chapter 38(2)

“Have you said this to Ezra or Mateo?” She shakes her head. “They don’t get it. Ezra and Maddox hated my mother. Even now, he doesn’t understand how I forgave her. He is thankful for what she did, but he never forgave her. Mateo understands, despite that, I put too much pressure on him with the kids. I don’t need to burden him with me being a crybaby,” she says, tugging at the thin blanket to throw over Marabella as she rolls on her side. “Gosh, I miss her, she was a tough woman, she would have kicked my ass, literally, for moping about and told me to get my shit together, but that’s ok because she would be there to catch me when I fall. Now I have to catch myself and everyone else and not being able to tell Ezra and Mateo certain things. It’s so lonely,” she whispers the last words. Kat closes her eyes and rubs her temples like she has a headache before opening her eyes to look at me. I can see her pain. She wears it so plainly, I’m surprised no one else can see it. “I have lost the i