Chapter 25

Melinda sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her phone. The events of the morning replayed in her mind—the police showing up at Sylvester’s house, accusing him of kidnapping her. She sighed heavily. She knew it was time to call her mother, to explain everything and, hopefully, calm her down. But the longer she hesitated, the more difficult it seemed to dial the number.

Finally, she took a deep breath and pressed her mother’s contact. The phone rang only twice before Lori picked up, her voice shaky and filled with relief.

“Melinda? Melinda, is that you?”

“Yes, Mom, it’s me.” Melinda’s voice was calm, but she could already hear the panic in her mother’s tone. “I’m fine.”

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a sniffle. “Thank God! Where have you been? Why haven’t you called? I’ve been sick with worry! I thought something terrible had happened to you!”

Melinda sighed, rubbing her temples. She had expected this reaction, but it still weighed heavily on her. “Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner. I just needed some time to think. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Scare me? Melinda, I’ve barely slept! I haven’t eaten in days! I reported you missing to the police because I thought someone had taken you! Why wouldn’t you at least send me a text to let me know you’re okay?”

“I know, Mom. I know, and I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean for it to go this far.” Melinda paused, choosing her next words carefully. “But you shouldn’t have involved the police. I was never in any danger.”

“Of course I involved the police!” Lori’s voice was rising now, a mixture of anger and fear. “What was I supposed to think? My daughter disappears, and I don’t hear a word from her for days. What would you have done if it were me?”

“Mom, I wasn’t missing! I wasn’t in danger! I was just… taking some time for myself. I didn’t want to worry you, but clearly, I didn’t handle it the right way.”

Lori’s voice softened slightly, though the tension was still there. “But where have you been, Melinda? Why couldn’t you call or at least send me a message to let me know you were okay?”

Melinda hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. She didn’t want to go into the details of why she had been staying with Sylvester. There was too much history there, too many things her mother wouldn’t understand. She couldn’t explain everything—not yet.

“I’ve been staying with a friend,” Melinda said finally, keeping her tone as neutral as possible. “I just needed to clear my head, and I didn’t want to worry you.”

“A friend?” Lori’s suspicion was clear in her voice. “What friend? Why didn’t you tell me where you were?”

“Mom, it’s not like that,” Melinda said, trying to remain calm. “I just needed space. I didn’t think it would be such a big deal.”

“Not a big deal?” Lori’s voice was rising again. “Melinda, you disappear without a word, and you think it’s not a big deal? I thought you were dead! I thought someone had taken you!”

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Melinda said quietly, guilt washing over her. “I didn’t mean to put you through that. I just… I didn’t know how to explain it to you.”

There was another pause on the other end of the line, and Melinda could hear her mother trying to compose herself. When Lori spoke again, her voice was softer, but still filled with concern.

“Is everything okay, Melinda? I mean… really okay? You don’t have to hide anything from me. If something’s wrong, you can tell me.”

Melinda closed her eyes, feeling the weight of her mother’s worry. She wanted to tell her everything—to explain the complicated mess of her relationship with Sylvester, Derek, and the child. But how could she begin to untangle all of that? It was too much for her mother to bear, especially after everything that had already happened.

“I’m fine, Mom,” Melinda said gently. “I promise you, I’m fine. I just needed some time to figure things out. I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you.”

“Then why didn’t you come to me?” Lori’s voice broke slightly. “Why didn’t you tell me what was going on instead of disappearing like that?”

“Because I didn’t want to worry you,” Melinda admitted. “I thought if I took some time to think things through, I could come back with a clear head. I never meant for it to cause all this trouble.”

Lori was quiet for a moment, and Melinda could hear her mother’s soft breathing on the other end. Finally, Lori spoke again, her voice trembling.

“You’re my daughter, Melinda. Of course I’m going to worry about you. I don’t care what you’re going through—you can always come to me. You don’t have to go through it alone.”

Tears welled up in Melinda’s eyes as she listened to her mother’s words. She knew Lori meant well, but there were some things she couldn’t share—not yet. Not until she had sorted them out for herself.

“I know, Mom,” Melinda said softly. “I just… I didn’t want to burden you with all of it.”

“It’s never a burden,” Lori said, her voice firm. “You’re my daughter, and I love you. I would do anything for you. Just promise me you won’t disappear like that again.”

Melinda wiped away a tear, her heart aching at the thought of how much she had put her mother through. “I promise, Mom. I won’t do this again.”

There was a long silence between them, the weight of the conversation settling heavily on both of them. Finally, Lori spoke again, her voice still tinged with worry.

“Are you coming home soon?”

Melinda hesitated. She wanted to go home, to be with her mother and put this whole mess behind her. But she knew she couldn’t—not yet. There was too much at stake, too many unresolved issues with Sylvester, Derek, and the child.

“Not yet,” Melinda said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But soon. I just need a little more time.”

Lori sighed on the other end of the line, clearly unhappy with the answer but not wanting to push her daughter further. “Okay. Just… be careful, Melinda. And please, call me. Let me know you’re okay.”

“I will, Mom. I promise.”

“I love you, Melinda.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

With that, Melinda ended the call and stared at the phone in her hand. She felt a mixture of relief and guilt, knowing that she had only given her mother part of the truth. But what else could she do? The full story was too complicated, too painful to explain over a phone call.

She sighed deeply, setting the phone down on the bedside table. There was still so much she needed to figure out, so many pieces that needed to fall into place before she could go back to her normal life. But at least for now, her mother knew she was safe. And that was enough—for the moment.