Chapter 14%
Hazel’s mother couldn’t contain her excitement as she hurried toward her, her heels clicking against the pavement.
Without a second thought, she wrapped Hazel in a tight embrace, the years of separation melting away in that one moment.
“You’ve grown so much… I almost didn’t recognize you.“}]
Her eyes gleamed with pride. “Look at you, taller and more beautiful than ever.”
With a tenderness that only a mother could have, she cupped Hazel’s face as though trying to piece together the years lost between them.
Tears welled up in Hazel’s eyes as she gazed at the woman who had once been a distant memory, now so real and so close.N
After all this time, they could finally be in the same space, sharing warmth and closeness, a far cry from the endless nights of longing.
Though the years had left their mark on the soft lines of her mother’s face, she radiated a vitality that eclipsed her younger self.
“Mom, I missed you so much.“%
Hazel rested her head on her mother’s shoulder, her once–composed facade cracking, revealing the vulnerable little girl inside, the one who had waited so long for this embrace.
Gianna embraced her tightly, her voice thick with regret.
“I shouldn’t have left you alone,” she whispered, her words heavy with guilt.
“I thought with Wright… someone would be there to take care of you. But I never imagined…“}]
Her voice trailed off, the weight of unspoken words filling the space between them.
She had never expected that men in this world rarely valued what was entrusted to them.}]
Hazel pulled away slightly, wiping away a tear, and gently reassured her mother, “Mom, I don’t blame you. You taught me not to wait around for love but to find it within myself.“}
Even through the hardest years, Hazel had never held her mother accountable.
