Chapter 10
We drove up to Vermont the next weekend.
It was a beautiful drive, the trees turning red and gold and orange, the air crisp and cool.
Mason sat in the backseat with Max, singing along to the radio, asking a million questions about where we were going.
We didn’t tell him we were going to see my parents.
We just said we were going to visit some friends.
My parents lived in a small cottage on the edge of a lake, surrounded by maple trees.
It was nothing like the big fancy house we’d grown up in.
It was small, cozy, with a big porch and a garden full of fall flowers.
My mom was standing on the porch waiting for us, twisting her hands together, her face pale.
My dad was standing beside her, his hair grayer than I remembered, his shoulders hunched like he’d been carrying a heavy weight for a long time.
When I got out of the car, my mom let out a small sob, her hand flying to her mouth.
She didn’t run to me.
She didn’t hug me.
She just stood there, like she was scared I’d run away if she moved too fast.
I walked up the porch steps slowly, my cane tapping softly on the wood.
“Hi,” I said, my voice shaking.
“Hi, baby,” my mom said, tears running down her face. “You look so good. So… strong.”
My dad nodded, his eyes wet.
“You do,” he said, his voice rough. “We’re so glad you came.”
They didn’t push.
They didn’t beg for forgiveness.
They just invited us in, making us coffee and cookies, asking gentle questions about our lives in Boston, about Mason’s school, about Lauren’s job, about the company.
They didn’t mention Tyler once.
Not even a little bit.
Mason warmed up to them immediately, running around the cottage, looking at all the old family photos on the walls, telling them all about his soccer games and Max’s tricks.
My mom laughed at his stories, her eyes lighting up in a way I hadn’t seen since I was a little kid.
My dad took Mason outside to show him the garden, picking him a big red apple from the tree in the yard.
Lauren and I sat in the living room with my mom, drinking coffee, making small talk.
After a while, my mom turned to me, her face serious.
“Bridget,” she said, her voice soft. “I know we have no right to ask you for anything. We know we messed up, more than we can ever say. We don’t expect you to forgive us. We don’t expect to be part of your life again, not really. But we needed you to know… we are sorry. More than words can say. We love you. And we are so, so proud of you.”
My dad came back in then, Mason on his shoulders, and nodded.
“Your mom’s right,” he said. “We’ve spent every day since the trial thinking about what we did. About how we failed you. We can’t take it back. We can’t change the past. But we can spend the rest of our lives trying to make it up to you, if you’ll let us. No pressure. No expectations. Whenever you’re ready. Whatever you need.”
I looked at them.
Really looked at them.
They weren’t the cold, perfect, cruel people I’d grown up with anymore.
They were just two old people, tired and sad and sorry, who’d made terrible, unforgivable mistakes.
They’d lost their son.
They’d lost their home.
They’d lost everything they’d ever cared about, because of their own choices.
And they were trying to be better.
I thought about what Lauren had said, about grieving the family I’d never had.
Maybe I didn’t have to grieve them forever.
Maybe we could build something new.
Something real.
Something better.
It wouldn’t be easy.
There would be hard days. Days when old hurts would come back. Days when I’d be angry, or scared, or sad.
But it could be good.
If we all worked at it.
“I’m not ready to say I forgive you yet,” I said, my voice steady, my eyes locked on theirs. “What you did to me… it hurt. Bad. It changed me. And I’m never going to forget it. I’m never going to let you treat me like that again. If we’re gonna have any kind of relationship, it’s gonna be on my terms. No more lies. No more excuses. No more choosing anyone over me. Ever. If you can do that… then I’m willing to try. One day at a time.”
My mom let out a ragged sob, covering her face with her hands.
My dad’s face crumpled, tears running down his cheeks.
“We can do that,” he said, his voice breaking. “We can do whatever you want. Whatever you need. Thank you, baby. Thank you.”
Mason looked down from my dad’s shoulders, his little face confused.
“Why is everyone crying?” he asked. “Did someone get a owie?”
We all laughed, wiping our tears.
“No, bug,” I said, smiling up at him. “No one got a owie. We’re just happy. That’s all.”
We spent the whole day there, eating lunch, walking around the lake, watching Mason play in the leaves with Max.
My parents were careful, so careful, never pushing, never overstepping, just happy to be near us.
When it was time to leave, my mom hugged me gently, like I was made of glass, like I’d break if she held me too tight.
“Thank you,” she whispered in my ear. “For giving us a chance.”
My dad hugged me too, his arms tight around me, the first real hug I’d gotten from him in as long as I could remember.
“We won’t let you down,” he said.
I got in the car, waving at them as we drove away.
Lauren looked over at me, smiling.
“Okay?” she asked.
I nodded, looking out the window at the trees passing by.
“Okay,” I said. “More than okay.”
That night, we got home to Boston.
Mason was asleep in the backseat, Max curled up beside him.
Lauren carried Mason up to bed, and I took Max out into the backyard for a quick walk before bed.
I stood there in the dark, looking up at the stars, thinking about everything that had happened in the last year.
Grandma dying.
The will.
Tyler pushing me off the deck.
Lying on those rocks, thinking I was going to die, thinking no one would ever help me.
Sarah saving me.
Lauren and Mason becoming my family.
Learning to walk again.
The trial.
Justice.
Moving to Boston.
Building a new life.
And now… my parents.
A second chance.
I felt a soft hand on my shoulder.
Lauren stood beside me, wrapping a blanket around both of us.
“Penny for your thoughts?” she said, smiling.
I leaned my head on her shoulder.
“I was just thinking about Grandma,” I said. “I wish she could see us now. See how happy we are. See how everything turned out.”
Lauren squeezed me tight.
“She can,” she said softly. “I know she can. She’s right here. With us. Always.”
I looked up at the stars again, and for a second, I swore I could feel Grandma there, her hand on my head, her voice soft in my ear, telling me she was proud.
Telling me I’d done good.
Telling me I was loved.
Max barked, chasing a moth across the yard.
A light turned on in Mason’s bedroom window, and we saw his little face peek out, waving at us before he went back to bed.
Somewhere down the street, a dog barked.
The air smelled like fall and wood smoke and home.
I took a deep breath, letting it out slow.
For the first time in my whole life, I felt completely, totally safe.
Completely loved.
Completely at peace.
I had everything I’d ever wanted.
Everything I’d ever needed.
May you like
And I knew, with every fiber of my being, that everything was going to be okay.
Forever.
