Page 94 of The Chances We Take

“You were never there.” My voice broke as I rasped out the words.

“That’s the thing about addiction, baby. It’s ugly, and it brings out the worst in people. I’m not trying to make excuses for what I did to you. There’s nothing I could sayto excuse that.” She put her hand on mine, a motherly instinct I hadn’t experienced in years. “I’ve been sober for a month now, which doesn’t seem like a long time, but…but for me it is. And I don’t expect you to, but I hope one day you can forgive me and I can make it right with you.”

“Why now? Why is it you’re finally getting sober now that none of us need to rely on you anymore?”

She shrugged. “I have no excuse for the things that happened when you were a child, and I wish I could have done this back then. But I couldn’t and I can’t change the past, and I am so sorry for that.”

“I’ve held a lot of resentment for the way I was raised, and I think you know that.” I swallowed the lump rising in my throat as she nodded. “But I appreciate the apology. I’m not going to lie and say it’s okay or that I forgive you, because it’s not that simple, but I’m glad you’re finally getting the help you need.”

“I love you, Reid. And I’m so proud of you.”

I’d waited over fifteen years to hear those words come out of her mouth. I’d wanted so long for her to be a mother, to do her job. It would take time, I wasn’t ready to fully open my arms to her yet, but this was a start.

“I love you too, Ei—Mom.” I squeezed her hand three times, something she’d do when I was really young, before the alcohol took over her life.

“I made sun tea! Reid, you’ve gotta try it.” Kacey’s singsong voice entered the room again as she carried a big pitcher of tea and Isa followed her with glasses.

I knew they were eavesdropping. Kacey was the nosiest kid I’d ever met growing up, and that apparently hadn’t changed.

Isa sat next to me, and Kacey took the armchair on theother side of the coffee table after pouring everyone a glass.

“It was my first time ever making it, so if it’s terrible just don’t tell me,” she joked, causing us all to laugh with her.

“Is Ryke at work?” I asked.

“Yup. He’s working at a mechanic’s shop here in town for the summer,” Kacey said through a sip of her tea.

“Good for him. And Coop is still overseas?”

Kacey nodded again.

Cooper had been sent on different deployments the past few years, but he was set to come back home in the next few months.

“Enough about us, brother. How did you and Isa meet?” Kacey crossed her legs, and Eileen looked at us both expectantly.

“Well…” we both said at the same time.

“My best friend married his best friend.” Isa chuckled as she picked at the strings on her shorts. “I was the maid of honor and he was the best man, but we met long before that, actually.”

“We somehow, uh, friend-zoned each other while simultaneously pining for each other,” I added.

“Excuse me,what?” Kacey choked out a laugh.

“It’s a long story, but we finally admitted our feelings to each other and it just went from there, I guess.” Isa shrugged.

“I hope you know I’m going to needallof the details,” Kacey said.

“Later.” I rolled my eyes.

Eileen smiled at our banter. “You two are definitely siblings.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon chatting andspending time together until Ryker got home from work. I hadn’t realized how late it had gotten until he walked through the front door, a look of surprise plastered across his face. He was no longer the lanky teenager he’d been, his muscles filling out his work uniform.

“Reid?” His lip quivered a little.

“Hey, buddy.” I gave him a long hug.

“Are you going to stay for dinner?” he asked, and a glimmer of the little kid I once knew flickered in his expression.

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