The next morning, I took a day off to drive my parents back home.
“You really think a married daughter no longer belongs to her own family? Who’s your real mother, huh? I came all this way and only stayed one night, and now you're already sending me back. Sophia’s already your ex-mother-in-law, and yet you’re still feeding and housing her like she’s royalty.”
“You really are pathetic!”
“Mom! That’s enough!”
As soon as we got in the car, Grace started ranting. She knew exactly how to get under my skin—always did. She was the one who knew me best, which made her jabs cut even deeper.
Sensing my mood, my father reached out and tugged gently at Grace’s sleeve. She finally clicked her tongue and fell silent.
That evening, when I got home, Sophia had already prepared dinner and was waiting for me. Roland sat obediently in front of the TV, watching cartoons.
I rubbed my face and forced a smile.
“Roland, Mommy’s home! Did you miss me?”
Life had to go on. Roland was more sensitive than most kids, so I tried not to show any negative emotions in front of her—at least not visibly.
“Mommy!”
Roland rushed over and threw her arms around me, planting a big kiss on my cheek.
“I missed you! Grandma did too!”
I paused, a little stunned. When I looked up, I saw Sophia standing in the kitchen doorway, looking a bit awkward. I remembered how she'd defended me before, and in that moment, she felt more like a real mother to me than my own did. My heart softened.
“Yeah... I missed Grandma too.”
Later that night, after putting Roland to sleep, I came out to find Sophia sitting on the couch. She looked like she’d been waiting for me.
I walked over and sat beside her. “Sophia, you’re still up?”
She looked uneasy, fiddling with the remote, flipping through channels without watching anything.
“I’m old. Hard to fall asleep these days.”
There was something about her restlessness that made my chest ache. At the same time, I couldn’t quite understand why she chose to stay with me instead of going to live with her own son.
“Fiona, I’m not staying here to take advantage of you. It’s just... when I’m near you, I feel at peace.”
“When Tobias’s father passed away, I raised him all on my own. He turned out alright—got into a good college, found a decent job. But after that, he barely came home. Maybe once a year, if that. The signal’s terrible up in the mountains, and I couldn’t even get a phone call through. I always felt anxious. He used to need me for everything, but now he’s got his own life. He doesn’t need me anymore. I’m just scared that one day, he won’t want me at all.”
“Then you two got married, and it was you who invited me to move in. You treated me better than Tobias ever did. The food, the clothes, everything—you always gave me the best. And after that car accident…”
“You stayed by my side day and night. Even the nurses thought you were my daughter. I felt so warm inside. I told myself, if Tobias ever did you wrong, I’d never forgive him.”
“But he still ended up hurting you. Honestly, he should’ve been reported to the police—let him sit and reflect on what he’s done. I failed him as a mother. I really let you down.”
I didn’t expect her to carry that memory for so long.
Back then, we’d just brought her in from the countryside. She didn’t know much about city life. Tobias was always too busy with work, and whenever she asked him something, he brushed her off with a few impatient words.
I couldn’t stand it, so I taught her how to use a smartphone, how to buy groceries, how to pay using apps.
One day, while we were out, she went to the market alone. She didn’t understand traffic signals and ended up getting hit crossing the street.
When I got to the hospital and saw her legs covered in blood, I was overwhelmed with guilt. I had forgotten to explain the traffic lights. I should’ve taken the time to walk her around, helped her get used to the area.
I took several days off work to stay at the hospital and care for her until she was discharged.
“Sophia, it’s okay. That was on me too. I forgot you were new to the city. I should’ve walked with you and helped you get familiar with everything.”
Hearing that, the guilt in her eyes only deepened.
“Look at you, still worrying about me even now. Not like that bastard son of mine. Got himself a new wife and forgot his own mother. And the moment I said a word, Tessa clutched her belly, cried, and called an ambulance—like I’d done something to her. She twisted the whole thing to make it seem like I was bullying her.”