"OK, no interruptions"
"I mean it Laura, you'll let me have my say until I'm through"
"It's Grace now, and I said OK, I'll let you talk no interruptions, but let me say that me doing that is more than you had given me."
"You're right, I deserved that. Maybe we should have a seat" he led her to the round table and they sat. "My dad passed away about five months ago." He said and stopped to look at her he could see the sympathy in her eyes and waited for her to say something, when nothing came he continued "the shock of it sent my mom straight to the hospital as well, she was in a coma for two weeks, when she finally woke she had amnesia, the doctors said she would recover from it and that her brain was only blocking the shock. When she came back around she was so depressed, so weak nothing that we said or did helped her. They kept her there at the hospital, we visited as often as we could. Until one night I was sitting with her talking about the past, you know when I was a boy and all that stuff. It really did cheer her up, I saw it in her eyes. Then she just started crying hysterically, she said she just couldn't live with me not knowing and that the guilt was killing her. Of course, I had to ask her what she meant, she said she realizes now that I had been most happy when we were together, and she was right, she said that she should had no idea and would have stood up to dad and made him leave me alone to make my own choices, if she only knew that he could have been so devious. I asked her what she did, she said it's what she didn't do that was most important and told me that the video was fake and photo-shopped. She said that dad hired someone and had her go around with all those guys and that he used some of the videos that we took when we went on our trip. So after nearly ten years I just came to apologize for everything I said and did back then and I want to let you know that I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you and I want to be a part of your life and Josh's." he said sincerely, now he just waited for her response.
They sat there for several minutes, then Grace asked "are you done?" he nodded his head "see I just wanted to make sure cause when I make a promise I keep it and I told you that I wouldn't say anything till you were done. So since you are, then let me ask you, did you think after ten years all you'd come here and do was fuck me then say you're sorry and everything would be alright from there?"
That stung, it was much better to think about her rejection than actually having her say it out loud. "No, I didn't think that an apology would solve everything and I never meant to pounce on you the way I did earlier. But I promise Laura ___"
"Grace" she corrected.
"OK, well Grace I know it will be very difficult and highly unlikely that I'll make it up to you, but I've got to try"
She rose from the table then and walked to the sink, "Tell me Paul, is it only because you've found out that your family lied to you that you've come looking for me? Why have you never come before?"
He stared at his mug unsure how to answer that question, unsure what to say completely, "fear" he began "I was afraid that you'd never take me back, afraid that if you did a part of me would never trust you enough to not do the same thing to me again, I love you too much to have you endure a life a suspicion from me, you would know that you're giving me your all but I'd still have mistrust for you even though I wouldn't want to."
That would be true enough, she thought, she wouldn't be able to live a half life with mistrust, but she still would have given anything to have him "So then no matter what I said, you'd never believe me right?"
"What do you want me to say? There was a video tape and all, Laura, they had concrete evidence when you went missing and no one knew where you were. The guys said it was you, what was I supposed to believe? Really, what would you believe had it been me caught on tape screwing some other chick?" He asked, frustration clearly edged in his voice, he rose from the table and walked to where she was standing by the sink and gazed into her eyes. He was unaware of what she was thinking just now because he could not read her expression.
"I guess you're right, I wouldn't hear what you said so easily, of course I loved you too much to leave you but then you wouldn't have all of me no matter how hard I tried." She said and exhaled, wow, I guess he can come and just apologize and have me take him back. Damn I still love him so much, how is that possible after his betrayal all these years. "Tell me then, what is your course of action in setting out to become a part of my life again? Oh, I almost forgot, how is your mom doing now?"
"Mom's OK I got reports from Jenna and Michael that she's fine." His brother and sister, " Meanwhile, I thought I'd become your willing slave and earn your forgiveness a little at a time." He said with a smile.
"I hope you know it's been a while and I have changed considerably, I also do feel that life's a little too short to try living without you again." He felt his heart breaking at her admission, there was still hope for them yet and she was willing to give him another chance. "Far be it for me to keep Josh away from getting to know his father. How did you know Josh was your son? You know he could have been someone else's."
Before he could answer she heard the front door slammed and smiled, "Mom, we're back!" she heard Josh shout, he and Nick was approaching the kitchen and were bickering about cereals and not buying the right thing's on Grace's list, Grace muttered "I really hope you mean that, willing slave." Before the kitchen door was opened and the men walked in. They each realized that there was a visitor in their midst but it was Josh who spoke up first, once his gaze left from his mom to the man.
