Chapter 72: New Beginnings

Jeremy was hoping his drive to the hospital would allow him to get his head on straight but that was not the case. His mother talked non-stop about all things baby-related. Finally, when they got to the hospital, he couldn’t take it anymore. He had to figure out what she was up to before he went in to see Melissa.

He turns towards his mother, “Okay MOM, what gives? Why are you acting this way.” He notices her wipe a tear gently from her perfectly made-up face, shocking him once again.

She stares out the window as she speaks, “These past few months without you in my life made me do a lot of soul searching. I know I wasn’t the best mother to you. I guess I just expected more out of life than what I had. Oh, I know I had a lot more than most but I wasn’t happy. I knew something was missing, I just didn’t know what it was. At first, I blamed my parents after all they raised me to believe that I deserved everything I wanted. What I missed in that lesson was that I had to work for it, it wouldn’t just come to me.” She pauses as Jeremy lets this new mother sink in.

She turns in her seat to look directly into his eyes. “Then I blamed your father. When he left the only person I had left to blame was you. And you were so much like him. Oh, you look like your grandfather, so handsome. But your mannerisms were your father’s. Every time I looked at you, all I saw was the two men who I felt had let me down.” Tears are flowing down her face freely now and Jeremy has a hard time not doing the same.

His mother continues, “Then when you spent so much time with your grandparents, every chance you could, you were there. I felt like even more of a failure and this was my parents’ way of showing me. Now, I’m happy they were there for you. I am not happy that I never told them that. I need to make up for a lot of missed years with you Jeremy. You’re all I have left. I know I have a lot to work on but hearing that you are going to be a dad” She pauses and takes a deep breath. “Well, that is my chance to be the grandmother, my mother was to you. Please, give me this chance?” She is practically begging.

Jeremy can see the sincerity in her eyes but this is so different from how she was just the night before. She had let him down so many times that he really had no expectations for her as a mother. Yet, it would be nice for his own child to have a grandmother. Not that she could ever come close to his own but she did hate to fail. Jeremy did believe in giving second chances and she did live in New York. Really, how often would he have to deal with her?

“Okay, Mom. I will give you a chance but I’ll be honest, I’m suspicious and doubtful. Let’s work on the Grandmother role first. I don’t need a mother right now but every child should have a grandparent they can go to. You prove to me that you can be that person and I will consider letting you back into my life. How about that?” Jeremy proposes.

His mother throws her arms around him and after several heartbeats, he returns the embrace. Trying hard to think back to the last time she did this. It had been a long time but to him, it feels right. Huh, maybe he had been focusing so much on the bad times that he had forgotten times like this.

His Mother breaks the embrace and gives him a watery smile. “That is more than I deserve but I will do my best. Now, let’s go meet this lady of yours.” She gets out and retrieves all her gifts from the back seat. Jeremy is shaking his head, I guess she already started on the “Nana” role.

“Ah, Mom,” Jeremy says, “Not Nana okay? You can be a grandma but you are not a Nana.”

His mother surprises him by throwing her head back and laughing, giving him a flashback to a much younger woman. Where is all of this coming from? He doesn’t get time to think about it when she says, “Grandma it is. Oh, and Jeremy?” He looks at her with eyebrows raised. “I really like being called Mom. Mother is much too formal.”

When they get to Melissa’s floor, Jeremy turns to his mother. “I need a bit of time with Melissa first. To fill her in on the latest and let her know you are here. Take a seat in the waiting room. I’ll get you when she is ready.”

As he enters Melissa’s room, he hears her laugh and his heart catches. Please let her be willing to listen, he thinks. Mel stands as soon as he enters, “Oh, you’re back. Great. I need to be going.” She leans over and whispers in Melissa’s ear, making Melissa look his way and nod her head in agreement. Jeremy has a funny suspicion that he has something to thank Mel for. As she leaves, she squeezes Jeremy’s arm and gives him a smile, making him relax a little.

He sits down cautiously as Melissa watches his every more. He can see the uncertainty in her eyes but he is just grateful she is looking at him.

“I have something to tell you.” They both say at the same time.

“Me first,” Melissa says. And not giving him a chance to stop her, she spills all her fears old and new. Jeremy just sits and allows her to get everything out. By the time she is finished, he is up on the bed with her, holding her tight.

“I’m right here, Melissa. I’m not going anywhere. I know those are not enough for you, so you need to let me show you. How can I show you if you don’t let me?” He asks her. She starts to speak but this time he doesn’t allow her to. He goes on to tell her about his conversation with Mike and how Vanessa tried to deceive both of them.

“Wow,” Melissa says. “I guess upbringing has nothing to do with the type of person you become.”

“Speaking of upbringing,” Jeremy pauses as he rubs his hand along the back of his neck. “My mother did not return to New York with Vanessa. She wants a fresh start. Swears she saw the light and is going to be a different person. She wants to be a grandmother and mother.”

“What do you think?” Melissa asks.

“I honestly don’t know.” Jeremy shrugs his shoulders. “She seems sincere but. I told her I would give her a chance. I guess I should have discussed it with you first. If you don’t want her in our baby’s life, I can live with that.”

Melissa looks long and hard at him. Despite everything he has said about his mother, she can see in his eyes that he wants her to say yes. “Of course, Jeremy. She’s your mother. I would never keep her from your child. In fact, I called my mother earlier and filled her in and everything. She would like to come to visit once the baby is born. She doesn’t have to stay with us. I can put her up in a hotel.”

Jeremy looks a little sheepish. “Well, don’t get mad at me but I called the realtor about the house. I put in an offer and they accepted. She will start working on all the paperwork in the morning.”

“We go the house?” Melissa throws her arms around his neck and his heart explodes. God, I love this woman he thinks to himself.

“What house?” Melissa and Jeremy both look up to see his mother standing in the doorway, arms full. “I hope you don’t mind but I couldn’t wait any longer.” Jeremy reluctantly gets out of the bed and sits back in the chair he vacated earlier.

“Come on in Mom and meet Melissa.” Jeremy barely has the words out of his mother before his mother comes rushing into the room.

“Oh, Melissa. It’s so good to meet you. I’m Elaine.” She drops the balloons and teddy bears in Jeremy’s lap and wraps Melissa up in her arms. When she pulls back she asks, “now, what’s this about a house and what can I do?”