Chapter 17

“Hi, Liam, would you like some homemade pizza?” Nana asked him, as soon as Liam crossed the door.

“Do you have to ask, Nana?” He sat down at the table and served himself a glass of juice.

Liam’s mother was in the kitchen, she quickly reheated a slice of pizza for her son.

“Hi, Liam,” she said, placing a plate in front of him.

“Thanks, Mom,” he said, taking a slice and biting into it immediately. “Mmm, delicious, Nana. Where is Grandpa?”

“It’s bowling night,” Nana said.

“Right,” Liam took another bite. A thread of mozzarella hung off his lip.

“So, I guess your date went well,” Nana commented casually.

“And how do you know that?”

“You didn’t come back home last night, that was a big clue,” Nana chuckled. “And you’re practically glowing. I haven’t seen you smile like this in a while.”

“Did you enjoy yourself, Liam?” his mother asked her son.

“I did, Mom.”

“I’m happy for you, son,” Liam’s mother added.

“Thank you,” Liam said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “This pizza is amazing!”

“Come on! That’s all we are going to get?” Nana pushed.

“I don’t kiss and tell,” Liam said.

“We are not asking you to. Your mother and I don’t need every gory detail of your time with your lady,” Nana replied.

“She makes me happy in ways no one else does,” Liam said. “It’s kind of scary to find someone who so effortlessly can make you smile.”

“I-I’ve had that happen to me with your father,” Liam’s mother commented. Her cheeks were bright red.

Liam looked at his mother, as if it were for the first time. Then, he smiled. A real smile.

Encouraged by her son’s smile, she sat down at his side.

“I know I failed you in so many ways when you needed me the most; please, please forgive me,” Liam’s mother looked his son straight in the eyes. Her hands were shaking. “I love you so much. I miss you so much. I’m sorry, Liam, I’m deeply sorry.”

“You were depressed, Mom. What happened, it wasn’t your fault.”

His mother shook her head.

“When your father died, I was in a dark place and it was very difficult for me to get out. People have no idea how horrible it is to suffer from depression. No one understands, unless they have suffered this. People said to me, ‘go for a walk’, ‘just think positive’,” she gulped. “It only showed they had no idea what I was going through.”

Liam squeezed his mother’s hand tightly.

“You have any idea how much effort it took me just to keep breathing...”

“I should be the one apologizing to you, Mom. I didn’t know what was going on with you. I should have...” he let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m sorry. I failed you.”

“Liam, stop it, please!” his mother cried. “Don’t you dare blame yourself for what happened! You were seventeen! I am so proud of you. So proud of the way you did everything you could in an impossible situation,” she took a deep breath and exhaled very slowly. She did it two more times. She walked over to Liam and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Liam knew what had happened wasn’t her fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It just ... was.

“I love you, no matter what. People used to say that a lot, without thinking of potential nightmare scenarios or tragic conditions. When they say that, they never dream their love is going to be tested,” Nana said, to no one in particular. “I know it, too well. Your grandfather and I have been married over fifty years.”

Liam smiled at his mother.

“I love you, Mom. No matter what,” he took his mother in his arms and hugged her tight.

He meant it. He’d never stopped loving her.

“I love you, too, my beautiful, brave son,” she sniffed, pulled back, and said, “I must look awful. I better go to clean up this mess I call a face.”

She got up quickly and went into the hall bathroom.

Nana was beaming at her grandson. “That was really, really good of you! You have no idea how much she needed to get that off her chest...”

Liam’s face flushed. He nodded slowly.

“This girl is changing you for the better. Tell me more about her, please.”

“You’re right. Jenny has been an inspiration to me, Nana. Every day she struggles to overcome the adversity that is her disability, every day she fights, and wins, a battle against her impaired body.”

“Bravery comes in all shapes and sizes. I can’t wait to meet her.”

“Well, it could be difficult for her to come here. There’s no room for her wheelchair or ramps.”

“How does she manage to do things?”

“She is renting a house with her sister, and they incorporated a lot of wheelchair-friendly modifications.”

Nana looked around for a while, rubbed her chin, and finally said, “I always thought that we have too much furniture in the house. We only use half of it. That old sofa, for example, all it does is gather dust.”

Liam rolled his eyes and smiled. “The next thing you’re going to say is that you have to build a ramp to allow easy access into the house.”

“Well, your grandfather and I are not getting any younger, you know. We might need a wheelchair to help us get around”