Saving The Bad Boy

"Tell me the story again"

My mother sighed, somehow holding a smile on her face after about the hundredth time she had told me the same story. "Bella, honey. I've already told you this story over a thousand times"

"I know, but I love that story! Please, Mom!” I poured

I loved it when my mom told me this story, and I knew that I could never get bored of it. This story was the story of how my father, Mason, and my two uncles had saved my mom from her horrible father. And I'm sure mom loved telling it too, since every time she would talk about dad, you could see the love for him in her eyes.

"Please! Just one more time?" I pleaded.

My mom finally cracked, sighing with a smile on her face. "Oh alright, I'll tell you one more time. But only on one condition!"

I nodded, gesturing for her to continue.

"You have to help me with supper tonight" she said, pointing a finger at me which meant there was no way I'd get out of it. I nodded quickly, eager to hear the eventful true story once again.

"Okay, so a quite few years ago, before your father and I had you. When we were in high school, I had lived with my father. But my father was a bad, bad man" she said with a sigh, placing a hand on my knee.

"He missed my mother, and that's what sent him down the path of destruction. He started drinking multiple beers a day, and to release his anger, he'd use me as his own personal punching bag.

"My entire life, I thought nothing would ever get better. I thought I'd always be stuck in that house with the shell of a man. But then your father showed up. Your Dad wasn’t the friendliest person at first, but your Uncle Jackson, Uncle Noah and Aunt Gemma insisted on making me a part of their lives.

"I tried pushing them away, but they were quite persistent and stubborn" Mom laughed slightly at the memory of them in high school.

"One day, your Aunt Gemma came over to cheer me up. We lost track of time, and my father showed up, drunk as usual. I managed to get Gemma out of the house before my father went on a furious rampage... I almost died that night, but thankfully your Aunt called for help.

“Your Aunt likes to brag that it was her who saved me, and not your father,” said my Mom, a small smile lighting up her face as she reminisced the old days, “and although I’d never say this, I could argue that your father saved me just as much, if not more.

I furrowed my eyebrows, she’s never told me this part of the story before...

“Gemma might have saved me from my father, but your Dad saved me from myself.”

I sat up straighter, wanting to make sure I heard every detail, “what do you mean, Mom?”

“Well, I blamed myself for almost everything that ever happened to me, and even when I was at my worst - absolutely broken - your father stayed by my side. He was, and still is my rock. When I felt down, your father was there to pick me up. Your Aunt might have taken me away from the issue, but it was your father who helped me heal from that trauma; and for that, I will always argue that it was him who truly saved me.”

"Of course, while your father had the greatest impact on my life, if it wasn't for all four of them, I wouldn't be here right now. And I wouldn't have an amazing daughter or loving husband" she said, lovingly tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"So dad was like your knight in shining armour?" I asked, an excited glint in my eyes.

Mom smiled, “Indeed he was"

After a moment of silence, she wiped her hands on her jeans and stood up, looking down at me with a smile, “Now, I believe that a certain someone promised to help with supper"