“It came this morning.” He sighed as he handed the envelope to me, then moved to sit on the weight bench, looking completely lost.
Worried about him, I hurried to pull a lined sheet from the envelope. A slip fell out with it, and I realised it was a visiting order, from a woman’s correctional facility.
I read the handwritten letter quickly, my own rage building with every word I took in. It was from his Mom, or the woman who gave birth to him anyway. She had never been any sort of Mom to him. She had been arrested for the stabbing of some pimp across the city. She swore blind to Matt she had nothing to do with it, then basically told him he owed her for the risk she took bringing him into the States before he was born. She asked for him to hire her an attorney, an expensive attorney, and help her get off of the charges. That was it, except for a few stabs that he had done well for himself with his rich family, and implying that he chose them over her, that he had walked away and left her ‘alone in the gutter’. Basically she was trying to guilt trip him into helping her. It pissed me off so much, that if the selfish bitch were before me, I’d likely have throttled her.
“Not a fucking word for eight years Kyle, then that!” Matt snapped, clearly confused and angry about the whole thing.
“What do you want to do? Whatever it is, you know we’ll be behind you.” I’d hate helping the bitch if that’s what he needed to do, but I would, for Matt.
“I just…..I need her to fuck off again Kyle. I…...I’ve worked so hard to overcome, to push her out of my head. I can’t…..” His words were croaky, and there was a tremble in his hands. He looked so much like the terrified ten year old who walked into this house eight years ago, and I knew I needed to make it better. He had worked damn hard to overcome the shit start in life he was given.
When he first came into this house, a battered, bruised, half starved little kid; he used to hide in cupboards for hours on end, unable to make full sentences when you spoke to him, because he was that scared he would be hit. His night terrors were the worst I have ever seen, and it was a full year before he could even be in a room alone with Grant. He had come from hell, and gone through way more than anyone ever should have to, to get over it. No way his selfish bitch mother got to hurt him again.
I walked over, and dropped to my knees before him. There were tears in his eyes and he was fighting like hell not to let them fall.
“Do I owe her Kyle? Is she right?” He asked brokenly.
“You don’t owe that selfish bitch a damn thing Matt.” I said firmly, stooping until my eyes met his. “She put you through more than any kid should ever have to face. She sat back while that psycho boyfriend broke your bones. She destroyed you again and again, but she couldn’t keep you down. You overcame, like you said. You’ve worked so fucking hard to put her behind you. Do not let her back in to try and destroy you again Matt, you hear me?”
“I hate her Kyle. I hate her so fucking much, but she is my Mom. Shouldn’t I help her?”
“If you feel like you need to, then you just give me the nod, and I’ll handle it Matt. I’ll find her a decent attorney and we’ll handle the costs, but you will not be going anywhere near that poisonous viper. Kade and I will handle it all. Regardless of how we deal with this, you never have to see her again. I’ll make damn sure of it.”
“Why now? I was so happy with Livy and school nearly over. Why does she have to contact me now? I’m really not sure I can handle this. I know that makes me sound like a pussy, but I just…..she brings it all back so much.”
“Matt, you are one of the strongest men I have ever met. What you came from would have broken grown men, and you were just a kid.” I sighed, hating hearing him doubting himself like that. Matt tried to lower his eyes away from me, but I put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed until his eyes met mine again. “Listen to me. You don't have to handle anything. All I need is a nod, or a head shake, and then you can forget the whole thing. We’ll burn this crock of shit letter, and you put that bitch back where she belongs, in the past. Do not let this set you back Matt. We’re all in a good place with Liv in our lives. That’s what we all need to focus on, yeah?” He took a few deep breaths and wiped at his eyes, then looked up at me fully, for the first time. He seemed a little calmer, but there was still too much panic and pain in his face.
“You don’t owe her shit Matt. You have the family, home and life you have because you are an amazing, good person who Keira and Grant could not let go. You didn’t luck out, or whatever bullshit your Mom spouted. You earned what you have, while she was snorting coke and who knows what fucking else.”
“She probably killed the pimp, whoever he is.”
“Probably. Now tell me what you want. Whatever that is, no one is going to judge you. Like you said, despite everything she is your Mom, so you want me to get her help, we’ll get it. Likewise if you want
