Hannah let out a sigh, "Mom, I've been thinking."
Pandora ruffled her daughter's hair and said, "Oh, you silly girl."
"I'm not silly." Hannah snuggled closer into Pandora's embrace, nuzzling her face into her mother's chest, "Mom, I'm sorry."
Pandora gently shook her head, "Don't say sorry, sweetheart. Your life is yours to live. Whatever you choose, you don't owe anyone an apology."
Hannah's voice was muffled, "I'm apologizing to you and dad. I haven't been home for Christmas with you two in years."
Throughout the years with Steven , Hannah barely made it home for the holidays, let alone any other time. In the past few years, she had probably gone back home only two or three times, as few as it could possibly be. She'd thought that as long as she was making money and providing for her parents, that was enough. She'd assumed they cared more about her marrying a wealthy man than whether or not she was actually happy.d2
After divorcing Steven, her mother, carrying some local delicacies from her hometown, traveled a thousand miles with Farley to see her. She told her that divorce was not the end of the world. They also told her not to worry, that they hadn't touched the money she'd sent them - they'd saved it all for her, just in case.
That was when she truly realized how much she'd messed up, and how much she'd hurt her parents. But they never blamed her. When she had that leg injury that nearly left her disabled, they took care of her tirelessly without complaint. They showed her that the people who loved her most in this world were her parents.
“What are you apologizing for? You sacrificed so much for your dad’s illness.” Pandora quickly changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on the past, "Are you sure you don't want to get back together with Steven?"
Hannah was firm, "No. I just needed him to have a child. That's it."
Pandora was worried, "You know what kind of person Steven is better than anyone. Do you think he would go along with this? Or do you think you can outplay him?"
Hannah hesitated, "I know. Well, I am not sure."
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