Page 23 of Winter Memories

“What if this is just an overreaction to us not getting closure? We were friends and then together for so long, but it all changed in a day. We went from talking almost every day, even with the distance, to not being in each other’s lives.”

“Eden,” there’s a gentle admonishment in mom’s voice which has me looking at her. There’s understanding in her eyes, one that has me relaxing. “You and Fletcher are two halves of a whole. I understand why he let you go all those years ago. Your lives were going in different directions, and the distance was putting a strain on you, even if you didn’t want to see it or admit it. You were trying to hold onto your life here, but you were also reaching for a life there. He wanted to do the right thing for you.”

My eyebrows pull together, “How do you know that?”

Mom sighs and gives me a small smile. “When he got back, he came over and saw us. We didn’t see him much after that day. I think he avoided us because we were a reminder of you and what he lost.”

“He came to see you after he broke up with me?” I realize I’m only repeating what she’s already said, but I’m having a problem wrapping my mind around what she’s telling me. “You never said anything.”

“You didn’t want to hear about him.” I open my mouth to defend myself, but she holds her hand up and shakes her head. “We understood why you didn’t want to hear anything about Fletcher, it’s not a judgement. He needed the same kind of distance.”

“It hurt too much,” I whisper.

She wraps an arm around my shoulders and gives a squeeze. “Of course it did. You have loved each other even before you realized it at 14.” She steps away and grabs something out of the fridge, but I’m not paying attention. “Anyway, yes, he came to us as soon as he got home from Rhode Island. He wasn’t sure if you would call us and tell us how things ended, but he wanted us to know so we could support you if need be. He knew it would be difficult. He knew it would break both of your hearts, but he thought it was the right thing to do. We couldn’t argue with his reasoning since it was trying to put you first.”

“I should have come home long before I did. Staying gone after graduation was a mistake,” I mutter, looking down at the cutting board but not really seeing anything.

“No,” Mom’s voice is firm, “you needed to continue to spread your wings and establish your client base. You needed to experience life outside of Wintervale and look at what you’ve been able to do with your career.”

“I could have done that anywhere,” I grumble.

“Maybe,” she agrees, but shrugs one shoulder as if it’s all water under the bridge. I guess it is.

“You still love him?”

“Of course,” I bristle.

What a ridiculous question. Even when we weren’t together, there wasn’t a day that went by when I didn’t think about Fletcher and still love him with everything in me.

“He still loves you,” she points out gently.

“I think so,” my tone is hesitant.

“No, he still loves you,” she insists; she’s not posing it as a question. “The boy never stopped loving you. Anyone could see the pain in his eyes for the last 13 years. We could see it in yours too whenever we visited.”

“Yeah,” I sigh. I blink back the tears and force myself to keep cutting the onion.

“What’s really bothering you, Eden? You already know everything I’ve said. You can feel it. You’ve been walking around here without touching the ground after spending time with Fletcher. Spill,” she demands.

“Shouldn’t I be more cautious with everything because of Macklin?”

When she doesn’t say anything right away, I force myself to look at her. She has her head cocked to the side while studying me.

“Do you think Fletcher is going to do something to hurt Macklin?”

“No,” I bark, fury filling me at even the notion of Fletcher hurting my son. He would never. “Fletcher’s already fallen in love with Mack. He would never,” I hiss the words.

Mom’s smile is smug as hell, and it takes me a moment to mentally replay my words. Well, fuck. I slump slightly and chuckle under my breath.

“It’s okay to be worried, Eden,” Mom soothes me with her words. “You are an amazing mom and if you weren’t worried about this, I would be more concerned. I’ve seen the way Fletcher looks at you and Macklin. I promise you,” her words are insistent, and weighted, “if I thought you were moving too fast, I would tell you.”

“Aren’t you supposed to wait to introduce kids to someone in a situation like this?” I scrunch up my face because even though I’ve asked the question, it feels wrong.

“If we were talking about a stranger, then I would probably say yes. But we aren’t.” She bumps my shoulder with hers. “We’re talking about a boy who has been in love with you since you were both young, someone who has always put you first. Macklin deserves the love of a dad, and I believe Fletcher can give it to him.”

I squeeze my eyes shut and nod because I know she’s right. “I don’t ever want Mack to feel like he’s unloved or unwanted.”

“Fletcher will never make him feel that way. He looks at Macklin and sees a part of you. It’s not important to him that he’s not biologically his.”

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