The Heart of the Warrior ?

"What are you doing here? I thought after the last time, I wouldn't see you again." I say to my mother from where she's standing, toe-to-toe with Dad.

"It's my grandchild's first birthday. Did you really think I was going to miss it?" She asks. I look over at Finn, who looks like he'd rather be anywhere else. "What I don't understand is why he's here." She says, pointing to my dad.

"Umm... might have something to do with the fact that when you upped and left me, Dad and Heidi were the only family I had left. You wouldn't try to stick around for me. But I guess I should've been used to it by now. That's always been your MO Mother." I tell her.

"Why don't we take Leo outside and let him play for a little?" Bryce asks, taking our son from me before leading the others out. Finn chose to stay.

"Why must you constantly do this? You barge in here and think that everything and everyone needs to bend to your will. This is my home. This is my son's first birthday and instead of being out with him, I'm stuck in here with you. You wanted no part of him or me, and now more than ever, me and his father are a package deal."

She takes a step back, like I had slapped her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I take a deep breath to keep myself from yelling. "It means that we're in therapy, learning how to be a couple, not a couple of assholes. It means that I am trying to make my marriage work because I want more for my son than just being shuttled in between his father and me. I want him to have a normal life, Mother, something I always craved having."

"And you think he can give you that?"

"You don't know him. Not really. Has he done horrible things in the past? Yes, but even he wouldn't deny that. But so have you. Not to the same extent but forcing your child to get your fix and then berating him when he got arrested, as if he would've been there for any reason besides for you? That's not mother of the year material but that's the image you painted when you showed up at Osbourne's house that summer. And then you had the audacity to berate me for my choices, berate him for his. If this is how you really are, then I'm going to ask you to leave because I will not allow this type of bullshit around my son."

She's crying at this point and while I do feel bad for being the cause of her tears, I stand my ground. "I never wanted to lose you Michelle." She says quietly.

"Then you should've trusted me. And you haven't lost me." I say, walking up to her. She pulls me into her arms and I breathe out a sigh of relief. Maybe this wasn't healthy. Maybe I shouldn't be here giving her another chance, but at the end of the day, she was my mom. And I was done standing in the way of my own happiness with her.

"I want you back in my life. And I want to get to know my grandson. But, for now, I can't do the same with your husband."

"And that's fine. I will never forget what he did that summer. But for the sake of me and Leo, you have to try and bury it." Finn nods too, before I pull him into my arms. "I'm so sorry Finny." I whisper to him. He doesn't respond but I feel wetness on my shoulder and can feel his chest heaving as he cries.

This kid, who I spent more years raising then being a sister, would be the one to thaw my heart when it comes to my mother. Of that, I was certain.