Chapter 3 - THE MOTHER-IN-LAW WHO BLAMED ME
By morning, Ryan's mother had called seventeen times.
I finally answered.
“Claire, what on earth have you done?”
I stared at the phone.
“Good morning to you too, Barbara.”
“Ryan says you've caused a terrible scene at his workplace.”
I closed my eyes.
“Did he mention why?”
“He said you embarrassed him in front of his captain.”
I laughed.
It came out sharp and humorless.
“Barbara, your son walked out of the cruise terminal kissing another woman.”
Silence.
Then she sighed.
“Men make mistakes.”
I looked at Lily sleeping beside me.
“Multiple mistakes, apparently.”
“Claire, he's been away for months. You have to understand how lonely that can be.”
I stared at the wall.
“Lonely?”
“Yes.”
“I gave birth to twins without my husband beside me.”
Barbara didn't answer.
“I spent three months raising them alone.”
“That's motherhood.”
The words hit harder than I expected.
I sat very still.
Then I asked, “And what exactly is fatherhood?”
Barbara sighed.
“Don't be dramatic.”
I looked at my daughters.
Their tiny faces were peaceful.
They deserved better than this.
So did I.
“Barbara, I'm not discussing my marriage with you.”
“Ryan is devastated.”
“Then he should speak with a counselor.”
“Claire—”
“Goodbye.”
I ended the call.
Then I blocked her number temporarily.
For the first time in years, I didn't feel guilty about protecting my peace.
That afternoon, my older sister, Natalie, arrived.
She lived two hours away.
When I'd called her the night before, she'd said only one thing.
“I'm coming.”
Now she stood in my hotel room holding two coffees and a bag of diapers.
She took one look at my face.
“Oh, honey.”
I burst into tears.
Natalie wrapped her arms around me.
I cried against her shoulder while the babies slept.
“I feel so stupid,” I whispered.
She pulled back.
“Why?”
“I trusted him.”
“That doesn't make you stupid.”
“I thought he loved us.”
Natalie's expression hardened.
“Then he should have acted like it.”
I wiped my face.
She sat beside me.
“What do you want to do?”
I looked at the babies.
“I don't know.”
“Then we figure it out one step at a time.”
May you like
I nodded.
For the first time since the terminal, I felt less alone.
