loved you very much, and I’ve been so looking forward to being your daughter-in-law.”
“Now don’t you do that.” Mary Ann wiped furiously at tears. “That’s not fair.”
Carly moved to squat down in front of Mary Ann.
“I thought of you. I did. How could I not think of you? And I knew what it would’ve meant to you to have Zoe in your life, especially at that time.
But I put what I thought was best for Brian ahead of what was best for you. I hope you can forgive me for that.”
Mary Ann didn’t resist when Carly hugged her. “Again, that’s not fair.” She sniffled.
“There’s something else,” Carly said.
“Carly.” Brian’s tone was full of warning. “This might not be the time.”
“For what?” Mary Ann asked.
Carly clutched the other woman’s hands when she said, “Zoe was born on Sam’s birthday.”
Brian’s parents gasped.
Mary Ann whimpered. “Oh, Michael, did you hear that?”
As he dealt with a torrent of tears, Michael said, “I did. Yes, I did.”
“That sure is something, isn’t it?” Brian asked, sharing an intense moment of wonder with his parents.
“It surely is,” Michael agreed.
“He was with me,” Carly said. “I felt him all around me that day.”
Mary Ann suddenly stood. “I’m sorry. I just need . . . I’m sorry.” She left the room.
Michael got up to go after her. “She’ll need some time, but she’ll get past this.” He bent to press a kiss to Carly’s forehead. “She loves you, too. So don’t you worry.” On his way out of the room, he said to Brian, “Talk to her about Luke.”
Startled, Carly looked at Brian. “Luke? Luke McInnis? What about him?”
Brian urged her to her feet and put his arms around her. “Later, honey. We’ll talk about that later. Are you all right?”
Carly shrugged. “I feel beat up.”
“I know. I do, too.”
“Thank you.”
His eyebrows knitted with confusion. “For what?”
“The way you defended me. Earlier I was wondering if you’d ever be able to truly forgive me for this, but it seems like maybe you already have.”
“I’m still getting used to the whole thing, but I do forgive you, Carly. I just hope my mother can, too.”
“Will you be able to live with it if she can’t?”
“If you can, I can.”
“I should’ve told you.” She shook her head with regret. “My mother wanted me to. She warned me that someday you might find out, and I’d have to face the music.”
“You did the right thing. I would’ve come home and married you. We probably would’ve made a terrible mess of things between us and with Zoe. It was better this way. Maybe not for the rest of us, but definitely for her.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that. I knew you would’ve come home.
I knew that for sure, Brian. But I also remembered what you said before you left about getting married and having to live in my parents’ house because I couldn’t leave there.
As I thought about whether or not I should tell you, I just kept wondering how I could condemn you to that. ”
“It overwhelms me to know you put me first, even after I walked away from you.”
“You didn’t do it because you’d stopped loving me,” she reminded him.
“I never stopped loving you.” He tipped up her chin so he could see her face. “You believe me, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do.”
He kissed her forehead. “What you said, about my parents being part of your family and getting to know Zoe? That was good. I think it’ll help my mom to cope with this.”
“I hope so.”
He took a deep breath to clear his mind and refocus. “Do you think your mother would give us a ride to one of the car dealers on the south side?” he asked.
“I’m sure she would. You want to do that now? Today?”
“I’m getting tired of walking everywhere, and I was thinking I’d like to take my fiancée and my . . . niece out to Cape Cod for a couple of days. What do you say?”
For the first time since the day before, Carly smiled, a genuine smile that made it all the way to her expressive eyes. “Your fiancée and your niece would love that.”