“Mom, are you really feeling okay? You don’t have to push yourself if you don’t want to meet dad,” Levi looked at her with concern.
After Maya told them their father was coming, nervousness hung heavily in the air, filling both her and Rish.
“I do want to meet him, don’t worry about that. I’m just stressed,” Maya answered, feeling bothered by the fact that she had to face Elk.
She did want to see him, but she was so scared to face him, it felt like her heart was wrecked thinking about it again and again. It was more than just painful, it was causing her major stress all over.
“Then it’s fine, don’t push yourself for us. There’s no way we wanted to meet him if it will cause you stress or pain,” Rish’s eyes narrowed.
He would be lying if he said he wasn’t excited for it, but this wasn’t worth it if it was going to cause his mother pain. He had already seen her suffering all these years, no way in hell did he want her to suffer more – meeting their father could wait. He knew his sister shared the same thoughts.
“Both of you worry too much. Don’t worry, I’m perfectly fine. Just behave when your father comes here, don’t say anything that might not be suitable, do you understand?” Maya smiled as she spoke.
She couldn’t be with both Rish and Levi sometimes, they were just overprotective towards her. Sometimes it felt like she was the child and they were her parents, that’s how they both behaved.
“We’re not kids anymore, Mom. We’ll behave, right Rish?” Levi looked towards her brother, who nodded in agreement.
Maya sighed. “Yes, my big babies, now you’re both adults.” She chuckled. For sure, time had flown by much earlier than she wanted it to.
“How have our fathers been living all these years, Jackson?” Rish asked.
Jackson, who had been silent before, opened his mouth. “Working and living like zombies.”
Maya felt a pang in her heart hearing it. She was the reason for it, and she couldn’t even deny it, as much as she wanted to. She had no guts to do so – it was a reality she was running away from in a loop. The more she denied it, the better she got gripped in it.
An uneasy silence fell over the group after Jackson’s blunt assessment of how Elk had been living. Maya felt her heart constrict with guilt anew. She had stupidly hoped that somehow Elk had been able to move on, to find happiness again after she had abandoned him and their life together. But Jackson’s words painted a different, much bleaker picture.
Rish seemed to pick up on his mother’s emotions. He shifted closer, gently squeezing Maya’s arm in a reassuring gesture. “It will be fine mom.”
Maya managed a small, grateful smile at her son, but the weight on her shoulders didn’t ease much. “I know, Rish. But that doesn’t undo the years of suffering I put him through by leaving. Your father deserved so much better than that loneliness.”
Levi spoke up then, her expression a mix of concern and determination. “Maybe so, but you can’t change the past. What matters now is being fully honest with Dad when he arrives – no more running, no more excuses. Just lay it all out there, flaws and all.”
“Your daughter is right,” Jackson interjected gruffly. “Elk’s a grown man, he can decide for himself if he wants to listen with an open mind and heart. But you gotta be brave enough to expose that vulnerability first, Maya.”
Maya nodded slowly, recognizing the wisdom in their words, however difficult it was to accept. She had kept so much walled up for so long, it was hard to imagine truly opening up and purging it all now. But if she wanted any chance at making amends, at explaining herself, she knew she couldn’t hold anything back this time.
Squaring her shoulders, Maya met each of their gazes steadily. “You’re right. All of you. I can’t control how Elk will react, but I can control being fully open and honest when he arrives. No matter how exposing or difficult, he deserves to hear the full truth from me.” She paused, feeling a sense of resolution settle over her. “I won’t run anymore. It’s time to face this head on.”
Rish and Levi both gave her encouraging nods, seeming to sense the steadiness returning to their mother’s demeanour. Jackson simply watched her approvingly, that simple look conveying he knew she had found her resolve.
“Anyone inside?”
Maya trembled as she heard the knock and familiar voice on the other side of the door. She closed her eyes, her hand starting to shake, hearing her mate’s voice after 18 long years of waiting. She was utterly overwhelmed at this moment.
18 years of waiting, and now hearing the voice of her mate was something she never expected would happen.
‘Our mate,’ her wolf mindlinked, causing Maya to flinch slightly.
After she had left the pack all those years ago, her wolf had never been able to mindlink with her like this – a sign that her powers were returning.
‘Don’t hurt him more, Maya. He is our mate, don’t hurt him at all,’ her wolf purred insistently in her head.
Maya swallowed hard, steeling her nerves. Her wolf was right – she had already inflicted so much pain on Elk by abandoning him. She couldn’t allow herself to cause him any more anguish, not now when they finally had a chance to confront everything head-on.
Rish and Levi exchanged worried glances, able to sense the roiling storm of emotions within their mother at this moment. Jackson simply watched Maya closely, giving her a slight nod of reassurance.
“Open the door, Levi,” Jackson instructed, breaking the silence.
Levi walked toward the door, feeling gripped with anxiety that only intensified with each step she took.
She grasped the door handle and twisted it open.
‘Get it over, it will be fine,’ Levi chanted in her head as the door creaked open a little. She was trying to calm her mother down before, but now her own heart was beating wildly, feeling like it would jump out without any warning.