“You keep that money. After all you’ve given us over the years, and the hours you’ve volunteered, this establishment owes you. My mother spoke fondly of you. God rest her soul, and I’ll make sure you’re taken care of. So don’t worry,” Mrs. Patrick assured her, and Priscilla had no choice but to accept their kindness without paying anything beyond her bare necessities.
But that wasn’t the only surprise the nursing home had in store for him. To his surprise, Marianne was there. Kenji’s biological mother.
Priscilla had only seen Kenji’s mother once. She was at the back of the theater at Kenji’s graduation. He had never seen her.
Marianne accidentally caught Priscilla’s eye and quickly left. Priscilla rushed and tried to find her so that she could go back to her child, who missed her so much. But she was no longer there.
“Marianne?” Priscilla asked, approaching her.
The older woman looked up and frowned, but reality dawned on her face and she looked down, covered in shame. “What are you doing here? Did you find me on purpose? I… is Oliver here? My God, Kenji?” she stammered.
“No, no. I’m here alone. Oliver died a few months ago, and I live here now. Kenji isn’t here either. Do you live here too?” Priscilla explained, sitting down next to her.
“Ah, yes. My legs aren’t the best, and I had to move here. You look healthy. Why are you here?” Marianne asked, and Priscilla sighed.
“It’s a long story,” she replied, almost ashamed that she had never earned her stepson’s love – or even a little respect.
“I have time,” Marianne said shyly.
Priscilla smiled. “Actually, it’s because of your son…”
When she finished, Marianne was dismayed. “I can’t believe Kenji believed that all these years. That means Oliver never told him the truth,” she whispered, shocked.
“Oliver told him several times that you had broken up long before we met, but he wouldn’t…”
“No, not that,” Marianne interrupts. “The truth is, I left because I was cheated on. I hated my simple suburban life with a husband and a child, so I ran away with a wannabe rock star.”
“Oh,” Priscilla breathed. She didn’t know Oliver had kept that secret to himself. Kenji must have never found out.
“Yeah, I was horrible. That’s why I couldn’t come back. I didn’t deserve Kenji back in my life, and when I saw you with them, I thought it was much better,” she added. “I didn’t know he treated you like that.”
Continued on next page
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