Traction (The Driven World)
When I reach the living room, Mom is sitting on the couch. I join her, settling on the soft cushions, crossing my legs, and taking her in. “I’m sorry you saw that.”
“I know what happened,” she admits.
“What?” Snapping my gaze to her, I watch as she lifts her head and observes me for a long moment. “How did you—”
“I got a call from Kayden. He told me you don’t want to speak to him,” she states slowly. “I think you should give him a chance to explain.”
“There’s nothing to explain, Mom,” I insist, trying to stop the whine from escaping my lips. “His mom told me everything. If he’s with anyone outside his social circle, he could lose his father’s company. And that’s something I couldn’t live with.”
“Did he tell you that, Haelee? Did he agree with his mother?” Mom poses two questions I can’t respond to because when I think about it, I realize I pushed him out without so much as giving him a chance to say anything.
“No, Mom,” I finally answer, knowing she’s going to be disappointed in the way I’ve conducted myself. But in my defense, the thought of Kayden losing his dad’s company was scary. I couldn’t let that happen.
“What did she say to you?” Mom asks, her gaze locked on my face, taking in my expression. That’s something she could always do, gauge my emotions by simply looking at me.
“She told me I’m not good enough for her son. That one day, I’d turn out just like my junkie whore mother.” She flinches at the words. One thing about Mom is that I’ve hardly ever heard her cursing, but I want her to know the exact phrase Kayden’s mother used. Even though I have fought all my life not to be like my birth mother, the fear I may end up just like that is something I’ve lived with daily.
“If that’s something you believe, then I’m sad.” Mom’s words have my attention snapping to hers. “You’ve come so far. I understand you’re nervous. Genetics is something we can’t understand, but already, you’re not like her. You have an education you’re going to put to use and a passion that will gift you a career for as long as you want it.”
“I know all that, Mom,” I agree. “I can’t stop the fear from taking hold of me, though. It’s not something that I can just put at the back of my mind and forget.”
She nods. “No, it’s not, but you need to look at the life you have now. You need to believe in the present, not the past. If you spend too much time focusing on what’s behind you, how can you see what’s right in front of you?”
Silence hangs in the air for a long while as I consider her words. I know she’s right. I know it down to my inner core, and I need to do as she says. My mom has always offered the best advice, and she’s definitely more understanding than I thought she’d be.
“Now, are you going to give this poor boy a chance to tell you all he has to say?” she quips, a small smile playing on her lips. “Because I actually feel quite sorry for the way you sent him packing without listening to him.”
“I just didn’t want him to lose his legacy. And I didn’t want him to resent me if that ever happened.”
“I understand, but you have to remember, it’s not your choice. It has to come from him. If he decides to walk away and choose his father’s company over you, then sadly, it has to be Kayden’s decision.”
“Why do you always have to be right?” I ask, a soft smile on my lips.
My mom shakes her head like she’s done countless times before when I’ve done something stupid. “Part of a mother’s role is to always be right. At least, I try to be.”
“I wish I’d given him a chance,” I whisper. “I was so hurt by his mother’s words. And I believed that he’d resent me for making him lose the company.”
“You can’t make anyone do anything,” Mom says. “You do, however, need to talk to him. Allow him to explain because pushing him away just because of something his mother said, it’s unfair.”
“You really like him,” I remark, looking at my mother with a smile.
She nods. “I do. He’s a good person. And he seems to care for you a lot.” Mom takes my hand, holding it in both of hers before saying, “Will you talk to him?”
“Yeah, I have to. I need to, and hopefully, he’ll take my call.”23Kayden“I have it on good authority he’ll take your call,” I chime in as I step into the living room. Haelee’s eyes snap up to mine. They widen, and a small smile spreads on her face. Then she glances at her mother. When I came to Caroline and asked for permission to speak to Haelee, I had to explain what happened, how my mother had come across the information, and told her how much I care about her daughter.