CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 34: THE APOLOGY
A month later, my mother asked me to drive her somewhere.
She gave me an address.
When we arrived, I frowned.
"My old art teacher lives here."
She smiled.
"I know."
I stared at her.
"What are we doing?"
She looked nervous.
"I need to apologize."
Before I could answer, she knocked.
A woman in her seventies opened the door.
She recognized me immediately.
"You came back."
I smiled.
"It's been a while."
Then she noticed my mother.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Finally, my mother said:
"I'm sorry."
The older woman blinked.
"What for?"
"For convincing my daughter to give up something she loved."
Silence.
My throat tightened.
"I thought I was protecting her."
She swallowed.
"I was wrong."
The teacher looked at me.
Then at my mother.
Finally, she smiled.
"Well. You're a little late."
My mother laughed through her tears.
"I know."
The teacher invited us inside.
For two hours, we drank tea and talked.
When we left, my teacher hugged me.
"I kept one of your drawings."
I looked up in surprise.
"What?"
She smiled.
"I always knew you'd come back to art one day."
As we walked to the car, my mother suddenly cried.
"I'm so sorry."
I wrapped my arms around her.
May you like
"I know."
And for the first time in my life, I hugged her first.
