PART 13 – My Mother Finally Sent an Apology, but Even Then She Found a Way to Make Me Feel Responsible for Her Pain

The message arrived shortly after lunch.

I was reviewing a client's marketing report when my phone lit up.

Patricia.

I almost ignored it.

Then I saw the length of the message.

It was longer than anything she had sent me in months.

I opened it.

Nicole, I think we all said things we didn't mean. Thanksgiving was stressful, and everyone was tired. Your father has been very upset. We need to stop letting this situation destroy our family.

I read it twice.

Then I reached the final sentence.

Please don't make things harder for us than they already are.

I put the phone down.

There it was again.

Even now, my mother had found a way to make their discomfort my responsibility.

I looked toward Leo.

He was sitting on the carpet, drawing with a box of crayons.

He had chosen a blue one.

He was carefully coloring inside the lines.

I wondered how many times I had done the same thing with my parents.

How many times I had tried to make myself smaller so nobody would become uncomfortable.

I picked up my phone again.

I typed a response.

I deleted it.

Then I wrote something shorter.

I need some time. Please communicate with David about the property.

I sent it.

A few minutes later, she called.

I didn't answer.

Another message appeared.

You're still my daughter, Nicole.

I stared at those words.

I wanted to believe they meant something.

But being someone's daughter shouldn't depend on how useful or convenient you are.

I turned the phone face down.

That evening, Leo asked whether we could order something from the hotel restaurant.

I told him we could.

He smiled.

Then he asked whether Grandpa would be angry if he spilled another drink.

I stopped moving.

I sat beside him.

"Leo, listen to me."

He looked up.

"You are allowed to make mistakes."

He watched my face.

"Even little accidents?"

"Especially little accidents. You're still learning."

He smiled a little.

I kissed his forehead.

And I promised myself that I would never make him apologize for being a child simply because an adult had an expensive pair of shoes.

Click here to continue reading: PART 14: Natalie Finally Called Me Without Her Husband Beside Her, and Her First Question Revealed What She Had Really Been Thinking