Chapter 17

From the Tales of Flynn Rider

Mother Knows Best

I walked out of the room with a smile on my face. She actually told me that Arthur had noticed that Delia and her parents were only interested in money and taking over the business. No one knew what happened to their money, only that it was never invested properly.

And so they lost it all. They were just hiding it well.

She also had also learned that Ethan was cheating on Danielle and one of the girls that he was seeing was Delia. Arthur had seen them together, holding hands, laughing and kissing. Danielle knew about it and tried to explain, but her parents weren't listening. Ethan was a fine boy and would straighten out once they married.

But my mother knew better. She had experienced this first hand and it had been within her own family. He had never changed, even though he married, not once, but twice.

No women ever changed her brother Edward, and no woman would change Ethan.

She was sure of that.

And so she told me that if I loved Danielle, I should go after her. And I should do it as quickly as possible before the wedding date. She had been wrong to interfere. And she had been wrong to arrange this marriage. She didn't want to force him into something he didn't want as her own mother did with Edward.

I asked her if that was all that changed her mind.

She shook her head no, and then she told me that she never expected to fall in love Dr. Arthur Martin, but she had. She never thought that they could have anything in common, but they did. They made each other happy and kept one another company. She trusted him.

And he loved her for herself. He always had before she married my father.

XXXXX

"So, this is Rapunzel's manager?" Eugene said, as he approached an unsuspecting Eric sitting at the end of the reflecting pool.

Eric stood up and turned toward him, smiling.

"Yes," he said, extending his hand. "And you must be Flynn Rider. She talks about you constantly."

"The name's Eugene Fitzherbert, Mr. Carver," he said, ignoring Eric's outstretched hand altogether.

Eric frowned, withdrawing his hand. "I guess I had forgotten; she did tell me that she knew a Eugene. I just didn't realize it would be you." He laughed. "But then again, how could I even for one minute think that you'd be anyone else, especially that miracle worker and wonder boy Flynn Rider. Why, you couldn't even hold a candle to everything that he's done."

"I think I know her a little better than you do, Eric."

"Do you really?" Eric said, smiling, "considering that she hasn't been home until yesterday. And that was, let's see, how many years? I think I've known her a bit longer. She shared with me a lot of things, Eugene, secrets and feelings that she would never share with anyone else."

Eugene was angry. "You're so sure of that, aren't you? Did you know that we were children together? Did you know that we shared our own set of secrets? Did you know that I was crazy about her before she left and I didn't realize how much until she came back here? There's a connection there, Eric. A spark I've never felt with any other woman?"

"You're engaged, Eugene, just like me. You'd better realize that she's mine and she'll never, ever be yours? She's.."

"Stop this, the both of you," Rapunzel said, as she opened the back door to the guest house, Greta following behind her.

Both men stared at her as if they had never seen her before.

"I'm no one's property, Eric," she said turning to face him, anger all over her face. Then she turned her attention to Eugene. "And you, Mr. Flynn Rider, you didn't even recognize me standing at that bus stop. You had no clue, did you? You probably thought that I was just another one of your conquests, didn't you? I'm right aren't I?"

"Rapunzel…" Eugene called out to her, but it was too late. She had already disappeared inside the guesthouse.

Greta gave them both one last look before she turned and followed Rapunzel inside.

XXXX

"Now Rapunzel, calm down," Greta said, as she reached out to touch her, "I told you about the outside world, I tried to protect you, especially from boys like that. You've made a life for yourself, my daughter and as your mother, I really think.."

Rapunzel was still angry. She threw Greta's hand off her shoulder as she turned around. She glared at Greta, her eyes burning up with fire.

"And you," she spat, "how dare you call me your daughter. How can you even tell me that you're my mother?"

Greta's eye's narrowed. "Have you any idea what you're saying, Rapunzel? Of course I'm your mother. How could you even doubt that I'm anything else?"

Rapunzel stared into her mother's eyes. "Explain this," she said, as she opened up "The Tales of Flynn Rider to Chapter 6, Confronting Your Past."

"Tell me why your name is in there Mother? Tell me everything from the beginning and I'll tell you my story. And I want the truth."