Three months later
Ben hurried home after work at Arbor Accounting to relieve Ava. She had plans to go to the movies and out to eat with Kayla. Drew was bringing Harlow over and he and Ben were going to watch football.
As he pulled in the driveway of their duplex, he saw a black BMW parked there. Thinking Lee must be visiting, he headed inside. However, inside the vehicle wasn't Lee.
"Mrs. Coulter?"
She looked at him, a tired and apprehensive look on her face. "Benjamin."
"Did you just get here?"
"About twenty minutes ago."
"You've been sitting out here for twenty minutes? Why haven't you gone in?"
"I'm not sure I'd be welcome."
"Of course you would. Come on. I'll go with you."
"Maybe I should leave."
"And go where? Hope Hills is an eight hour drive from here. Come on. Don't you want to meet your granddaughter?"
She really did and she really wanted to finally make amends with Ava.
"Babe?" Ben called as he walked in the door. "We have company."
She walked out, the baby monitor in her hand, dressed in dark jeans and a pink flowy top to hide the baby weight she still wanted to lose. "Mom?"
"Ava." Rosie realized how deeply she had missed her daughter when she finally saw her after a little more than a year. "You're beautiful."
Ava looked down at her outfit and back up at her. "I'm going out."
"Maybe you should cancel," Ben suggested.
"I don't want to cancel. It's been sixteen months since she's seen me. Three more hours won't make that much of a difference." She handed him the monitor. "She's asleep. I just fed her so she will be good for awhile."
"Ava, please. I'd like to talk to you," Rosemary told her.
Ava pulled her into the living room, farther from the nursery. "Now? You want to talk to me now? When it's finally convenient for you. You still haven't changed."
"Ava, I'm sorry."
"Mom! I needed you. I got married and you weren't there. I needed you my entire pregnancy but you weren't there. You didn't watch when we announced the gender. I gave birth and you couldn't bother to come see me or your new granddaughter. How do you think that made me feel?"
Rosie smiled and then let out a laugh.
"Really? You're laughing? I'm not joking."
"You're definitely my daughter."
"I don't believe that was ever in question."
"Ava, I'm so sorry I hurt you. But I'd like to make it up to you and I'd like to meet Kinsey, if you'll let me."
The doorbell rang. "I'm going out." She opened the door and received Kayla's hug.
Drew and Harlow walked in. "Ben!" Harlow said, running to him, attacking his knees.
"Hey, Lolo! It's good to see you!" He picked her up and hugged her.
"Bebe."
"Baby is sleeping. She'll be up in awhile." Ben walked over and nodded to Rosie. "Rosemary, this is my sister Kayla, her husband Drew and this is Harlow, their daughter. Guys, this is Ava's mom."
"Oh, do you want to reschedule?" Kayla asked.
"No. I don't," Ava said. "Let's go."
"You're welcome to stay here, Mrs. Coulter," Ben told her. "That way you can spend some time with Kinsey."
"Very well. Can you point me to your bathroom?"
Ben told her where to go and gave Ava a kiss. "Love you. Have a good time."
"I will. Love you too."
After a few moments, Ben heard cooing over the monitor and then singing. Rosie.
He listened for a bit. "She's got a nice voice," Drew mentioned as he turned on the TV to catch the pre-season game.
"She does. So does Ava."
"I'm surprised Ava didn't stay."
"I'm not. She's stubborn and her mom hasn't seen her or made the effort in over a year. Knowing my wife, she needs time to think before she can give Rosie a shot."
"I can't believe after sixteen months, she just shows up, expecting things to go back to normal," Ava ranted as they drove.
"Did she expect that?" Kayla asked.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, did she expect that everything would be fine or does she just want a chance to see you and Kinsey?"
"I don't know but it's not that simple, Kay. It hurt that she wasn't at my wedding. She wasn't there to give me advice or just listen to my fears about being a wife and mom. She didn't come see me at the hospital or acknowledge anything had even happened."
"I can see why that would hurt."
"It did. It does. My dad made the effort. He was there. And your parents and you and Drew. I don't know what I would have done without all of you."
"That's what our family does. We take care of each other. Not all families are the same."
"No, I guess not."
Ben handed his mother-in-law a bottle and she put it in Kinsey's mouth.
"Why are you being so nice to me, Benjamin?"
"Have I ever been anything but nice to you?"
"No, but I can't say the same thing for myself."
"You're making an effort."
"Took me long enough."
He raised his eyebrows and picked up Harlow who had come over to him. "Hey, Lolo."
"Bebe."
"Yeah, baby is eating. Did you eat your food?"
"Yeah." Harlow laid her head on his shoulder so he snuggled her even closer and swayed.
"Do you think Ava will forgive me?"
"Eventually. She's stubborn."
"Like me."
"Yeah, so I say just give her time. In the meantime, enjoy getting to know Kinze. She needs her Grandma."
Rosie nodded and rocked as Kinsey ate. "You two seem to be doing well."
"We are. I'm working at Arbor Accounting full time and my night school classes start three nights a week in September."
"What about Ava?"
"She said she may take a class or two online starting next semester. Right now, she's happy taking care of the baby."
Rosie gently sat Kinsey up and patted her back. "This certainly isn't how we expected her life to go."
"I suppose not but we can't change the past."
"No. I know that but I do intend to apologize for it."
Ben nodded and peeked at Harlow who had fallen asleep. "I'm going to put her in Kinsey's crib. I'll be right back."
Around eleven, Ava came home, surprised her mom was still there and awake.
"Hi."
"Ava, did you have a good time?"
"Yeah."
Ava kicked her shoes off and headed to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.
"Can we talk?" Rosemary asked.
"I need to feed Kinsey."
"Can you feed her down here?"
"I guess." Ava walked upstairs and changed into one of her loose shirts and a pair of yoga pants.
"Babe?"
"Yeah. Its me."
"Did you have a good time?"
"Yeah. Did you?"
"Yeah. Your mom and I talked a bit."
Ava picked up Kinsey and kissed her warm cheeks. "Hungry, honey bun? I'm going to feed her downstairs. Mom wants to talk."
"She came a long way. Give her a chance, Ava."
"Okay."
As she walked downstairs to the dimly lit living room, Ben's advice to give her mom a chance rang in her head.
She sat down in the recliner and started to feed Kinsey.
"First, Ava, I want you to know that I am so proud of you."
"You are?" she asked, her eyes filling with tears. She didn't remember her mom ever saying those words to her before.
"Yes. You are a strong young woman with big responsibilities. You are a good mother and a good wife."
"How do you know?" she asked quietly.
"What do you mean?"
"We haven't seen or talked to each other in over a year. How could you possibly know if I'm those things?"
"Ben told me. Ava, I'm so sorry for not being here for you."
"Why, Mom? Why did you leave me when I needed you most?"
"Did I ever tell you about my parents?"
"No. I asked but you never told me anything."
"Well, your grandfather was in the Navy. We moved a lot. At least once a year. It was near impossible to make friends and feel at home anywhere. So instead of even trying, I just built this wall around my heart so no one could get in. Your grandmother was the same way. She was hard on me and never showed affection. Never said "I love you" or showed it. Needless to say, when I headed to college, I was grateful to be away from that life but I didn't know how to be anything but closed off."
Ava put the very sleepy Kinsey up on her shoulder and burped her. She loved this time. Providing nourishment and love for her made her feel important, needed. Something only Ben had made her feel for a long time.
Her mom continued. "I'm not blaming my parents for how I am. I take responsibility for not trying harder to be a good mom. But, it was all I knew for eighteen years. When you started dating Ben, I felt like I was going to lose you. He was taking you away from me, from the life your father and I had made, the life we wanted for you."
"But, Mom. I'm not a person who needs rich things like huge houses or expensive cars. This is me. I'm a wife and a mom and one day, I will be a biologist. I'm happy here."
"I see that and to be honest I didn't have any idea how you and Ben were going to make it. When you told me you were pregnant, I felt like a huge failure."
"At first I did too. I felt your disappointment in me and I was disappointed in myself. But now, I can't regret the choice Ben and I made. Kinsey is here and she's perfect and I've never loved anyone more than her and Ben. I've forgiven myself for not keeping my vow and I believe that God has forgiven me too. I just hope you can forgive me, Mom."
"I do and I just didn't know how to show you that. I'm not sure how to be the mother you need but I'm going to try."
Ava stood and laid Kinsey on the couch. Then she opened her arms. "I think a hug is a good start."
Rosie nodded and walked forward, receiving the forgiveness and love she had needed for a very long time.
"I love you, Mom."
"I love you too, baby."
Up North, Hope Hills
Livy threw up yet again. It had been a terrible flu bug and it didn't seem to be ending. She'd been nauseated and vomiting for the last week.
"Liv?" Matt said, coming into the bathroom. "I'm taking you to the doctor."
"No. I'm fine."
"You are not fine. The flu doesn't last this long. I'm afraid you're dehydrated."
She laid down on the rug by the bathtub and closed her eyes. "Okay. Take me to the doctor."
It took him awhile to help her clean up and get dressed but he finally carried her to his truck because she didn't have the strength to do it on her own.
Instead of the doctor's clinic, he took her to the Emergency room.
After waiting in the waiting room for about an hour, they finally took her into triage.
The nurse stuck a thermometer in her mouth. "No fever. Do you have chills or anything Mrs. Flynn?"
"No. I just can't keep anything down. Not even water."
"How long has this been going on?"
"About a week."
"Well, I'm going to get you settled and take a blood sample as well as an IV to replenish the fluids you've lost."
"Okay."
"Mr. Flynn, would you help your wife into this hospital gown?"
"Sure."
The nurse stepped out for a moment and Matt removed Livy's t-shirt and sweatpants. He covered her with the gown and then removed her sandals. "Its gonna be okay, Liv."
"I hope so," she mumbled as she closed her eyes.
