Chapter 367: To see the real you
Seeing his mother broke down like that, Gabriel felt strange. A feeling he had never got before. He had always seen Mabel keeping her stoic expression in every situation, not explaining herself.
"I forgive you, Mom," Gabriel said in a low voice. Those words were enough to stop Mabel’s tears. She stared at him, wondering what she heard was right.
"You don’t need to chase Ophelia anymore. It is my destiny to face her. Don’t involve yourself into this danger. I can’t bear to see anything happen to my mother." Gabriel held the hands of his mother and lowered his head. "Promise me, you won’t go after her."
Mabel still didn’t blink and kept her gaze on him. He raised his head and looked into her eyes.
"Mom, it’s a simple request and you’ve to consider it. I’ve been too cruel to you. It pains me too after arguing with you. Don’t you see that? You’re right. I inherited all the traits from you. Did you not hear Carlos’ grandmother’s warning? She specifically asked you to stay away from this danger. I’m sorry for never being a good son to you. This time I want to, but you’ve to put your faith in me. It angers me when you do things behind my back."
His thumbs brushed his mother’s damp cheeks, gently wiping away the last of her tears. "You don’t look good crying. It doesn’t suit you, Mom." He dropped his gaze briefly, then lifted it again. "I carry the sin of the past. I should be the one to shoulder it. Don’t drag yourself into this. Can you promise me that?"
Mabel’s hands trembled where they rested in his. "How can I stand by and watch you take the consequences of what I started, Gabriel? I-I trusted her," she stammered with shame carrying her eyes.
"You told me why," Gabriel said softly. "I’m not a small child who needs protection anymore. I can take care of myself. What would it prove if you got hurt because of me? You’re still my mother, and I’m still your son. You don’t have to bury yourself in this, please."
Mabel stared at him, disbelieving. The son who had once hurled accusations at her now spoke with a calm she had never expected. "Have you truly forgiven me?" she asked.
"Yes." Gabriel answered. "I have. You never opened up to me; you kept your face like a stone and pretended you had everything under control. I resented that. I wanted to see the real you. But I can’t stay hard-hearted forever. Holding on to that anger only ate me up inside."
He reached for her hands again and caressed them gently. "So, do you promise from taking a step back from all of this?" he inquired.
"Since you want this, then yes," Mabel replied with a warm smile. She brought her hand to the back of her son’s neck and pulled him closer, hugging him. Her palms patted her back before she brought them to his cheeks again and kissed his forehead.
A tear unknowingly escaped her eye, which couldn’t go ignored. "You were always a precious child to me. I’m sorry for hurting you all these years. But it won’t happen anymore. I promise you."
Gabriel smiled, feeling contended.
~~~~~
"Amelie, thank you for staying up so late and sharing such a beautiful evening with me," Juniper said warmly as they paused outside Amelie’s chamber doors. A playful sigh escaped her lips. "Now go and rest well. Gabriel will scold me if he learns I kept his wife awake this long."
Amelie chuckled, shaking her head. "He won’t. Besides, I enjoyed every moment. Tonight was truly wonderful."
Juniper’s expression softened, though a flicker of guilt crossed her eyes. "Still, I owe you an apology on behalf of my friends. They were out of line speaking about your sister the way they did. If I’d known they would stir up such things, I would never have invited them."
"That wasn’t your fault," Amelie reassured gently. "And you needn’t trouble yourself about it. I answered them well enough and silenced their tongues. So please, don’t carry the weight of their rudeness."
"That’s very kind of you," Juniper said with a gentle smile. "Still, I owe your sister an apology as well. Since she left early, I’ll speak to her in the morning. Good night, Amelie. Rest well. I’ll see you tomorrow."
Amelie nodded with a soft hum before stepping inside her room.
As Juniper turned to leave, she caught sight of Gabriel approaching down the corridor. His stride was unhurried, but his eyes were searching. He came to a stop before her.
"I heard you brought Amelie back," he said evenly.
"Yes," Juniper replied, clasping her hands together. "She’s inside now. Forgive me for keeping her so late."
"Don’t apologize," Gabriel said. His tone softened almost imperceptibly. "She must have wanted to stay. I’m glad she enjoyed herself."
Juniper inclined her head, offering a polite smile. "Hmm. Good night, Gabriel." With that, she drifted away down the hall.
Gabriel quietly entered the chamber. The room was dim, warmed by the faint glow of a single lamp. Amelie wasn’t there, he could hear the faint sound of water from the washroom. With a sigh, he crossed the room, lowering the curtains before moving to ready the bed.
As he made the bed, he brought night clothes from the cupboard and waited for Amelie to come out. After a few minutes, she stepped out, her hand resting on her belly.
"Oh, you’ve returned too!" Amelie’s lips carved with a smile. He was quick to reach her and placed his arm gently on her back. He held her hand and brought her to bed.
"Yes. I hope you enjoyed." Making her sit on the mattress, he pulled the duvet over her. "I’ll be back soon."
"Hmm." She watched him disappear into the washroom. Picking up her phone from the bedside table, she found messages from Zander.
Confusion etched across her face and she opened them to read.