Love Regifted by Stephanie Haddad

Author:Stephanie Haddad
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: coming of age, betrayal, love story, womens fiction, adoption, contemporary romance, romance novel, romance fiction, contemporary womens fiction
Publisher: EMpress Books

My mother waits patiently for me to finish reading and then says quietly, “I don’t know what’s changed, but if she wants to talk to you, you should call. I’ll sit with you while you call, if you like.”

“No, that’s alright,” I say stiffly, hearing the rasping voice of my phone message all over again. I trace over the words with my finger mindlessly, staring at the phone number my real mother has scribbled into the bottom corner. I don’t have to check my phone’s history to know it’s the same as my mystery caller’s. “Do you know where she lives?”

My mother shakes her head. “Somewhere in Virginia, near Richmond, I think. She moved after we adopted you, Ava. And she’s never given us an address. I’ve spoken to her a few times—when she calls me—but she’ll never say.”

“So, all these years, she’s been keeping us at arm’s length, just sending some stupid birthday cards with no return address, and we can’t even know where she lives? Is she trying to stay hidden from me?” New anger bubbles under the surface, like I’m a volcano about to erupt. I’m not even sure I know who I’m angry at, by now. “Here, you keep this.”

“You don’t want to keep the letter?”

“What am I supposed to do? Hang it on my fridge?”

“Ava, you should keep it. And you should call her, give her a chance to explain. I’m worried that something is wrong and I’d hate for you to—”

“Listen,” I say, standing up. “You’re the only mother I’ve ever known. And she’s never given a damn about me, from what I can tell. But now that she needs me, I’m supposed to go running to her? I’m supposed to be eager to help?”

“She’s your mother.”

“No, she’s not. You’re my mother.” I throw my coat around my shoulders, ready to bolt.

She stands up, reaching out to stop me. “Sit down. Can we talk about this?”

“Just leave me alone!” And with that, I make this Bertucci’s the one where I screamed at my mother and stormed out.

Before I’ve even made it to the sidewalk, I have my cell phone in my hand, dialing Mackenzie’s number. It rings into voicemail. “Mack, it’s Ava. I have to talk to you. Now. Please call when you get this. It’s really important, and...”

The battery dies. Now I can’t even try to track down Kimmy or Ben. I’m all alone, left to my own devices to deal with this huge piece of news. And all the resulting emotions.

I scream at the top of my lungs, letting all my pent up feelings out. It doesn’t help at all; I’m still angry. And sad. And so totally disgusted by everything right now. I blaze up Commonwealth Avenue, destination unknown. My head is spinning. How could she just sit there and give me that letter? First I have some secret birth mother who abandoned me for some secret, possibly stupid, reason and then five minutes later I’m supposed to answer to her

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