𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 → RICKY BOWEN

ten → the talk

PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END IT'S ABOUT A POSSIBLE NEW BOOK. THANK YOU.
lil update for the mem day weekend. next update won't be till next week though. enjoy my loves.

The next morning, Reagan and Wesley woke up extra early. Both were extremely anxious about this meeting with their mother, and that only heightened the minute they stepped into the cafe she was waiting for them at.

The sound of the chair screeching caused Miranda to snap her head up, surprised that her children had shown up. "I-I wasn't expecting you guys to come. Uh thank you, for coming though..." she mumbled, nervously.

Wesley took a seat across from his mother, Reagan beside him. He nodded, "We figured we were owed some sort of closure from you."

"You both definitely deserve an explanation. I know that what I did years ago was selfish and I hurt you two, and your father, in ways I can never fix. But I'm here because I'm trying... to fix it and find a way to be in your lives again."

"Do you remember my eighth birthday, when there was a city-wide power outage and so we had to cancel my birthday party" Reagan questioned the two, not looking up from her eyes that were focused on the paint smudge on the table in front of her.

"I do," Miranda smiled fondly at the memory, "I remember you were devastated."

"Actually I remember the opposite. That day is the only happy memory I have left with you..." she glanced up at her Mother. "I remember you went crazy trying to find things in the house to set up a really cool 'escape the room' adventure for Wes and I. It was probably one of the best birthday's I had ever had. And then that night, all four of us cuddled on your king sized bed because I was too afraid of the dark. I think that's the last time we were a family." she stated blandly. It was hard to tell if Reagan was happy reminiscing or sad. "And then a few months later you left. No note, no goodbye. No nothing. Looking at you right now brings back all of that pain, and all of that anger back.... I was angry for so long," she finally looked into her mother's eyes. "And I don't want to be angry anymore. I need to let go. We need to move on. That's the only reason why we're here."

Pain washed over Miranda's face, hearing that her children currently had no intention of reconciling with her, but she had to admit, she expected that.  "And I respect that, and am so thankful that you are here at all, because I know I don't deserve it."

Wesley began getting frustrated at the lack of answers he was getting from this woman. "Why did you leave in the first place?"

Their mother let out a pained chuckle. "Long before I even left, I knew I had fallen out of love with your father. I was always unhappy. And it was nothing he did, or you two did. I just felt like I wasn't where I was supposed to be in life. The only time I ever felt an ounce of happiness was when I was working. Seeing my projects and ideas come to life, made me happy. But I was a mother, and I knew that. And for years I tried so hard to stay for you two, but I was weak and I couldn't do it." she whimpered. "That night your father and I got into a huge argument because my company had offered me the chance to spend 6 months abroad for work and it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. All of my pent up feelings came out that night. I told your father that I didn't love him, and I wasn't happy, and that I needed this break to sort my self out so I could be a better mother to you two. He had seemed to come to terms with me wanting a divorce, but he had drawn the line at me leaving you two for 6 months. I knew he wasn't going to change his mind and I was so angry at him for that, so I selfishly just left. At first, I had every intention of coming back in 6 months, I promise...."

"So why didn't you?" Reagan interrupted.

"I know this sounds cheesy, but I found myself out there and I was so scared to come back to my old life and have all of that unravel."