OUT OF THE BLUES

Angela Wilson stood frozen in the doorway, her eyes fixed on the scene before her. She had rushed to the hospital as soon as she heard that her daughter had been shot, and now she was face to face with the people she had hurt the most.

Cherry's eyes blazed with anger as she stared at her mother, her voice trembling with rage. "What are you doing here?" she spat.

David's eyes were filled with pain and accusation as he looked at his mother. "How could you show up here?" he asked, his voice shaking. "After everything you've done to us?"

Angela's face crumpled as she gazed at her children, her eyes filling with tears. She knew that she had caused them so much pain, and now she was faced with the consequences of her actions.

Ma'am Rossy and Ms. Fiona exchanged a wary glance, their faces tense with disapproval. Liam's eyes narrowed as he watched Angela, his expression guarded.

The hospital room was filled with an uncomfortable silence, the tension between Angela and her children almost palpable. Cherry's anger and hurt were evident, and David's pain and betrayal were clear.

Angela took a step forward, her hands outstretched in a plea for forgiveness. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. "I was wrong to abandon you, to hurt you. I want to make it right."

But Cherry's expression remained unforgiving, her eyes flashing with anger. "You can't just waltz in here and expect us to forgive you," she spat. "You need to earn our trust, and that's going to take a lot more than just an apology."

Angela's face fell as she realized that her children's wounds ran deeper than she had thought. She had expected anger, but not this level of hurt and betrayal.

"I understand," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't expect forgiveness overnight. But I want to try to make things right. Can I...can I stay and talk to you?"

Cherry hesitated, her eyes flashing with uncertainty. David looked at her, then back at Angela, his expression unreadable.

Liam spoke up, his voice firm but gentle. "I think that's up to Cherry," he said. "But if you're going to stay, you need to be honest with us. No more lies, no more secrets. Can you do that?"

Angela nodded, her eyes welling up with tears. "I'll do whatever it takes," she said. "I promise."

Cherry looked at Liam, then back at Angela. She took a deep breath, then nodded. "Okay," she said. "You can stay. But like Liam said, no more lies."

Angela's face lit up with a faint glimmer of hope. She sat down in a chair next to Cherry's bed, her eyes fixed on her daughter's face.

"Where do I start?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Cherry's expression was guarded, but Liam could see the faintest glimmer of curiosity in her eyes. Maybe, just maybe, this was the start of a long and difficult healing process.

As Angela finished her story, Cherry and David exchanged a knowing glance.

"I'm so sorry," Angela said, her eyes locked on her children's faces. "I'm so sorry for abandoning you, for not being there for you when you needed me. Can you ever forgive me?"

Cherry and David looked at each other, then back at Angela. They could see the sincerity in her eyes, the remorse etched on her face.

"We need time to think about it," Cherry said finally, her voice soft but firm.

David nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we need time to process everything."

Angela nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I understand," she said. "I don't expect forgiveness overnight. But I hope that someday, you can find it in your hearts to forgive me."