Ghost

33 - Starting Over

- Next Day -

-Aurora's POV -

We pulled up to the hospital and my legs didn't want to move. My heart was pounding. Why did she mention Michael? How does she know him? Does she know he tortured me? So many questions and yet some of them I'm not sure I wanted to know the answer to. Ollie opened the door and held out his hand. Max and Griffin were already out of the car.

"Angel?" I looked up at Ollie and grabbed his hand. I can do this. Right? I guess eventually all that's done in the dark comes to the light. I want the truth. As we walked in Hannah spotted me with a smile.

"Hello Aurora." She waved. "She's ready for you all." We followed Hannah down the hall to Jane's room.  When she unlocked and opened the door, there stood Jane with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you Hannah." She smiled. Hannah nodded before leaving. Slowly Jane approached me. I felt my heart beat increase with every step she took. "Aurora.." She whispered as she lifted her hand and touched my face. "May I hug you? Please?" She asked. I stared at her for a moment. I nodded and she wrapped me up in her arms and sobbed. "Oh... my baby girl, I'm so sorry." I felt every emotion hit me at once. After years and years of not having a mother's love, this little bit was enough to have me in tears. She pulled away and looked at Griffin and Max. She walked towards them with her arms open. "Griffin?" He looked at her and ran into her embrace.

"Mom." He sobbed. She hugged him tighter.

"My sweet boy." She looked at Max. I knew he was going to need more time. She held her arm out for him to join the hug but he took a step back. "Please Max, I need to feel that you are real."

"I am real, I'm just not ready." He folded his arms. I saw her lip quiver as she put her arm back around Griffin.

"Jane." Ollie broke the silence. She half let go of Griffin, one arm still around him, turning to face Ollie. "We have questions." She nodded.

"Come, sit." She motioned at the chairs neatly placed in a circle. "Anything you want to know, please ask." She sat down next to me and smiled.

"Why didn't you want us?" Max blurted out. "Were we not good enough for you?" Way to ease into it.

"Max!" I shouted and glared at him.

"No." She grabbed my hand and held it. "It's alright." She turned to him. "Of course you were enough for me. It was the hardest thing I had to do, leaving you at that orphanage. A part of me died that day when I walked away from you."

"Then why did you?" He looked at her angry.

"To protect you."

"Bullshit! You don't just give up on your children to protect them! You really expect me to believe that!?" Max got up from his chair and headed to the door.

"Max!" Ollie growled. Max turned and faced him. "Sit down... now." Ollie's voice was deep and scary. Max pulled his chair a little ways from the group and sat down in a huff.  "Let her explain."

"I was the target of Michael's rage. You needed to be as far away from me as possible." She sighed. "So leaving you at the orphanage seemed like the right thing to do at the time."

"How do you know Michael?" Ollie interupted.

"I met him after my divorce. I was able to keep you boys a secret from him for a few months as we dated, seeing as on the first night he told me he didn't like children. I thought maybe over time he would adjust and become okay with it. I was going to tell him eventually but one night he showed up unexpectedly and was drunk. When he saw you boys, he became angry. That's when his cruel side began to surface." She sighed. "He raped me that night for lying and keeping you boys a secret from him. I tried to get away several times but he kept finding me and the beatings and raping got worse each time. After that he became obsessive, controlling and more creative with his abuse." As she talked, my hands began to shake. I didn't want to believe it, but the puzzle pieces fit together all too well.

"No." I stated and pulled my hand away from her. "He can't be." I got up from my chair and backed away. Jane stood and tried to approach me but I held my hand out to stop her. "Michael's my... my...." The word was stuck. I couldn't bring myself to say it. All the years of him abusing me and attempting to rape me. I felt gross, defeated and lost.

"You're father." Jane finished. I cringed when she used that word. "When he found out I was pregnant with you he went ballistic. He wanted me to abort you. He even drove me down to the clinic to have it done, but I refused. He said that if I wasn't going to let a professional do it, then he would do it himself. So I packed my things, grabbed you boys and left." Tears began to flow between us. "After I gave birth to Aurora, he found me. He left a note on my door saying that he would kill my children while I watched as punishment for running away from him. I was scared. I wasn't going to let him hurt you, but as long as you were with me, he would find you too. So I found an orphanage that would take you and I disappeared."

"But he did find us." Max seethed. "He adopted us and took whatever rage he had left for you out on Aurora! She was tortured because of you!" Max screamed and walked towards me. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my head.

"Max..." Griffin tried to talk but Max cut him off.

"No Griff! Because of her our sister was beaten, whipped and almost raped on several occasions! The moment you found out he didn't like kids, you should have broken it off with him!" He screamed at her.

"I was alone! I made a mistake and I paid the price for it by losing you! It was either watch you die or leave you, so I made a choice and I know now it was wrong!" She cried. Griffin wrapped her up in his arms. I understand that people make mistakes. We are human. I released myself from Max's grip and walked over to her. "Im so sorry Aurora. I'm so sorry." I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tight.

"I forgive you." I cried into her shoulder. A weight was lifted off me.

"How could you forgive her so easily!? You were tortured Aurora! Because of her choices you got the worst of it!" Max growled at me.

"Because holding a grudge won't do me or my babies any good!" I shouted back at him. Jane pulled away and looked down, placing her hand over my stomach.

"Babies? You're... pregnant?" I nodded. "Are they..." I stopped her before she could finish that vile thought.

"Ollie is the father." I looked at him and he smiled at me. I turn back to her. "I want to start over. I want my mother back and I want you to be apart of my children's life." She sobbed harder and smiled.

"Thank you!" She gripped onto me. "Thank you baby."

"I forgive you too." Griffin stated and joined our hug. I turned slightly to face Max, who was standing by the door with his fists balled. "Please Max." Griff pleaded. "If we can forgive her, you can too. We can't change the past, but we can change the future by starting over. Please brother." I guess the weight of it all came crashing down on him. He collapsed to the floor after letting out a scream and cried. Jane walked over to him, kneeling down.

"Max, look at me." He shook his head. She cupped his face. "Please baby, look at me." Tears pouring, his face flushed, he looked at her. "You may not have felt it back then and you may not feel it now, but I love you. I know I made some bad choices and it effected you, your brother and your sister in negative ways, but I was trying my best with what I had to keep you alive. You are my children. Hate me all you want, but I love you and that will never change." Sobbing, Max wrapped his arms around her.

"I forgive you mom." He whispered but I still heard him. Now we can focus on being a family, like it was supposed to be.

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Hey guys!

Hope you liked this chapter! Very emotional and I got teary eyed a few times writing it.

Let me know what you think!

Love you guys! ✌