Page 52 of Believing in You

She’d lost weight. The sallowness of her face and the dark circles under her eyes looked like a person who was ill and didn’t sleep much. Two things that hadn’t changed—she still wore berry red lipstick, and her nails were polished in the same color.

“Hi, Mom,” he said, his voice shaking a little, but it didn’t crack.

“Harrison.” That one word sounded like a whisper being carried away by a gust of wind.

Suddenly, tears streamed down her face, and she placed her hands over her mouth just as a sob broke free. His mother’s cries, filled with so much anguish, was like being stabbed in the chest with a machete repeatedly.

Damn.He hadn’t been prepared for this. But when Nyla squeezed his hand and discreetly gestured for him to go to his mother, Harrison did. His legs were heavy, like they were covered in cement, as he moved across the room. When he was close to his mother, he gathered her into his arms and hugged her.

Months ago, he wouldn’t have been able to do this. He wouldn’t have been able to just hold her as she cried harder and louder while her body shook uncontrollably. But he was doing it, and surprisingly enough, he had Virginia Priestly to thank for this ability.

Mrs. Priestly greeted him with warm, gentle,I-love-you-to-deathtype hugs every time she saw him, and she didn’t allow him to leave her presence without giving him another one. He felt each one to the depths of his soul. Every. Single. Time.

Now it was his turn to give one to his mother.

No, they could never have a normal relationship, but he could give her something that he never thought he’d ever be able to give her—forgiveness.

“I forgive you,” he said quietly next to her ear, and she cried harder. Her arms tightened around him, and she held on as if he was a lifeline that she had no intention of ever letting go.

Harrison didn’t know how long they stood like that, but by the time they released each other, it was as if a boulder had lifted from his shoulders.Finally.Even without a lot of words or a lengthy, heated conversation, he could close this chapter of his past.

Two hours after arriving, they left Piper’s apartment and Nyla was emotionally spent. She didn’t know what she expected from the visit, but all things considered, it went well.

As she and Harrison walked silently hand in hand down the two flights of stairs, she thought about the conversation that took place in the apartment. Nicole Grant, Harrison’s mother, was a lovely woman who was weighed down heavily with sorrow and guilt.

The reason she had been calling Harrison lately was because she’d had a health scare. After being rushed to the hospital weeks ago, thinking she’d had a heart attack, it turned out to be angina. Still, it gave her the push she needed to try to talk to Harrison. She wanted to ask his forgiveness before she took her last breath.

Though Harrison had forgiven her, without her having to say a word, Mrs. Grant still begged him for forgiveness. It took awhile for the conversation to take off, but she initiated it by apologizing to him over and over again. She told him that there was no excuse for her behavior back then. That there was nothing she could say now, not evenI’m sorry, that could ever make up for the horrible decisions she’d made when he’d been accused of murder.

Nyla felt the woman’s pain and anguish deep in her soul. Every word and every tear held so much sorrow and guilt. Harrison told his mother that he wasn’t there to rehash what took place years ago. He was there for both of them to get closure and to heal from the experience.

Even though Nyla believed Harrison truly forgave his mother, she wondered if his mother would ever forgive herself. Nyla didn’t know what would become of their family’s relationship. Yet, she hoped this visit opened the door for future visits, and all of them would start the healing process and one day grow closer.

The moment they stepped outside into the spring air, Nyla sucked in a breath and released it slowly. It wasn’t very warm out, but at least the sun was shining, and the wind was mild.

As they walked down the block to where Harrison had parked, he didn’t speak until he reached the SUV. Instead of opening the passenger door, he backed Nyla up against the vehicle and stood in front of her.

“I’ll never be able to thank you enough for coming here with me today. I know for a fact that I couldn’t have done this without you and your mother.”

Nyla frowned. “Mymother?”

He nodded, and a slow smile spread across his face. “She taught me how to hug.”

Nyla laughed. She didn’t have to ask him what that meant, she knew. Her mother gave the best hugs. It was almost like her hugs had a silent conversation built into them that spoke of love, trust, and probably in Harrison’s case, forgiveness.

“I’m so proud of you,” Nyla said, sliding her hands up his chest until her arms circled his neck. “I knew you could do this.”

“I’m glad I came. It feels like a heavy weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Thanks for believing that I could do this. Your support meant everything.”

“I’ll always believe in you,” she said and kissed him slowly. When the kiss ended, Harrison was smiling. “What?” she asked.

“Nothing. I was thinking about how much I love you. I think I might’ve fallen in love with you that day at Telecom when you offered me tequila at nine o’clock in the morning.”

Nyla threw her head back and laughed. “I love you, too, even when you’re grumpy, and I have to offer you liquor to calm you down.”

Harrison chuckled and wrapped his strong arms around her. When he placed a lingering kiss on the side of her head, Nyla closed her eyes and basked in his love.

Sneak Peek – Zion’s story…

---