Chapter 7
I arrived about two days before the funeral was scheduled to take place. I tried to keep a low profile. I didn’t want anyone from my high school knowing I was back home. I especially didn’t want Mason to find me. But who was I kidding? Everyone knew I was back. It was impossible not to.
Mason ended up coming to the house the day after I arrived. He was carrying something in his arms and it was only then that I remembered the baby. I was so caught up in the death of my sister that I had completely forgotten about the baby. I hadn’t even bothered to ask if it had survived or not. I guess I had just assumed that it had died along with my sister, but apparently not.
It was very awkward when Mason and I made eye contact for the first time in nine months. I just wanted to run out of the room, but I knew I couldn’t. His eyes were red as if he had been crying for a long time. I knew I couldn’t leave him like that. While I had hated his guts for a while, there was still a part of me that loved him. He may have betrayed me, but I also knew that he had been drunk. Maybe, if he apologized for what he did, I could find it in my heart to forgive him.
We ended up sitting down together on the couch. I looked over at him and he was holding his baby girl. I thought that maybe if we focused on the baby, then we wouldn’t have to talk about prom night. So, I sat a little closer, looking at the baby for the first time. I took one look at her and I was already in love. She looked so much like my sister. She was beautiful.
I didn’t know it then, but I would come to love that baby more than life itself. I took one glance at Mason and said softly, “She’s beautiful.” He nodded, quietly, as if afraid to talk. I had never seen him so quiet, especially not around me.
“Addison… I… I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry… I know it doesn’t mean much, but I hope you believe me. I know it’s a lot to ask… but I hope one day you find it in your heart to forgive me.” I could tell he was being sincere as he pleaded with me. He had never loved Avery. He had always loved me. He knew the moment the alcohol left his system just how big of a mistake he had made. He had beaten himself up over it constantly and I felt bad for him.
“Mason… don’t…” But he continued, unable to stop himself. He had to tell me. He had to explain himself, even if I wouldn’t listen, he had to get it off his chest.
“I… I… drank too much… and that’s no excuse… I know… but Avery was touching me all over and I thought it was you… I thought you were trying to be extra sexy since it was prom night… and the alcohol made me confuse you two… but I should have known it wasn’t you… I was a damn fool, Addison… I’m sorry….” Mason was sobbing now. I couldn’t stand to see him like this.
To my surprise, I hugged him. We sobbed together. It had been a rough night for the both of us. It was a mistake we would both never forget, but mistakes were made to learn from, not to cry over. I looked at him and in that moment I forgave him. I don’t know why I did. I vowed I never would, but in that moment, I knew I had forgiven him. There was no way I could stay mad at him, not with him this heart broken. It was hard enough seeing him cry.
I don’t know if I forgave him so easily because I loved him so much or because I loved my niece, but I did. After that hug, everything seemed to fall back into place. Mason and I started to have decent conversations again and I found out that nothing about Mason had changed at all. He was still the goofball I had fallen in love with.
I learned that he had stayed with Avery only because she was carrying his child. I also learned that he had thought about me constantly while he was gone and that if Avery hadn’t been pregnant he would have gone after me. He told me that I was the only girl for him and that I would always be the only girl for him. He knew he didn’t have the right to ask for my forgiveness, but that he would never rest until he got it.
It took me a while to admit it to him, but eventually I did tell him that he was forgiven. I didn’t want him to be miserable for the rest of his life. In the end, I never did end up moving back in with my grandmother. I ended up staying in my home town, with my mom and dad, partly because they needed me after my sister’s death, and partly because I wanted to be near Mason.
We ended up spending a lot more time together and it was nice. I liked spending time with my niece. It made me feel like a mother. By the time she was about two months old, I had made my decision. I grabbed Mason one day, knowing I would have to tell him in person.
“Mason, there is something I need to tell you.” He looked worried as he rocked little Isabella in his arms. He was a good father to her and I was proud of him. He was handling being a single father very well, but still, he didn’t deserve to raise a child all by himself.
“What… what is it?” He finally asked, looking up at me.
“Well… believe it or not… I still love you… a lot… and I think that you still love me… and Izzy deserves a mother… and I think that I deserve to marry the man of my dreams…” I let the statements hang in the air, hoping he would pick up what I was putting down. To my relief, I saw his eyes go big before he hugged me tightly.
“Oh… Addison… you are the most amazing person in the world, you know that? I can’t believe you would do this for me!” He was in shock.
“I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for me. I know I wouldn’t be happy with someone else and if I don’t save Izzy now, then you will make her play tennis the moment she learns how to walk!” We both chuckled, knowing it was true. After that, it was all smooth sailing.