Chapter 89

Chapter 89
Margaret and Julie sat in silence across from each other at a quiet restaurant, the only sounds were from the clinking of silverware. Around them appeared to be businessmen sitting across from awkward-looking people that Margaret could only assume was someone beneath their station, and most of them weren’t even eating. They didn’t have any food in front of them. The restaurant was an expensive place that people took someone to when they were trying to impress upon them that they were more than they were.

Margaret dabbed her napkin to her lips as she realized she was no better than the awkward underlings she hoped to make it up to Julie for stealing her from her life, from the future she could have had, and then not giving her the love and attention she should have had. She was searching for the right words when she noticed that Julie was staring at her plate without seeming to see the food on it.

Finally, Margaret took a deep breath and broke the silence.

"I know I haven't been a good mother to you, the kind of mother you deserved." Margaret began, watching Julie push the food around on her plate. "I neglected you, and even though I didn't birth you, you’re still my daughter, and you deserve only the best. But I realized it too late, right when the words came out of my mouth that day, the day when Lenora announced the truth. None of what I said was true, and they shouldn’t have been said. I have no excuse for any of it. You're such a sweet girl, Julie, you deserve to be loved more than I was ever capable of. I loved your father, and I guess that was all the love I had in me. But, but..."

Julie set her fork down and kept her gaze on her plate. She didn’t respond, didn’t even look up. Margaret felt uncomfortable in her chair. She cleared her throat, pressing on.

"I want to change that, Julie," Margaret continued, her tone sounding desperate, almost pleading. "I do love you, but it’s too little, too late, and I know that. But I can help you reunite with your real family if that’s what you want. I know I can't undo the years I lost with you, but maybe I can make up for them."

"Why would I want that?" Julie finally looked up, her expression unreadable. "I don't want any other family. I have a family that I love. I had a father who adored me, even after he found out the truth. He never made me anything less than his little girl, nothing is going to take that away from me. I have a brother, even though he isn’t there right now, even if he doesn’t remember, he’s still my big brother, my hero. Once upon a time, he was there for me night and day. No matter what, he had my back and I love him more than anything. I have a sister, now; even if Mason doesn’t remember how in love they were, she remembers, and I remember…”

“None of that will ever change, whether you want to meet them or not. You are still you; you still look the same, think the same, and still have the cheeky glint in your eyes when you think we don’t know you’re up to something. You are still you, honey, nothing can change that. If you ever change your mind, I will always be here to help you.” Margaret reached across the table to take Julie’s hand, but Julie moved it beneath the table and into her lap before she could. "I just want you to be--"

"Happy?" Julie scoffed. "I don't know what that even means right now. I've lost everything that made me happy. I've lost my dad, Mason won’t even look at me, and everyone is just... reacting differently, letting their emotions and hormones run wild. It's like no one has any hope left. Why do you even care now? You never cared before, remember? The things you said? What’s changed? Do you feel guilty now? Is that what this is?"

“Honey, no,” Margaret sat back in her seat, somehow surprised to hear Julie speak that way. “I may feel guilty, but that’s not what any of this was about! I never realized how much I loved you until I couldn’t be with you when you thought I was dead. Your reaction… you didn’t seem to care, and it broke my heart to realize how much I had hurt you, how much I had. How much I had lost.”

“I don’t even know what to say. How do I deal with any of this? Everyone’s gone, no one cares anymore, and everyone’s acting so differently. I haven’t just lost my father and brother, I’ve lost everyone.”

Margaret blinked, confused. "Who are you talking about?"

Julie shook her head, dismissing it. "It doesn’t matter."

Margaret’s lips parted to say something, but Julie pushed back her chair, rising to her feet. "I'm sorry but I have to go. There’s someone I need to see."

Margaret sighed, nodding in reluctant understanding. "Alright. Go, then."

\~~~~

A few hours later, Julie arrived at Emily's house, feeling more anxious than she had expected to be. She missed Emily so much; she was afraid she was too late to fix things with her, that Emily wouldn’t forgive her, and she would be truly alone.

Just as she stepped onto the porch, Emily’s brother, Kyle, came out the door. He paused in surprise when he saw her.

"Julie," he greeted with a smile, then he hugged her. "It's been a while."

"Yeah," Julie replied with a smile of her own. "I was hoping to see Emily."

Kyle gave her a long look as if trying to study her expression and wasn’t sure he liked what he was seeing. "She's inside, but... she hasn't been herself lately." His voice softened. "She's not eating properly, and any time I ask her what the problem is, she just says it’s nothing."

Julie’s chest twisted with guilt, and she bowed her head. She was the reason, she had broken Emily’s heart.

Kyle took in her reaction, his face flashed with understanding. "Look, I don’t know what happened between you two, but... Emily is in love with you. She's loved you since she met you. I just want her to be happy and I’ve never seen her that way before you… I believe you're here to patch things up with her, right?"

Julie’s gaze lifted to meet his. "I love her too, Kyle. I just didn’t realize it on time. I'm going to make things right between us."

Kyle nodded, patting her shoulder reassuringly. "I know you will. But, if you’re here to get her back, you had better mean it this time. I’m a nice guy, Julie, but she’s my baby sister…”

Julie nodded, surprised to hear such seriousness in Kyle’s warning.

“Have fun,” he smiled, his normal, jovial self showing through again, so suddenly Julie had wondered whether she had seen any other side of him at all.

With that, he left, leaving Julie to gather her thoughts before heading inside.