I’m still amazed that my mother is here. We may have grown distant due to the miles between us, but my love for my mother has never faltered. I’ve missed her, and having her here only makes the void I’ve lived with seem stronger. I wanted this, her here to share my life with me. I want to have her be a part of everything I experience from this point forward.

“I don’t want to bring up the past,” my mother says as she reaches out to take my hand in hers. “I just want to tell you that I’m sorry for everything you’ve had to face on your own.”

“I chose that,” I say, stopping her from further blaming herself. “I know, had I come to you, you would have been there. But, just like I told Aimee, it was my choice to face it as I did. Please don’t allow guilt to overtake you. You’ve always been there. It was my fault for not coming to you and accepting that fact,” I tell her, “but that’s all going to change now.”

“I’ve always wanted the best for you, honey,” she says, reaching out to pull me in closer for a hug.

When we part, she is smiling, and I wait for her to explain the instant shift in her mood.

“That man of yours is a good one,” she says.

A giddy feeling rocks my stomach.

“Easy on the eyes, loves you with an irreplaceable kind of love. Makes me happy you’ve found him.”

“He is amazing,” I confess. “I know I’m safe with him, in more ways than just one. He keeps me grounded. He protects my heart. I’ve never imagined a love like his. It’s consuming.”

“Seeing you happy is all I’ve wished for,” she says, tears pooling in her eyes.

“I am happy,” I assure her.

She takes in a deep breath, as if to calm her emotions, and squares her shoulders. “So, when do I get to meet this sweet little boy and the rest of the Powers clan?”

“Soon,” I say, feeling the lighter conversation soothe the ache within me from only moments ago. “We should plan a lunch or maybe a dinner.”

“And Aimee,” she says.

Suddenly, I feel horrible all over again. I know something is going on with her, yet she assures me everything is okay.

“What is it?” she asks, noticing my look of concern.

“I’m not sure, but I know that she’s not the same,” I confess, “she’s so closed off. She won’t share anything, only hides away, as if she can handle it.”

“Sounds like someone I know.”

I look toward her and am unable to hold back my smile. She’s right; it was me. The difference is, Aimee hasn’t run away—at least, not yet. The thought makes my stomach tense. Not having her here with me is something I never want to face.

* * *

“I’m so happy to finally meet you,” Miranda says as she instantly pulls my mother in for a hug. “You’ve raised an amazing woman, and I feel blessed to have her and now you in our lives.”

Call me emotional, but seeing how Drew’s family immediately welcomes my mother is beautiful. Drew stands back, smiling wide, as he witnesses the exchange between our mothers. Something tells me these women are going to be close.

Dawson watches my mother with curiosity, and when she notices him, she kneels down, giving him a bright smile in return.

“This handsome guy must be Dawson.”

He nods, and she laughs.

“I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Really?” he asks as he looks back at Drew and then toward me.

“Reagan talks about you all the time,” my mother continues. “The sweetest little guy she has ever met and how much she adores you, too.”

Dawson glows with joy.

“I’m so glad to finally meet you,” she adds as she leans forward and gives him a gentle hug.

Dawson reciprocates and happily wraps his arms around her neck.

“Can I call you Grandma, too?” he asks.

It makes me laugh.

“If that’s what you’d like to call me, then I’m okay with that,” she says.

In that instant, I can no any longer hide the tears that have been threatening to spill.

When I look up, I see Drew looking back at me, his face etched with worry.

I’m okay, I mouth, assuring him the tears are those of joy and not sadness.

In fact, I couldn’t be happier. I have everyone, I love all in one place, in one city. The man who hurt me will pay for his sins in one way or another. I know he will.

Life’s good.

No, life’s amazing.