Chapter 162: Mom

CALEB And then, I saw her. Dressed in a blue free flowing gown and dark shades, with the man who I assumed they had seen earlier, was….mom. She was still as beautiful as ever. Except now, she looked a lot better. Like she was taken care of. Like her life had gotten so much better. Like my dad didn't happen. I was far ahead from Brielle and Kyle, who had taken opposite sides of the road. Kyle was far behind me, furiously following her scent. He'd catch up soon. Something told me to call out, to tell him I'd seen her. But I remained still, just…watching. The man beside her pressed a comm to his ear, and muttered a few words. I observed him. I couldn't see his face from the shadows, but the look in his eyes was enough. He was important. He leaned in to whisper to mom, and she nodded, smiling softly. And then, our eyes locked. Everything stilled for a moment. The figure was unmistakable—dark hair, elegant posture. But there was a weariness in her stance, as if the years had left their mark in ways I hadn't anticipated. The moment was surreal. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions: confusion, fear, and a desperate hope. Why was she just standing there? What was going through her mind? The years had been long and cruel, and I could only imagine the changes she had undergone. I was so caught up in the moment I didn't realize when the two people behind me had caught up to my frame. Kyle and Brielle's reactions were immediate. Brielle's eyes widened, her breath catching. Kyle's gaze sharpened as he took in the scene. Brielle couldn't contain herself. She broke into a run, her voice trembling. 'Mom! Mom, it's us!" The recognition in mom's eyes was a fleeting spark. Then she froze. Her entire body went rigid, her face a mask of shock and emotional turmoil. Brielle reached her, tears streaming down her face. 'Mom, it's really us. We've missed you so much. Where have you been?" Our mother's eyes were wide, locked onto Brielle's face. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. The silence was suffocating. The years between us seemed to stretch out, an unbridgeable chasm of time and experience. I wanted to move closer, to bridge the distance, but I felt paralyzed. Her reaction was both heartbreaking and bewildering. It was as if she was grappling with something beyond our understanding—a reality that had remained hidden for two decades. Kyle stepped forward, his voice steady but edged with desperation. 'Mom, please, say something." Her gaze shifted from Kyle to me, and then back to Brielle. There was a flicker of recognition when she looked at me, but it was overshadowed by a veil of sorrow. 'Caleb," she whispered, her voice a ghost of what it used to be. The sound of my name from her lips was both a comfort and a mystery. It was as if she were trying to connect with a past she had been forced to leave behind. Brielle took another step forward, her hands outstretched. 'Mom…" Mom's shoulders trembled, but she remained rooted to the spot. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides, a silent struggle against the emotions overwhelming her. I watched, my own emotions a chaotic storm. The joy of finding her was mixed with the sadness of lost years and the anxiety of what lay ahead. The moment felt suspended, caught between the hope of reunion and the mystery of her silence. There was something more here—an underlying current of secrets that had yet to be revealed. The way she looked at us, the way she stood there frozen, hinted at deeper layers of a story we didn't fully understand. And God help me, I wasn't sure I could handle another confusing story. The street around us seemed to fade away, leaving only the three of us and the woman who had been lost for so long. The silence was heavy, charged with questions and unresolved emotions. The reunion was only the beginning, and the path forward was shrouded in as much mystery as the past we were trying to reclaim. But one thing left me fucking confused. Where did she go? Why did she come back here? Was she also searching for us? Why didn't she show up all these years? I didn't want to think. I didn't want to, but I had to. And then, like a switch had been flipped inside her, she raised her hand, embracing Brielle. That was all it took. Years of pent up frustration, sadness, emotional turmoil and disturbance poured out into one moment. It felt surreal, and I felt…weird. I didn't understand it, yet I didn't want to. I just wanted to feel. The man standing beside mom didn't move, didn't flinch. Just stood beside her and acted as though he had seen nothing. I could see the bulge of a weapon peeking out from underneath his suit jacket, and I paused. That was a question I would ask much…much later. Kyle ran ahead, for the first time, and I could see that little boy in him again. He hugged mom as tightly as Brielle did, a small tear escaping from his lids. I felt it. I felt it all. I didn't know what I felt, but I did. I found my legs moving forward as well, towards them, towards an encouraging Brielle, and the warm hearted look in mom's eyes. 'Caleb…" she muttered again, tugging at something deep inside my chest. She cupped my face with her free hand, and I could see the age in her eyes. Those deep green eyes that could enliven the deadest of hearts. Something my dad couldn't appreciate. The four of us stood there, each absorbed in their own interpretation of the moment, just…feeling. At that point, I didn't want answers anymore. I just wanted this to last. This…feeling. Forever.