A Long Time
The thought of seeing her grandmother again after all those years fascinated Courtney. As a result of some feud, she hadn't seen her for a long time. There was no doubt an uncomfortable feeling when they showed up unannounced at her house.
At first, the old woman didn't know what to say. It all changed when Linda, her grandmother, uttered three words she had never expected. From there, the day took an unexpected turn.
Convincing Them
Supposedly, it would be a positive experience. Her mother had been raised by a woman Courtney hardly knew. During her visit to the old woman's house, she begged her teenage cousins to accompany her. “But what if it’s unpleasant? I don’t want a fight,” One of her cousins said.
However, Courtney was confident that her plan would work. Eventually, the six agreed after she begged and pleaded. She was standing on her front porch before she knew it.
A Bad Feeling
A small group of teenagers stood on the porch, nervous as ever. Despite her good intentions, Melanie, the oldest cousin, had a bad feeling about it. “If we wanted to go home right now, we could just pretend we were never here,” She said, wiping sweaty palms on her jeans.
A sigh escaped Courtney's lips. “No, it’s her birthday. She’ll be happy to see us. Just ring the bell,” She said, but she had no idea how wrong she was.
Feeling Anxious
As Melanie reached for the doorbell, she rolled her eyes. Through the front door, they heard the bell ringing. Their nervousness grew with every passing second. It wasn't long before they heard footsteps coming from inside the house.
Linda was walking to the door to answer it. She held her breath. She had heard her mother tell her how horrible Linda was for ages. Would she feel the same way when she got home? The door swung open a second later.
Opening The Door
There was no word spoken as the door slowly opened, revealing an old woman behind it. Surprise filled her eyes as she looked at the teenagers. Despite Linda's attempts to speak, she was unable to do so. In a noticeably trembling voice, Courtney said, "Hi, Grandma.".
For a moment, the woman remained silent, but then she spoke. “What on earth are you bunch doing here?” It was going to be a very interesting day.
Taken By Surprise
“We wanted to see you for your birthday,” Courtney said when she realized that no one else was going to answer the old woman’s question. The teenagers were reluctant to enter Linda's home at first, but she eventually opened the door and welcomed them. A pounding sensation filled her chest.
As the group stepped into the unfamiliar residence, they did so quietly and quickly. There was no previous experience for any of them. They couldn't do it because their parents wouldn't allow it. The reason was about to be revealed to them.
Something Strange
The kids sat in unbearable tension in the dining room at their grandmother's house for the first thirty minutes of their visit. Courtney tried talking to her grandmother to ease the tension, but it didn't seem to help. A strange look appeared on the woman's face.
It was hard for her to tell if Linda was angry or extremely sad. She was caught off guard when Linda said three words just then as she wondered about it. Everything changed at that point.
Things Were Perfect
Her parents, Kim and Derek Mulholland, had always considered Courtney Mulholland to be very fortunate in Chicago, Illinois. Kim and Derek did everything possible to ensure their daughter lived a happy and prosperous life. Aside from having the best school and tutors, she also had everything she needed.
The only thing she never fully appreciated about her mother was something she never fully understood. In order to protect her from her grandmother, Linda Johnson, she shielded her.
Cutting Her Off
In terms of her grandmother, Courtney didn't know much. It had been a long time since she had seen her. Her only knowledge of Linda came from her mother. However, Kim never really mentioned the old woman. When Courtney asked about her grandmother when she was a child, she replied, "She is a horrible woman."
Kim's siblings stopped speaking to their mother. A family feud had occurred years ago, but they never told their children about it.
Thinking About It
Throughout her childhood, Courtney simply accepted things as they were. Her teenage years were the first time she began to question it. When Courtney first considered the situation, she was fourteen years old. The thought of never speaking to her mother again devastated her.
She wondered how Kim could have gone so long without seeing or even speaking to her mother. Eventually, she decided to inquire again about it.
A Casual Morning
That morning, Kim was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for her family. When her daughter walked into the room, she smiled brightly at her. Courtney had spent the whole previous night thinking about her mother and grandmother, and she wanted to ask Kim for more details on the matter.
But when Courtney mentioned Linda’s name, her mother’s shoulders stiffened. Clearly, she did not want to be asked about the woman. Kim’s face twisted in uncertainty.
Asking About It
“I just want to understand it better. Grandma is your mom. I want to know what she did to make you cut her out of your life like this. What did she do?” Courtney asked. Her mother remained silent for a moment. She clearly did not appreciate that her daughter had started the morning on this note.
Kim had always protected her daughter from the truth. But now, Courtney was fourteen, and she deserved to have some answers.
Saying Too Much
Kim knew she had to give her daughter some details, but the last thing she wanted was to relive the awful memories with her mother. She cleared her throat and took a seat around the kitchen island with her daughter. She was going to be honest without telling her daughter too much.
“Growing up, your grandmother wasn’t very fair when it came to me and my siblings,” She sighed. But then, she went on to give her daughter some details.
A Hard Topic
Courtney could see the pain behind her mother’s eyes as she dove right into the topic. She could tell that it was hard for her to talk about. “When I was growing up, my mother never gave me anything. I didn’t grow up the way you did. She spoiled the youngest child, and the rest of us were left with nothing,” Kim explained.
Tears burned behind the mother’s eyes. “When Toni would ask for something, my mother would give it to her, but when the rest of us did the same, she would say she couldn’t afford it.” But there was more.
She Stopped Answering
Courtney hung onto her mother’s every word as the woman grew more emotional by the second. She had been bottling this all up. “When it was time for us to go to college, she refused to let any of us go. She said she couldn’t afford it, but she sent Toni to some private school. We never mattered to her,” She explained.
Courtney felt for her mother. All along, Kim felt like her mother never truly cared about her. “When I moved out, I stopped answering her calls,” She said.
Resentment
For the rest of that day, Courtney couldn’t stop thinking about what her mother had told her. She kept thinking about the pain on her mother’s face. Courtney understood why Kim never wanted to see Linda again. For years, she resented the old woman, just like her mother did.
It wasn’t until she was seventeen that she gave the situation more thought. She had never met her aunt, Toni, but she wondered why Linda favored her over the rest of her children.
One Way
Courtney knew that her mother would never give her the answer to that question. She was certain that Kim wondered why, too. There was only one way to find out. She had to speak to the woman herself: Linda. She knew that her birthday was coming up, and she wanted to pay her a visit.
But Courtney couldn’t do it all on her own. She considered asking her mother to accompany her, but she knew it was a bad idea. But then, she thought of the perfect people.
Her Best Friend
Courtney had always been close to her cousins on her mother’s side. But one of them was her best friend, and that was eighteen-year-old Melanie. Over the years, Courtney and Melanie had spoken about their grandmother often. “I want to meet her this weekend,” She told her slightly older cousin.
Melanie looked like she had just seen a ghost. “I think we should all go out there. Who knows, maybe she would appreciate it,” Courtney said. But she was wrong.
A Change Of Heart
“I thought you said you hated grandma. Why do you want to meet her all of a sudden?” Melanie asked with furrowed eyebrows, confused by her cousin’s confession. Courtney didn’t know how to respond to her cousin’s question. She didn’t know why her mind had changed. Linda was getting old, and Courtney felt for her.
“I don’t know, just-” She thought for a moment, “What if something happens to grandma, and we never get to meet her?” She said. This made Melanie think about it.
She Agreed
Melanie understood where Courtney was coming from. She felt for the old woman despite the fact that she had torn their family apart. “What do you say? Do you think we should go?” Courtney asked. She noticed the hesitation in Melanie’s eyes. She wanted to say yes, but she was scared of the consequences.
“I don’t want to, but if you want us there, we can do it,” She said, referring to herself and the rest of their cousins. A smile tugged at Courtney’s lips.
Where Are You Going?
Before she knew it, that Saturday morning crept up on her. When she heard the knock on her front door, she knew that Melanie had come to pick her up. As she rushed down the stairs, she spotted her mother in the living room. “Where are you off to, honey?” Kim asked with a smile on her face.
Courtney knew better than to tell her mother the truth. If Kim knew where she was headed, she would be furious. “I’m hanging out with Melanie today,” She said simply.
Being Hopeful
Her mother waved her off with a smile, and before she knew it, she was on her way with her cousins. They all sat in Melanie’s car. The ride was nearly completely silent. The teenagers were all too nervous to speak. “Do you think she’ll be happy to see us?” One boy asked.
Courtney stayed silent for a moment. She didn’t know how to respond to that question. She didn’t know Linda whatsoever. She just hoped everything would be okay.
Awkward Silence
The teenagers were a nervous wreck, but before they knew it, they were sitting inside the old woman’s dining room. The old woman had awkwardly brought out a pitcher of lemonade and a few glasses. It was obvious that the old woman was confused by their presence.
“How has your birthday been so far, Grandma?” Courtney asked casually, trying to break the tension. But the situation was about to get a lot more tense.
A Question
“Uh,” The old woman said hesitantly, “It has been fine. I had- I had-” She stumbled over her words before shaking her head, “I’m sorry, what are you doing here?” The old woman’s words hung in the air as the teenagers stared at her with wide eyes. They were all too scared to speak. What if she snapped at them?
“Melanie and Courtney, I haven’t seen you since you were babies. The rest of you I’ve never even met,” She said, her face twisted in confusion. Courtney had to say something.
Intrigued
“Grandma,” She started and cleared her throat. “I only recently learned about what happened between you and my mother, and I wanted to hear your side of the story.” It was clear from the look on Linda’s face that she was intrigued by what Courtney had said. “Well, at least one of us knows what the issue is,” Linda said.
Courtney and Melanie shared a confused glance. Did Linda not know why all of her children had stopped talking to her? But there was far more to this story.
What Did She Say?
The old woman couldn’t help but wonder what Courtney and her mother had discussed. She had to know. She decided to ask. “Tell me, Courtney, what exactly did your mother tell you,” The old woman said, her voice frail. Courtney swallowed the lump in her throat.
Her cousins stared, waiting for the tension to vanish, but it was only becoming worse by the second. Courtney decided to be honest.
Toni
“She told me about her sister, Toni. She said you gave Toni everything and gave the rest of your children nothing. You wouldn’t let them go to college,” She started. The young girl’s hands were shaking at that point. She could see the strange expression on her grandmother’s face. “But you let Toni go to some expensive school,” She added.
The room fell silent once again as Linda processed what the young girl had just told her. Courtney could tell that her grandmother was not pleased.
Was There More?
“So, that’s what your mother thinks?” Linda muttered quietly. But the situation was about to get a lot more heated. Linda’s face was twisted in confusion and anger, but why? Was there more to the situation than Courtney thought? She could tell Linda wanted to say something.
Courtney remained silent. “You know, I tried to do everything for those kids. I gave them the little I had,” She started, “I tried to shield them from the terrible truth.”
An Explanation
Tears welled up in the old woman’s eyes. “You want to know the truth about Toni?” She asked the teenagers. They all nodded wordlessly. That was when she proceeded to tell her grandchildren a heartbreaking story. “Toni has severe autism. I always tried to shield this fact from the rest of the children,” She cried.
“All of my money went toward buying the treatments and the products she needed to live somewhat normally,” Courtney’s heart snapped.
The Truth
“When I learned that there was this school that could help her, I got my sister and her husband to pay for it. I couldn’t afford anything anymore,” The teenagers couldn’t believe it. “I sent her off to that school, and a week later, all of my other children stopped answering my calls. I haven’t seen them since. I never knew why, until now.”
Courtney felt terrible as tears began streaming down her face, too. She couldn’t believe how terrible the situation really was.
Sorrow
Linda never told the rest of her children about Toni’s condition because she didn’t want to scare or upset them. They abandoned her for no reason. “I- I’m so sorry, Grandma,” Melanie said while Courtney quietly cried into her hands. The teenagers exchanged glances, their eyes filled with sorrow for the old woman.
Courtney and Melanie got up from their seats and pulled their grandmother into a big hug. That was when she began to sob. But then, she said three words that changed everything.
Realization
Linda held onto the two girls, her heart aching at the painful realization of why her family had left her all those years ago. The words left her mouth before she even had the chance to think about them. “I miss them,” She said, her voice thick with emotion.
Courtney and Melanie shared a knowing glance. They had to make this right. “Grandma, I want you to come home with us. You have to tell them the truth.”
Something She Didn’t Do
The old woman seemed uncertain about Courtney's words. Her children had gone over a decade hating her for something she didn’t do. She wondered if they could put this behind them, “But what if they just shut me out again? What do I do then?” Linda asked.
“You can at least try. Either you get your family back, or nothing changed,” Melanie told her grandmother. She was right.
The Car Ride
Linda sat in the passenger seat of Melanie’s car while she drove them back to Courtney’s house. Courtney sat in the back, squished between her younger cousins. Before long, Kim’s large house came into view. Linda’s heart began racing at the realization.
She had knocked on that door many times with no answer. Courtney placed a hand on her grandmother’s shoulder in an attempt to calm her. “It’s going to be okay, Grandma.”
Making It Right
When they stopped in front of the house, a fresh set of tears burned behind Linda’s eyes. Courtney got out first and opened the passenger door. She extended her hand out to the old woman, encouraging her to take it. “We’re going to make this right,” She told Linda.
Together, the group slowly approached the front door. Everyone waited in silence as Courtney unlocked the front door. Then, she pushed it open.
Confusion
Her mother was in the kitchen, preparing a cup of tea, when the group of teenagers walked through the door. Linda stood behind them. “Mom?” Courtney spoke up. Kim turned to face her. She was confused when she saw all of her cousins behind her. “I have someone I think you need to talk to.”
Linda slowly walked forward, emerging from behind the children. The second Kim saw her mother, the spoon she had been holding dropped to the ground.
Caught Off Guard
“Mom, what are you doing here?” She asked in a shocked voice. Kim didn’t know what to do. She was caught off guard by her presence. “Kimberly. The kids came to visit for my birthday, and we got to talking. I think there has been a misunderstanding,” Linda said.
Kim was overcome by emotion as she and her mother sat by the table and spoke for hours on end. She couldn’t believe it.
A Lot Of Tears
Courtney watched the pair as Linda told her daughter the truth about her sister. Tears poured down both their faces. “Do you think they’ll make up?” Melanie whispered to her cousin. Courtney shrugged, “I really hope they do,” She responded.
They held their breath as the two women got up from their seats. Was Linda leaving, or were they making up?
An Apology
Courtney held her breath until she watched her mother pull Linda in for a tight hug, sobbing into her shoulder. “I am so sorry, mom,” She said. It was the first time they had shared a hug in years. Courtney and her cousins cheered quietly to themselves. Finally, a change had occurred.
“We need to speak to everyone else about this, Mom,” Kim said and reached for her phone. She decided to call her siblings.
A Misunderstanding
That day, Linda told all of her children the truth, and in the end, they were all crying and holding on to each other. Courtney couldn’t believe it. They hadn’t spoken for years, and it was all because Linda was trying to protect her children. But in the end, everything was alright again.
That afternoon, they celebrated Linda’s birthday as a family, and the old woman couldn’t be happier. Their family was finally restored.