Chapter 16
Becky pulled up in front of Lois' small house and knocked on the door. "Come on, Chloe, get out."
Chloe slowly got out of the Jeep, not knowing why she was brought to this house. When she was halfway up to the front steps, the door opened. She took off in a solid run, throwing herself at the strong woman who'd raised her.
"Lois!"
"Come in, girls, I've been waiting for this day." Lois smiled and closed the door behind them.
"Why aren't you at the mansion?"
"Honey, the only reason I was working there was for you. After you left, there wasn't a need for me."
"Oh my God, I feel so horrible. I never called you after I left, or asked how you were doing when I was in the hospital. I'm so sorry!"
"I knew you were living in Detroit, and when I saw you walking hand in hand with Matthew and that smile was stretched across your face, I knew you were happy."
"You followed me?"
"Actually, I followed Becky. But yes, I needed to check on you. After all those years at the house with you, Chloe, you became like my daughter. Just because you left, didn't mean my job was done."
"I need to talk to you, Lois. I'm so messed up right now, and I have questions only you can answer for me."
Lois took her by the hand and led her into a small, pretty living room. Becky followed behind, but gave the women their space. After the girls were seated, Lois put on a pot of water for tea and set up a tray with cookies she'd made.
Chloe's eyes roamed the room. The walls were painted a soft rose color, and the furniture was old but clean. There weren't any statues or expensive paintings, but adorning a wall were framed photographs of Chloe throughout her childhood. Sitting on a shelf were the dozens of projects she'd made for Lois over the years.
She returned with the tray of tea and cookies. "Here you go, drink some of this," she said as she poured the hot liquid in the cups.
"You kept this stuff…"
"Of course I did. They're my treasures. Do you remember the mess we made when you made those bowls and vases out of pottery clay?"
"Lois, I love you." Chloe got up and held the woman. The sobbing began and she couldn't make it stop. The older woman just stood there and let her cry as long as she needed to. Becky quietly wiped at her own eyes.
When Chloe sat down, she dried her face and took a deep breath. "I don't know where to begin…"
"How about I start then? I know your parents like the back of my hand, and of course, I know you. Everyone acts the way they do for a reason, Chloe, whether it's good or bad. Your parents come with a story of their own. It'll take me a bit, but I'd like for you to listen. I think you're upset and angry out of fear, and all fear comes from a lack of knowledge. I've taught you things all your life, and this is perhaps the greatest lesson."
Chloe sat facing Lois, and from time to time, the old cook would reach over and wipe away a tear off the young woman's face or squeeze her hand.
The story began on the day Lois was hired by the Burlington's, and how she fell in love with Sylvia's baby from the very start. Chloe listened intently and chuckled at some of her stories. They talked for over two hours, and when Lois was finished, Chloe found herself feeling pain in her heart for her mother.
"I feel bad that Sylvia had to go through all that and feel so hurt, but that didn't give her any reason to do it to me. Even though I went through what she did, I'd never even think about treating my child that way."
"You had me to teach you, Chloe. Your mother had no one. She had no knowledge so she lived in fear. Sylvia didn't know about love, trust, and bonding. All she knew was rejection. Afraid that your father would find someone else and reject her, she stayed by his side. She knew I was there to care for you and give you love, so she was at peace. Yes it was wrong, but she made sure you were going to be cared for first. Sylvia has a long road ahead of her to make amends for what she's done to you, but if she's willing to learn, you might want to think about teaching her, so she won't be too afraid to try."
"Will you come with me to pick out a wedding gown?"
"I would love to do that with you, but that's a mother's job. Every young bride-to-be should have a chance to have their mother walk with them through that process. Even though I love you like a mother, that's not who I am. Take it slow, Chloe, you don't have to get married in a week. Give your mom and dad a chance to treat you better, to get to know Matthew, to learn who you are. And if it doesn't work out, you can sleep comfortably at night because you'll know you did everything you could. I know you want them in your life, but they have a lot to prove to you first. Your father is retiring, did you know that? He's never leaving again and is in the process of trying to find someone to take over the business. He's doing it for you."
For five minutes Chloe remained silent as Becky drove back to the freeway to get her car, providing it was still there. She was always so protective of that vehicle until she found there were more important things in life. A car could easily be replaced, but not being at her best friend's side when she was needed wasn't an option.
The Jaguar was still sitting on the shoulder of the road, unharmed. Becky and Chloe said their goodbyes, with promises to talk again in the morning. Chloe had to get things right with Matthew and figure out how to handle Sylvia and her offer. She had no idea how to proceed with her dad, either.
When she pulled up into the dimly lit parking lot at her apartment, she spotted her mother standing beside her Cadillac, with her jacket wrapped tightly around her body. Her head was faced toward the ground, trying to keep the cold wind off her face. Chloe got out of her Jeep and walked slowly over to her.
"Why are you still here?"
"I wanted to talk to you. I never gave you a second of my time throughout your life, but there was no way I was going to leave from this place, seeing how much pain you were in and knowing I was the one who caused it. You can go inside if you want, but I'm more than willing to sit out here in my car, all night if I have to, until you're ready to talk."
"You waited outside your car for me this entire time?"
"Yes, and I'd do it all over again."
"I know about your childhood," Chloe blurted out.
"It wasn't nearly as bad as the one I created for you."
"Would you like to come inside where it's warm? I'm not sure what I'm going to do about all this, but you can't expect to show up out of the blue and be my mom."
"You're right. Thank you, and I'll take whatever relationship you can offer me."