Page 79 of The Witch's Shifter
And I know my answer.
“No.” Shaking my head, I place a hand on my belly. “I want it to be a surprise.”
Selene hums thoughtfully. “All right, sweet Aurora. A surprise it’ll stay.” She takes Wyland’s hand, and he helps her into the wagon.
Now it’s down to me and my mother. The guys seem to understand how delicate my relationship with her is, for they finish their goodbyes and then step away, giving me space—not that Faolan won’t be able to hear us, but the gesture is still appreciated.
My mother meets my gaze, and her amethyst eyes are so clear and focused, it’s almost unsettling.
“Aurora,” she says, “there’s much I need to apologize to you for.”
Once my brain processes what she said, then processes it again to ensure I didn’t mishear her, I have to check to make sure my jaw hasn’t hit the ground.
Mama wants toapologizeto me?
Momentarily, I wonder if she was overtaken by another spirit during our Samhain ritual, but I quickly dismiss that idea as being ridiculous. My mother is an adept witch, one of the most powerful I’ve ever known; a spirit wouldn’t have the slightest chance at overpowering her will and taking control. Which means she actually wants to apologize.
“Why?” I ask.
I don’t mean why does she want to apologize; I could probably fill a journal with the number of wrongs I feel she has committed against me. Rather, I want to know, why now?
“Last night, in speaking to Lilith, I was able to confront some things I’ve been struggling with for a very long time.” She straightens her shoulders, her eyes softening as she regards me. “From the first moment you met Lilith, there was a special connection between you. Perhaps it’s the earth magic, perhaps not, but I knew then that you would be kindred spirits. And I was right. As you got older, your desire to be with Lilith only grew, and my envy grew along with it, like a weed in the garden.”
Envy? My mother was envious of Auntie? Surprise makes my eyebrows lift. In all the years I watched them together, I never realized the truth in my mother’s heart; she always disguised it so well. How exhausting that must’ve been.
“I spent my time being angry that you preferred her over me, and in turn, I took it out on the both of you.” Mama shakes her head, and when she glances away and bites her lip, I cantell she’s trying not to cry. “Instead, I should have been grateful. I should have fostered the relationship you shared instead of trying to tear it down. And for that I am so, so sorry.” This time when she meets my eyes, hers are swimming with tears. “I’m sorry, Aurora. For all of it.”
Without considering the possible implications of my actions, I fly into my mother’s arms. She lets out a breath of surprise, and then her arms are around me, unfamiliar but still warm.
“It’s not that I preferred her over you,” I say, my cheek pressed against her shoulder. “I just felt she understood me better, saw me for who I was. I always felt like I’d... like I’d disappointed you somehow.”
My evening in the pumpkin patch with Alden and Rowan comes back to me. I recall telling them my secret: that I’ve known from a young age that my mother is disappointed in how I turned out, in the choices I’ve made, in who I am.
But now, being held in her arms, I wonder if perhaps I could be wrong. Have I misunderstood her all these years? And is this why she always hated Faunwood—because it’s an extension of Auntie, an extension of my love for her?
Mama grips my shoulders and pulls away to look me in the eyes. “You’ve never disappointed me. I’ve always been proud of you. Your kindness, the way you see beauty in everything around you, your determination to carve your own path.” She lifts one hand and places it on my cheek. “I’m awed by you. And I wish I would’ve told you that sooner. I never want you to feel like you’ve let me down. That couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Behind me, I can hear Selene crying. I turn to face her. “You said you wouldn’t cry!” I say as tears well in my eyes.
She just shrugs, tears still flowing, then presses a kiss to Fletcher’s head, looking happy and sad at the same time.
Mama clears her throat. “I have something for you. A gift. For you and the baby.” She pulls away and reaches into the pocket of her dress.
My eyes widen when she removes a golden chain with a large clear quartz dangling in the center, hugged on either side by rough black stones. The crystals catch the sunlight and shimmer.
“Quartz for healing, black tourmaline for protection,” Mama says softly. “I know I’ve not been there for you in the way a mother ought to be, haven’t protected you or nurtured you the way I should’ve. I hope to change that moving forward.” She lifts the necklace toward me. “Will you accept my gift?”
Nodding and trying not to let my tears fall, I turn and lift my hair. Mama’s fingers are cool on my skin as she clasps the golden chain about my neck. I feel her hesitate when she sees the scar from my mate bond with Faolan, but then she brushes her fingers across it lovingly, and in that one small gesture, I feel the acceptance I’ve spent my whole life trying to attain.
And my entire body feels lighter for it, like I could just drift up into the autumn sky and float away.
When she’s clasped the necklace and I’ve turned around, she opens her arms for a hug, and I step once more into her embrace.
“I love you,” she says softly. “And I always have.”
With my family and all their luggage loaded into the wagon, it’s time for them to leave. Alden, Rowan, and Faolan stand around me. Rowan holds my hand, his thumb tracing over my knuckles as I grip the clear quartz hanging from my neck.
I would never have guessed my family’s trip would wrap up this way, with both a gift and, more importantly, an apologyfrom my mother. This doesn’t fix anything—not truly—but it’s a leap in the right direction, and for the first time, it makes me feel like maybe Mama and I can fix what’s strained between us, can become more than distant relatives. The idea makes me smile as I raise a hand to wave goodbye.
