The Path to Sunshine Cove (Cape Sanctuary #2) - RaeAnne Thayne Page 0,97
she found it grossly unfair that Sophie was blaming her father for her mother’s choices.
“Let me get this straight. You overheard a conversation about how your mother made the difficult choice to go back to her unit after you were born.”
“She should have stayed. What kind of woman leaves a baby who is only three months old if she doesn’t have to?”
“It’s not that simple, Sophie. Your mother faced an impossible choice. I’m sure she did what she thought best at the time.”
“It wasn’t best,” Sophie muttered. “Not for me.”
“She couldn’t know she would die over there.”
“She knew it was dangerous.”
“I’m sure she missed you every single day she was there. And she would have tried her best to come home to you safe and sound if she could.”
Sophie looked doubtful.
“That’s not really the point, is it? Let’s talk about your father. The one you’re so mad at right now. It seems like you’ve forgotten that he is the one who stepped up to take care of you?”
Sophie frowned. “Only because he had no choice.”
“He had plenty of choices. He could have left you with his mother. He could have put you in the care of someone else. Instead, he was here, day in and day out. He gave up his own military career to come back to Cape Sanctuary and take care of you.”
“And lied to me about my mom the whole time! He always told me she had to go, not that she chose to go.”
Oh, to have the clear-cut, no-exceptions logic of youth, who saw no room for gray.
“Your dad let you believe a story that might not have been completely true about your mother, probably to protect you from feeling exactly like you’re feeling right now. And you’re somehow mad about that?”
Sophie frowned. “He should have told me the truth. They were even talking about getting a divorce! He never told me that. But then my mom died. That’s what he and Gram were talking about.”
“Why did you need to know that? Think about it, Sophie. Why does any of that matter? How does it change the wonderful family you and your dad and your grandma Eleanor and grandpa Jack created?”
Sophie looked uncertain, then jutted out her chin as Jess pulled into the hospital parking lot. “I had the right to know the truth instead of believing a big lie all this time.”
She did remember what it was to be thirteen and so certain the world was as unambiguous as Sophie thought, without the nuances one discovered later in life. That gave her a little sympathy for the girl but she still wasn’t letting her off the hook.
“So your father didn’t tell you everything about your mom. Okay. Be mad about it. Stomp your feet and slam doors if you want. But don’t you forget for a moment that your father is a good man who loves you dearly and wants everything wonderful for you. He left his own military career to bring you back here to Cape Sanctuary with his mother so you could have the kind of nurturing love in your life your own mom wasn’t able to provide at the time. Don’t take your hurt and disappointment out on him. He doesn’t deserve it simply for trying to protect you.”
Okay, maybe she spoke a little more passionately than she intended. When she stopped speaking, Sophie stared at her for several heartbeats, then shook her head.
“Wow. You’re really crazy about my dad, aren’t you?”
Jess swallowed, feeling her face go hot. She hoped Sophie couldn’t see it.
“Don’t be silly,” she muttered, pulling the keys out of the ignition. “This has nothing to do with how I do or don’t feel about your father. It’s about you.”
She faced the girl, and on impulse decided this was a moment that demanded raw honesty.
“I would have gladly sacrificed anything to have a dad who loved me and my sister a tiny percentage as much as your dad loves you.”
“You didn’t?”
She shook her head. “Not even close. And from the outside, I can tell you that I find it very unfair of you to take out the anger and hurt you might be feeling about not having your mom around on the one parent who was here the whole time to take care of you. How would you feel if it were your dad who was here sick in the hospital, after the way you’ve treated him lately?”
Sophie seemed struck by that as she gripped the handle of Eleanor’s