Learning To Trust Again

Moving out of her mother’s embrace Rebecca wiped her eyes. Without looking at the older woman she said ‘I told you mum, he lied to me. He didn’t tell me what happened to Todd until it may have been too late. It could have cost Todd his life.’

Bridget was silent for a minute. Then her voice soft and caring she said ‘I know that, but is that all?’

‘Isn’t that enough?’ Rebecca almost yelled.

Her mother sighed. ‘I’m not going to tell you how to feel Rebecca. I know how you feel about deceit and why, but after seeing him here today, I can’t believe there was anything malicious in his actions. He must have had a reason for doing that.’ And when Rebecca didn’t reply she added ‘everyone makes mistakes honey.’

‘I know Mum’ Rebecca finally said turning to face her mother, her arms crossed in a defensive gesture she added ‘but I promised myself I wouldn’t let anyone do that to me again. I didn’t tell you half the lies Mark told me. I can’t be with someone who would treat me like that.’

‘Did Jake say why he lied?’ her mother asked.

Turning away again Rebecca said ‘does it matter. A lie is a lie.’

‘I know but I’m interested to know why. What did he say?’

‘He said it was because Todd asked him to’ Rebecca said with her arms crossed and still not looking at her mother.

Moving to stand behind her, Bridget put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders ‘I know I don’t know Jake very well’ she said ‘but one thing I am absolutely sure of is, he is nothing like Mark. That much I could tell within the first five minutes of meeting him. I never liked Mark, but I do like Jake.’

Surprised by her statement that she’d never liked Mark, Rebecca turned to look at her mother ‘you never said anything.’

‘How could I say anything?’ Bridget asked. ‘None of us liked him but we couldn’t tell you that. We wanted you to be happy. You loved him and wouldn’t hear a word against him.’

‘Sorry’ Rebecca said, turning away again, her head bowed.

‘You have nothing to apologise for’ Bridget said, anger reverberating through her words, ‘none of what happened was your fault. It is not a crime to believe in the person you love. He was to blame for not being worth of the trust and faith you placed in him and it is his loss. I have no doubt that one day he will get what he deserves. However that is the past. What I am sure of now is that Jake is not like that.

Rebecca nodded ‘I know he’s not like Mark but…’

‘And’ Bridget said, interrupting her daughter ‘apart from that, Jake doesn’t seem the type of man to do anything just because he was asked to, no matter who did the asking or why. If it didn’t sit well with his principles, I feel sure he wouldn’t do it. Personally I think there is something else going on. Something he hasn’t told you so far. But you won’t know what it is unless you ask him. No matter what Todd said, unless Jake himself had a reason to keep quiet about what happened at the party, I’m certain Jake would have said something.’

Rebecca didn’t speak. Her eyes were fixed on the trees on the far side of the park.

‘But what is most important honey’ her mother continued ‘is what I saw in Todd’s room earlier today. No matter what Jake has done, you love him and I’d say he feels the same way. When you wouldn’t look at him he looked like his heart was breaking, much the same way you looked when you finally turned around to find he had gone.’