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Those words rang in ain “For me?”

“Yes, sweetheart, I’m here only for you”

I didn’t knohat to say I barely kne to feel I hadn’t seen or talked to her since they tookout ofher in She looked better than I’d ever seen her

I didn’t recognize the wo in front of me, yet I knew she was my mother

“How did you knohere I was?”

“I talked to your aunt She orking today, and I didn’t want you to not have family in the stands” Her eyes lit up “I watched your entire cereraduated with honors I always knew you’d accoirl”

My eyes connected with Jax He was standing behind her, his concern for me radiated off of him It was almost as bad as Christian’s

“I’d love to go to lunch Catch up It’ll be my treat You can pick anywhere you’d like to eat”

“Your treat?” I asked, confused She couldn’t hold down a job, ere always broke

“Yes! I have a job I’ve been working at a doctor’s office for the last three years in Dallas It’s where I live I’m his receptionist”

“You live in Dallas?”

“You didn’t hearlike it didn’t hurt her to hear me say that “You knohat? It doesn’t matter We can just start fresh, Kinley Care Bear”

I winced, hearing her call me that I used to love the Care Bears as a child They were my favorite shoatch

“Honey, I’ve missed you so much” She stepped toward round beneath me

“You look beautiful, Kinley” She reached for , and your face has changed, baby”

“Yeah,” Christian scoffed out “That’s what happens when you lose custody of your kid and she doesn’t want anything to do with you for over six years”

“Christian!” I exclai like this

I never considered hoould feel if e part of ht this moment would even happen, but at the sarateful it had

I’din this world

She was my mom

Plain and simple

I still worried about her Growing up, our roles were reversed—she was the child, and I was the parent I didn’t have to defend her to Christian He should have understood this wasn’t his place to have an opinion

It was mine

“I can only i his eyes “I completely understand your apprehension, but I mean Kinley no harm I was such a aze shifted back to h I … ummm… I’m so eive me the opportunity to prove to you that I can be the mom you need The one you’ve alanted I want so badly to prove to you that I’ve changed I’m not that woman anymore, I swear to you”