“This!” She thrust a letter drawn on official bank letterhead towards me, confirming the note they had issued in exchange for the loan was clear and paid in full. “I mean, that was over a quarter of a million dollars, Mack!”

“I know. She paid it off!” I replied, still in disbelief about the fortunate turn of events.

“Who?”

“Tyler’s mom.”

“I can’t believe this!” she said, pulling me towards the couch and sitting down. “This calls for a celebration. I texted Brayden. He’ll be coming over as soon as he gets off work. We’ll order a ridiculous amount of pizza and you can drink all the cranberry juice you want! Or Shirley Temples! The sky’s the limit!”

I laughed in response. “Let’s not get too crazy.”

“Oh, we are!” She jumped up from the couch and ran into the kitchen, grabbing a few water bottles out of the refrigerator. “Isn’t it nice not to have the stress of money problems anymore?” She returned, handing me one of the bottles.

“It is, but I have to find a way to thank her.” I glanced at Jenna. “I think I’m going to fly to Boston tomorrow so I can do that in person.”

Jenna’s eyes widened and she grabbed my hand. “Are you sure? I mean, do you think you’ll be okay? I can talk to the girls at the restaurant to see if they’ll be okay and I can come with you.”

“No, Jenna,” I replied, meeting her sincere blue eyes. I would have been fooling myself if I said I didn’t like the idea of her being at my side to help me through what I knew would be a difficult time. “I appreciate the offer, but I need to stop breaking down whenever I’m reminded of him. I had a life before him, and I’ll have a life after him. It’ll take time to not find pieces of him throughout my life. Hell, I still see him in practically everyone I pass on the street. But I know it’ll get easier. I’ll probably stop seeing his eyes everywhere, I’ll no longer hear his voice in my sleep, and I’ll forget what he looks like.”

“Is that what you want, Mack?” Jenna asked, giving me a concerned look.

I shrugged. “It may not matter if it’s what I want or not. My memories of him will fade and will be replaced with other memories. Maybe happier ones.”

“For your sake, I hope there’s nothing but happier times ahead, Mack,” Jenna commented, leaning back on the couch and flicking on the television. “Life always has a strange way of working out, doesn’t it?”

Mackenzie

IN AWE, I GAZED out the window as the cab drove down a long driveway and up to a three-story colonial in Wellesley, just outside of Boston. The estate was beautiful, the grass a shade of green unlike anything I had ever seen. The driveway was cobblestone and led to a small circle with a breathtaking fountain in front of the house.

Getting out of the cab, I looked up at the brick building, the opulence in front of me making me feel out of place. Nausea settled in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t tell whether it was from the pregnancy or having to be in a house where I would inevitably be faced with reminders of Tyler. I knew I needed to do this, but I couldn’t ignore the small voice saying I would regret my decision.

Hesitantly climbing the few steps to the front door, my breath caught when it swung wide open, Colleen’s warm smile greeting me before I even had a chance to knock.

“Mackenzie, dear…” She held her arms out to me as if I were her own child.

Dropping my bags, I wrapped my arms around her, squeezing her tight. “Thank you so much,” I sobbed into her chest. “You have no idea what it means to me.”

“Oh, hush, darling,” she replied, rubbing my back. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m the one who should be thanking you for giving me another grandbaby.”

“It’s a boy,” I said through my tears.

Pulling back, she held me at arm’s length, gazing at me with the same warmth and devotion my mother used to when she was alive. “A boy!” she exclaimed, hugging me once again. “I’m so happy for you, and I’m even more thrilled that you’re here, Mackenzie. Truthfully.”

I met her eyes, amazed at her sincerity. For a family who seemed to make a living off deception and lies, she appeared to be so genuine. Apart from getting knocked up, I didn’t know what I had done to deserve to have her in my life, but I was glad I did.

“Come on. Let’s get you some food. I’m sure you must be tired from traveling all day.”

Nodding, I turned to grab the handle on my suitcase and she quickly tore it out of my hand. “Don’t even think about it. I’ve got this. Go on in, dear.”

In a daze, I walked through the doorway and into her stunning house. Just past the foyer was a sitting room, the furniture probably costing more than my entire college education. It was formal with a touch of personality. I half expected the house to be museum-like, but it wasn’t. It was a house for a family, and I could just picture the fights Tyler and his brother must have gotten into in this house.

The sound of paws clicking on the hardwood floor caught my attention and I looked down, my eyes growing wide as a stubby French bulldog came wobbling toward me, a silly grin on his face.

“Griffin!” I exclaimed, bending down to scratch his head. He barked in response, as he always did when someone said his name. “It’s so good to see you, buddy.” Panting, he briefly showered my face with kisses before a photo on the mantle in the sitting room caught my eye. I strode to the fireplace, Griffin close on my heels, and picked up the framed photo of a happy family.

“Griffin seems to like you,” Colleen commented, approaching me.

“He’s a great dog, stinky breath and all.”

She laughed. “You’ve got that right.”

“Is this your husband?” I asked, referring to the man in the photo who had those same green eyes as Tyler and his siblings.

“Yes. That’s Thomas.”

I returned my eyes to the photo, seeing a strong resemblance between the man and his two sons. He was tall and built, having dark hair and an exquisitely handsome and distinguished face. Colleen stood next to him and looked somewhat younger, perhaps in her late forties. In front of them sat a young woman with blonde hair and those trademark green eyes. Carol. She was probably in her late twenties or so. Next to her sat Alexander, a forced smile on his face. He couldn’t have been more than fifteen. Beside Alexander sat a child of no more than six. Tyler. He had the biggest grin on his face, his arm slung around his brother’s shoulders. From the photo alone, I could sense Tyler looked up to Alexander. I supposed he still did.

“You have a beautiful family,” I offered as I returned the photo to the mantle.

She placed her hand on my arm in a consoling manner, obviously noticing I was struggling not to crack. Not only was I pregnant, which caused my emotions to go from one extreme to the other within seconds, but I was still struggling with my feelings about what Tyler did.

“He’ll come back,” she encouraged. “I promise.”

“What if I don’t want him to?” I met her eyes. “What if I’m not ready to see him? To forgive him?”

“Mackenzie, sweetie,” she sighed, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the ornate white couch where we both sat down. “Forgiveness is a funny thing. Sometimes we don’t forgive people because they deserve it. We do so because they need it. I saw the guilt and remorse etched on Tyler’s face that day in March. It was a look unlike anything I had ever seen on my baby boy’s face, even after Melanie…” She glanced down, gently caressing my knuckles and squeezing my hand. “I don’t know when he’ll be back, but I can tell you this much. Not one day has gone by where you haven’t been on his mind. He may seem to have a tough exterior but, inside, he’s still a boy who has had his world ripped out from underneath him. His love for you is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”