Chapter 8 - The Woman Who Raised Me
My mother arrived at the hospital the next morning.
For the first time in twenty years, I was able to see her.
I recognized her voice before I recognized her face.
"Claire?"
She stood in the doorway, holding a bouquet of yellow flowers.
Her hair was almost completely silver.
Deep lines surrounded her mouth.
Her eyes filled with tears when she saw me looking directly at her.
"Oh, sweetheart."
She stepped forward.
"You can see me."
I had imagined this moment for years.
I had imagined running into her arms.
Touching her face while studying every detail.
Telling her how beautiful she looked.
Instead, I remained motionless.
"Mom, sit down."
She stopped smiling.
"What's wrong?"
I placed the old photograph on the blanket.
She looked at it.
The flowers slipped from her fingers.
"Where did you get that?"
"Nigel."
Her face drained of color.
"Claire—"
"Was Nathan's father involved in the fraud at Dad's company?"
She lowered herself into the nearest chair.
"Who told you that?"
"Answer me."
She stared at the photograph.
"Your father discovered irregularities in the company accounts."
"Did you know?"
She didn't answer.
"Mom."
"Yes."
The word was almost inaudible.
"Did you meet Richard Mercer near the playground?"
Her hands began trembling.
"Claire, you don't understand."
"Then help me understand."
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Richard was threatening us."
"About what?"
"He had documents that could ruin your father."
I frowned.
"But Dad was the one who discovered the fraud."
"That's what your father believed."
Something cold moved through me.
"What are you saying?"
My mother looked away.
"Your father wasn't entirely innocent."
For a moment, I couldn't breathe.
My father had been the kindest man I knew.
He had taught me how to ride a bicycle.
He had read stories aloud when my eyes became too painful to use.
After the accident, he had spent countless nights sitting beside my bed.
"Don't say that about him."
My mother began crying harder.
"I'm not trying to hurt you."
"Then stop lying."
She wiped her face.
"Richard and your father had both signed off on contracts that were later used to conceal stolen money. Your father claimed he hadn't understood what Richard was doing. Richard threatened to make him responsible for everything."
"And you met Richard?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I thought I could protect our family."
I stared at her.
"Did you know Nathan was going to push me?"
Her face crumpled.
"No! Never!"
"Then why did you write that I must never know why?"
She looked toward the window.
"Because I knew what happened immediately before you fell."
"What happened?"
She pressed her trembling hands together.
And then she whispered:
"You were holding something, Claire."
I stared at her.
"What?"
"A small envelope your father had given you."
My heartbeat quickened.
"An envelope?"
She nodded.
"It contained a copy of the evidence."
"Where is it now?"
May you like
My mother closed her eyes.
"That's the part I was hoping you would never discover."
