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| find myself drawn to say something, something for my mother, for my Nonna. But mostly... mostly for the
mother of my son.
Athena.
As | rise, glass in hand, | feel all eyes shift toward me. But none of them matter except hers.
My gaze finds her.
She's already crying, smiling, and beautiful in that way that makes my chest tighten. And yet, | know I've been
the cause of so many of her tears before.
The wrong kind. Not the ones she has on right now. Those tears are for what my mum and Nonna said.
When she looks at me, her eyes are full of hatred.
My heart aches when | think about the terrible things | said to her. The unforgivable things. The look in her eyes
when | told her she meant nothing. She killed her own child and forced her to sign the divorce papers. That day
will forever haunt me.
Honestly, she must be an angel to even lookin the eye now. To be civil. To laugh. To sit at the stable as
It must be tough, having to see my face and be reminded of my harsh words. And yet... she's still here.
Despite it all.
| don't deserve her forgiveness. But that won't stopfrom trying to earn it.
I don't know why, but I've made up my mind. I've decided to make it my mission to make her happy again. To
see her smile like she used to six years ago. The way she'd light up a whole room without even trying.
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I owe her that much. No. | owe her more.
My throat tightens as | raise my glass.
"I uhm..." | clear my throat.
Why the hell am | nervous?
It's just a speech.
I've stood in front of presidents and powerful men without flinching. But now, my palms are sweating, and my
heart is thudding so loudly that | swear it echoes in my ears.
Maybe because for the first time, I'm about to speak from my heart.
It's a foreign feeling and it makesuneasy but | have to do it
| glance at Nonna. She givesthe tiniest nod.
Mum watches me, shock filled in her eyes. Dad has a small smile on his lips, which | can't seem to place.
| quickly move my gaze and hold Athena's gaze, tuning everyone out.
"Thank you all for joining us on such short notice," | begin, my voice low but audible.
"I didn't join you. You kidnappedfrom my living room!" Nonna complains, making everyone chuckle.
Once the silence returns, | take a deep breath and continue,
"In this room, we are surrounded by strength. By women who've nurtured, protected, and carried the weight of
love on their backs without expecting anything in return."
My eyes flick to my grandmother.
"To my Nonna, thank you for being our foundation. For being the fire behind our family. You've always stood up,
even when your body begged you to rest."
| turn to my mother.
"To my mother... who raisedwith so much love and patience even when we fell out, | appreciate you not
giving up on us until we were a true family once again. You showedwhat sacrifice looks like. What it means
to love unconditionally."
And finally... Athena.
"But there's one woman in this room who | owe the biggest apology to."
My voice dips, tight with emotion.
"Athena..."
She freezes, her eyes wide, her lips parted like she wasn't expectingto say her name.
But | keep going.
"You gavethe most beautiful gift I've ever received, our son. You were robbed of two years of being his
mother but somehow found yourself being part of his life.
Even before you knew he was yours, you played with him, bought him gifts, and stole his heart all in less than six
months. You easily bechis favorite person, and that warms my heart. What | did to you can't be excused as
just as lan said, we will get you the justice you deserve."
My fingers clench around the glass.
"| did everything wrong. | was cruel. Cold. | judged you when | should've supported you. | saw the worst in you
when all you ever showedwas your best. | never believed in who you are when | should have"
| take a deep breath, looking directly into her eyes.
"You don't oweforgiveness. You never will. But I'm going to spend the rest of my life making sure you know
just how much I see you now. Really see you. As the incredible woman, mother, and person you are. I'm truly
sorry for all the pain | put you through."
| search her eyes, trying to read how she is taking my words, but she has a perfect mask on that gives nothing
away.
My throat tightens again.
"To the mother of my son and the strongest women | know, Happy Mother's Day."
| slowly step off the stage and take my seat as Dad gives a speech next, followed
by others, but I'm too zoned out to hear what they're saying.
People are surrounding Athena and giving her gifts and hugs so | don't get a chance to get a glimpse of what
she's feeling.
It used to be so easy to read her. But that was before | fucked up.
I don't know how far she has gone with Zayan, but something tellsthey're not together.
Not yet at least.
"Next t| need a heartwarming speech, | know who to call." Luca chuckles as
he takes a seat next to me.
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