After dinner, I stayed with her for a while, listening to her familiar voice and cherishing the warmth of her presence. Eventually, she urged us to leave early so we wouldn’t be late for work the next day.
As we stepped out, she leaned in and whispered, her voice laced with quiet determination, “If that vixen dares to pester Hugo again, just tell me. I’ll deal with her myself.”
I nodded, but deep down, I no longer cared.
I didn’t tell her Ava had already moved into our home; I feared it would only infuriate her.
Love was simple. Either it existed, or it didn’t. And once it was gone, no amount of support could make up for the emptiness it left behind.
Still, as I caught sight of the silver strands in her hair, a deep ache settled in my chest. The thought of never seeing her again, never tasting her home-cooked meals, filled me with sorrow I couldn’t shake.
Mom, please take care of yourself.
The drive home was cloaked in silence. Hugo focused on the road, his expression unreadable.
From the backseat, Jasper’s face was a storm of barely restrained anger. The moment we got into the car, he snapped.
“Mom, how could you?”
I met his resentful gaze, my voice calm and steady. “How could I what?”
Jasper let out a cold laugh, sharp with accusation. “Stop pretending. You went to Grandma’s behind everyone’s back just to badmouth Aunt Ava. Now that Grandma scolded her and kicked her out, are you satisfied?”
I had to admit my son’s imagination was impressive.
The older he got, the more he resembled Hugo, calm and composed yet carrying an undercurrent of quiet cruelty.
I tilted my head slightly. “And how do you know I spoke ill of your Aunt Ava?”
“Did you hear it with your own ears?”
He rolled his eyes, his voice laced with disdain. “Isn’t it obvious?”
He spoke with such certainty as if I had been born a scheming troublemaker.
I had no idea what I had done to make him see me this way.
At that moment, I felt like a complete failure.
Any explanation would sound like an excuse, so I swallowed my words and chose silence.
A quiet beat passed before Hugo spoke, his voice softer than usual.
“Jasper, don’t talk to your mother like that.”
Jasper’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Dad, did you forget how pitiful Aunt Ava looked when she was crying just now? She didn’t do anything wrong! Why should she be treated like that?”