lose someone to appreciate them.”
Tears streamed down his face. He knelt down,
clinging to my skirt. “Mom, have I lost you?” “This is the last lesson I’ll teach you as your mother. Don’t speak cruelly to the people you love, or the people who love you. Learn to respect others, and they will respect you. People leave when they’re hurt.”
He sobbed, clutching my legs. “Mom, please give me another chance. I’ll be good. I won’t be like Dad. Please believe me. I’m your baby…”
I helped him to his feet. “Alex, your father and I are separating. I’m not going back.”
He wiped his eyes. “Mom, if you don’t want
Dad, then I don’t want him either. If you won’t
come see me, can I still come see you? I
promise I’ll behave.”
“That’s your choice.”
We learn from experience, not from lectures. Sometimes it takes heartbreak to gain clarity. I
hoped Alex would learn from this, shed his
arrogance and prejudice, and become a better
person, someone who wouldn’t budil
his father’s footsteps.
I ran into Sarah after closing a major deal. She
invited me for coffee.
“Nicole,” she began, “back at the hospital, I
didn’t correct Alex because I thought he was
testing you. I should have. I apologize. I
shouldn’t have come between you and Mark.
And I shouldn’t have accepted the job, no matter how much I needed the money.” She looked down. “I resigned after you left. I
realized I can’t rely on the Petersons‘ charity. I need to stand on my own two feet.”
I transferred a file to her phone. I owed Sarah a
favor. Back in high school, she’d been
temporarily placed in my class. She was
practically royalty in our social circle, yet she was kind and down–to–earth, her inner strength radiating outward. I, on the other hand, was insecure, desperate to fit in with Mark’s crowd, constantly the target of their ridicule. Sarah had been different. She’d told me that the universe
revolves around you only when you focus on yourself. She’d been right.
<
I had discreetly investigated Sarah’s family’s
business. The Millers were old money, more
aristocratic than wealthy. Their sudden downfall
had been suspicious. I’d uncovered some shady
dealings by her relatives abroad. The rest was
up to her. The Millers had a good chance of
recovering; their foundation was strong.
Sarah was grateful. Then her expression turned
somber. “So, you and Mark…”
I pointed to the window. Daniel stood outside,
patiently waiting, dressed in a gray overcoat.
Sarah smiled, a genuine smile. “I’m happy for
you. Mark doesn’t deserve you.”
As she left, she mentioned Mark wanted to see
- me. He met me, reminiscing about our “good
times.”
