Life has been crazy lately. I have my first grandchild, ready to come any day. I have Theo demanding that I finally tell my sons about us. Then I have the business that’s constantly growing, and the opening of the restaurant took a lot of my attention. And on top of everything, I’m dealing with Avery. I was so scared to get involved with her, but I’m so glad I did. In a lot of ways, it was helpful not only to her, but to me, too. Helping her realize she could live through all she had happen to her was eye-opening. It made me realize how happy and full my life is. It makes me so proud of her and myself for living through what most people can never imagine. I love Avery, I really do, and nothing will ever get in the way of that. I will always treasure that girl. She helped me as much as I helped her. Liam, that’s a different story. He is my main problem now. I have been secretly trying to get him to get his head out of his ass.

Once I found out Liam was in love with Avery, and then I heard of what happened between the two of them. I knew I had to help them get together. Life is not worth living without the person you love.

I talked to Margaret weeks ago, and we agreed they needed to be together. She said she knew something was going on when they were younger. She had seen him at the house at night sometimes and wanted Avery to be happy. She said she never told Adam because she didn’t want him ruining it for her. So, she stayed quiet. She also said she knew when it was finished. Avery never confided in her, but you can tell when your child is suffering from a broken heart. She asked me to forgive her, she said for years she hated Liam for hurting her daughter and would include me in that. I understood that. I told Margaret I had no issue with it. She went on to say she saw the night of Adam’s death, how much Liam still loved Avery.

We from then on have been thinking of things we could do to bring them closer. When Avery told us Phil was coming, I knew with him coming, Liam might see her with someone else and realize how much he actually loves her.

But now instead of loving her, he’s doing the exact opposite and letting Phil take her. Then he is drowning himself in pity. I was going to let it go on for as long as it took for him to wake up. But now he’s taking his anger out on his brother. I see him punching Zander, and poor Zander is standing there taking it, instead of fighting back. Well, that’s it. I guess no more waiting. I’ll have to take a more direct approach.

“Liam, now boy! Don’t make me say it again. Get your ass in my office!”

I walk off knowing he will follow; he dare not defy me. Once he enters my office, he slams my door. I look at him, and he bows his head and sits down.

“Why were you hitting Zander?”

“Mom, leave it alone.”

“No, Liam, I’m not leaving it alone anymore. So, tell me why you were hitting your brother?”

“He was provoking me, that’s all. He pretty much asked me to hit him.”

“And Liam, why would he do that?”

“Oh, I know why he did it. It was so you could call me into your office and scold me like a little child. Which I’m not anymore. So, Mother, if that’s all, I have shit to do.”

He goes to stand up, but that’s not happening.

“Sit down, Liam. How dare you try that fucking shit with me? Who do you think I am? The only reason I’m taking your shit is because you’re my son. But Liam, if you weren’t, this would be a whole different conversation. So, sit down.”

He looks at me and decides not to push the issue any further.

“Listen to me, boy. I know you’re hiding shit from me. And I know what it is.”

“Mom, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Tough, we are. I’ve had enough of tiptoeing around the situation.”

He raises his voice at me. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Since when don’t I know what I’m talking about, Liam? You already admitted to me that you love Avery. That’s why I helped her. I know, Liam, that you killed those men, my angel.”

I walk over to him and lay his head against me. My hand rubs through his hair.

“Liam, I hated finding out that you did that. But I’m proud of you for doing it. You became the man she needed that night. You took vengeance out for the woman you love. When I found you watching her and sleeping in that chair every night, I realized you were protecting your woman. So why, Liam, are you so determined to give her away now?”

I move back across my desk. “Avery told me how you broke her heart. She said you slept with Marcy. She also told me you started distancing yourself from her right before graduation. Did you want to marry her, Liam?”

“Yes, I did. I was planning on asking her before I left for college.”

“So, what happened? And Liam, don’t lie to me.”

“Mom, like I said, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay, so let me guess. You broke her heart after I told you about our family business and your place in this family. Am I right?”

He looks up at me, and I can see I’m right.

“You want to know, Mom? Then yes, I couldn’t bring her into this life.”

“Why? You didn’t think you could trust her?”

“No, that’s not it. I didn’t want this life for her. I loved her so much, Mom, but she was not made for this life. She was pure and innocent. She was sweet and untouched by the evils of this world. She would’ve never wanted to be married to a mobster. Her family would have never accepted that either. I loved her enough to let her go, and I still do. She still won’t want this life.”

“So, you sacrificed her because you loved her, and now you won’t have her because you’re, what, stupid? I can’t believe how stupid you are.”

“I’m not stupid. I love her, and yes, I’m still willing to let her live the life she should have. Even if that means she lives it without me.”

“Liam, you never gave her the choice. You didn’t trust her enough to see what she wanted. You made the decision for her. She may never forgive you for taking her option away. Because that’s exactly what you did to the woman you say you love. You broke her heart, you didn’t trust her, and you took her choice away from her. Oh, and by the way, I know you hid her not only from me, but from everyone. You kept her a secret.”

I get up from my chair and get two files from my cabinet. I return to my desk and drop one of the files in front of him.

“What’s this?”

“That is the file on the man you’re willing to give Avery to. Go ahead, read what type of life she’s going to have.”

I watch as he looks down at it on my desk, almost like it might bite him. But then he picks it up and starts reading it. Once Avery told me about Phillip Braun, I had to know who he was. I had my investigator find everything he could on Phil. When I read the report, I was surprised to realize he was from the family I thought he was from.

As far as the file on Phil goes, it paints a pretty picture of a life Avery could have, but then I’ll show him my second file.

He reads it and says, “He sounds perfect for her. She should have a good life, but I could already tell that, Mom.”

“It does look perfect, doesn’t it?” I slam the other file down. “Now read this one.”

He eyes it and then starts reading. I wait patiently for him to put two and two together.

After a few minutes, he looks up at me. “What is this?”

“That, angel, is his family. The Brauns are a family of importance; they own banks and practically run the state. Just like we do. You see, Liam, Phil is just like you, and his family is just like ours. You’re throwing the woman you love into the arms of a man just like the ones you’re forcing her out of. The only difference is that she loves you, not him.” I lean back in my chair and say, “Phillip Braun Sr. is a very important man in the state of Alabama. I hope one day we will do business with him. Alabama has casinos, but they don’t have legal table gambling yet. Once they do, I will need Mr. Braun to help our family to have one of the state’s first table gaming casinos and hotel. Without him, that dream will never come true. You need to decide what you’re going to do, but you will do it without pissing that family off, do you hear me?”

He nods his head. “I’ll tell her. She won’t want him after that.”

“No, you won’t. You will not tell Avery anything about the Brauns that Phil doesn’t want her to know. If you do, Liam, you will have to deal with me, son.”

“If I don’t, Mom, she’ll marry him. It will hurt her when she finds out who he really is.”

“You underestimate Avery, son. She’s not stupid. She might not have known much about our family when you two were younger, but I can guarantee you she knows some things now. That girl can handle a lot more than you think. She’s not naïve anymore to the evils of the world.” I stand up to get my point across. “I will tell you this much, Liam. Avery is part of this family and always will be. With or without you. You just need to decide if she will be in this family as a Stern bearing your children, or if she’ll be in this family as a Braun. Figure it out, son, but don’t fuck this family with the Brauns or Avery.”

I walk out of the room and leave him to dwell on that for a while.

I pray he makes the right decision because I wasn’t lying. Avery is part of this family, with or without him in her life.