Divergent University {Sequel}

Chapter 13~ 12 years too late

Tobias POV
"My mother contacted me..." I tell her.

"Hello?" I say into my phone, which I just picked up. Tris went over to Zeke and Shauna's, wanting to visit her but also see the nursery they finished the other day.

"Tobias..." A woman's voice enters through the phone, and there's only one other woman who would know my real name.

My mother.

"Mother?" I breathe into the phone. Hearing her voice send pricks of pain into my heart, and causes memories to flood my mind.

"Oh Tobias! How I've missed you." She says and the words spark a fire in me-- anger boiling all of a sudden.

"You're the one who left." I say coldly.

She sighs. "How have you been? Are you seeing anyone?? I just want to hear about your life, to hear how you're doing."

I scoff. "Why the hell would you care, after all these years? And for the record, yes. I am seeing someone." I tell her, trying not to put any emotion into my voice.

"Because you're still my son, I'm still your mother--" "No. My mother left when I was six, I remember thinking and praying that she'd come back. I remember crying out to God to bring her back. But she left and never came back." My heart tearing with each truthful words.

"I still love you." She says and those were the words I had hoped she wouldn't say. Any thing but those words.

"How? How could you just abandon me? Leave me with him?" I ask, my voice raising.

There's silence. Just like I thought there'd be. Because there's no explanation for what she did.

"I'm sorry." She whispers.

"A bit too late for that, 12 years late to be exact."

I watch Tris's face soften, the anger floating away. "I'm--Tobias..." She says and walks back to the bed, taking a seat back beside me.

"She called earlier this week when you went over to see Shauna." I say.

"Have you met up with her?" She asks me.

"No. I haven't even called her back, like I'm supposed to." "What do you mean?" Tris asks.

"She wants to meet you. And I'm supposed to call back with an answer." I explain.

"Her name's Tris. And she's the love of my life." I tell my mother.

"I'm so happy you found someone." She says, and I almost want to believe her.

"Can I meet her?" She asks after another moment of silence.

I sigh, the last thing I want to do is let Evelyn back into my life. Even if it's just a small part.

"I don't know..." "Please? Just think about it. Or if you really don't want me meeting her... just you come." My mother pleads.

As much as I want to say no right there, not letting her down easy... I can't seem to be able to.

"I'll think about it." Is all I answer.

"Why don't you want me meeting her?" Tris asks resting her head on my shoulder.

I sigh. "I don't want her squeezing back into my life." I finally answer, my voice sounding vulnerable. My heart feeling vulnerable.

"Why not?" "Because that means I forgive her, and I don't know if I can." I tell her.

She sits up and twist to face me. "That's not true. You can meet up with her, see her, talk to her. But none of that has to mean that you forgive her." Tris says and she has a point.

"She told me that she made a mistake." I say out loud.

"I made a mistake 12 years ago Tobias, and hope someday... maybe in another 12 years... you could somehow forgive me."

"At least she knows she did something wrong. That has to be a start right?" Tris asks. I nod, not sure if I'm doing it or my heart is making me realize that it's true. She's starting to take responsibility for what she did.

"I'll meet her. If you want me to." Tris says breaking the silence that was starting to build.

"Really?" I ask and she nods. "I'd actually like to meet her." Tris says and I'm somewhat shocked.

"Okay. We can." I say and she kisses me lightly, and this time I kiss back.

"We'll get through this." Tris says.

"I love you." I tell her, feeling ever so grateful to have her. "I love you too." She says and I kiss her again.