Mia
I had thought that mum would never want to see us again after last night’s fiasco. I couldn’t blame her. We hurt her and she had a right to her anger. I would have been mad as well if I was in her shoes. I was surprised when she came out and joined us for breakfast. That was good. That meant she was slowly letting go of her anger and would soon warm up to us. Maybe she would be forgiving us anytime soon. I had thought I shouldn’t hold my breath on waiting for my mum to forgive us but now, it seemed possible.
I was glad that I had told Albert to let us call her to join us for breakfast when he was about to ask the maid to send her food to the guest room that she had slept in. I knew Albert was affected that she had slept in another room. He looked worse, much worse than I had ever seen him. He seemed like he hadn’t slept a wink last night with the absence of his wife in their shared bedroom. I didn’t think I had ever seen them apart when they were in the same vicinity. He missed mum last night and it showed all over his face. I didn’t have to be a seer to know that he was sorry and had only kept the secret away from her because he was afraid of losing her.
I hoped mum realized that and forgave him without thinking too much of the issue.
“Good morning.” We all said to her as soon as she showed up in the dining room.
Albert jumped up, quickly pulling out her chair for her. She sat down without a word. Normally, she would have smiled at Albert and even blown him kisses while thanking him for his gesture but she didn’t do any of that. Albert didn’t seem to mind though. He was more than happy that she had sat down on the chair he pulled out for her.
He had a smile on his face that wasn’t there before and that helped him look better than he did few minutes ago.
“You look lovely.” He said to mum.
“Thanks.” She replied without glancing at him and continued to pile food on her plate.
I glanced at mum and had to agree with Albert. She looked lovely. She had makeup on that brought out the shine in her skin but I knew what the rest of them didn’t seem to have found out.
She was hurting and hadn’t slept a wink last night like her husband. She had been crying too. I sighed, feeling pity for my mum and hating the mess that we all were in. I had only seen her in this much makeup when dad had died and she had a conference to attend the following week. She had used makeup to cover her puffy face and hide that she hadn’t been crying all week, while pretending to be fine. She hadn’t been fine then just as she wasn’t fine now.
“You hardly wear makeup though, darling.” Albert asked, staring at her. “What happened today?”
She snorted. “Because of what happened yesterday, I would like to take a walk today so I decided to use some cosmetics on my face to brighten up the dark mood I’m in.”
Albert sighed. “I’m sorry.”
She snorted again. “Stop apologizing, Albert. Do the staff know of your family secret?”
He sighed. “Yes, some of them do.”
“See? Some of the maids know of my husband’s little, dark secret and yet, as the wife, I know nothing of it. How silly I must have seemed to them walking all around in bliss and smiles on my face while the world was tumbling down all around my husband and his family.”
I snorted at her words. She had intentionally said her husband and his family to hurt Albert instead of saying her family.
I sighed. “Come on, mum. When are we going to let go of this? You know he didn’t mean to hurt you and was only trying to keep you by his side the way he knew how. He didn’t exactly lie to you, you were the one who assumed that he was human.”
Mum looked at me as if I had grown horns and she couldn’t believe what she heard but I had to tell her the truth. I would like to move on from this episode as fast as I could.
“What of you?” She finally sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me? Were you also trying to keep me by your side the way you know? I’m your mother, darling and you would always have me by your side. You should know that.”
“I know, mum.” My lips quivered as I spoke. “I swear I wanted to tell you several times but I was too afraid that you wouldn’t understand and judge you.”
She sighed. “I was shocked but I think I can get over it now. I believe you are an adult and know what you are doing.”
“Yes, mum. I know.” I assured her.
Quinn cleared his throat. “If it makes you feel any better, Vanessa, I want to assure you that we will make your daughter happy.”
Mum snorted. “Of course, you better do. After all, there is the three of you.”
It took a while to see mum’s smile and realize that she was teasing us. We all burst out laughing when we realized that she was and had forgiven us.
“Thanks, mum.” I said, reaching out for her hand over the table.
She smiled, nodded and squeezed my hand back. Everything seemed beautiful in my world again.