“WHAT did you do?!” she demanded from her mother when she caught her just before she could leave the house. Her mother didn’t respond right away, but it was clear from her eyes that she knew what Ri-Ri was talking about. She remained calm and Ri-Ri didn’t like that one bit.
“I wasn’t the one who initiated that. It must’ve been the PR team trying to do damage control.”
“But with your consent!” she accused, tears now streaming down her face.
Her mother shook her head. Sadness was now visible in her eyes. “I wouldn’t do that to you, and you know that. I may not be a perfect mother, but I would never do that to you. Trust me on this, Strawberry.”
Holding her forehead, she sat down on the settee. She could no longer hold back her tears. “What if Zion sees that? What if he believes that lie? I won’t be able to handle it.”
She didn’t notice her mother sitting beside her. Her mother gently stroked her hair. “I don’t think Zion would believe that. Zion loves you so much. I’m sure he wouldn’t just believe some quoted text that didn’t even come directly from your mouth.”
She looked at her mother in confusion. “What do you mean…?”
“Before Zion left, we talked again,” her mother began, not waiting for her question. Ri-Ri listened intently, her full attention now on her. “He told me so many wonderful things about you. He told me how your music saved him. He’s incredibly proud of you—the kind where his eyes sparkle when he talks about you. I’ve never seen anyone, aside from your father, be that proud of you. That’s when I realized how much he loves you. He even told me about all the songs you wrote and how amazing they are, and that I should take time to listen to them.”
Tears welled up in her eyes again at her mother’s words. Zion never told her about their conversation. And she never expected him to say those things to her mother. Even more, she never imagined her mother would accept everything Zion had said. Ri-Ri had always thought her mother wouldn’t be open to the idea of her and Zion being together.
“B-But I thought you didn’t approve of Zion?” she asked softly.
“Who said that?” her mother scoffed.
“You’re not exactly happy that I’m dating him,” she pointed out.
Her mother shook her head. “I’m not exactly happy about the timing or how it became public, but that doesn’t mean I don’t approve of Zion,” she replied, holding her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “I know what it feels like to have your relationship disapproved of. Your father and I went through that with your grandparents before.”
“What?” she asked in disbelief.
“You see, your father came from a very simple family, and he was already content being an animal doctor,” her mother recalled. “At first, your grandparents didn’t accept him. But eventually, your father proved himself worthy.” She held both of Ri-Ri’s cheeks. “Ri, I don’t want you to go through what your father and I went through. I may not be a perfect mother, but I don’t want to stand in the way of your happiness with Zion. In fact, I was happy after I talked to him, because I saw how much he truly loves you.”
Tears fell from her eyes once again at her mother’s words. Without a word, she hugged her and cried in her arms. Her mother simply let her cry, gently stroking her hair. They were in that position when her father found them. He hugged them both as well. She apologized to her mother for the things she had said earlier, and her mother also asked for forgiveness for how she had treated her before. She admitted she had been a controlling mother and felt ashamed of her past actions. Ri-Ri forgave her, and her father happily embraced them again.
“But Zion…” she said after a while.
“What about him?”
“I can’t contact him. While I was on my way home earlier, I tried to reach him, but I couldn’t. What if he saw the news and believed it?”
“That’s impossible,” her father said. He pulled out his phone from his pocket, pressed a few buttons, and held it to his ear. She heard the automated voice response—his line wasn’t accessible. Her heart sank again. She didn’t know why Zion couldn’t be reached. “Where’s Matteo?” her father asked after a moment.
Her mother answered, “I already sent him home. His wife is about to give birth.”
“I’ll try calling Matteo,” her father said. A flicker of hope ignited in her chest. But when he added that Matteo couldn’t be reached either, her hope sank again. Slowly, the corners of her eyes grew warm with tears.
“Don’t feel hopeless, Ri. I’m sure there’s a reason for all of this,” her mother said, trying to soothe her. “What we can do now is go to the company and demand an explanation from the PR team as to why they released something like that, which is obviously a lie.”
“Yes, do that,” her father agreed. “I, on the other hand, will keep calling Matteo.” He kissed her forehead gently. “You’re not alone in this, Strawberry. You have both of us.”
Her mother nodded. “Don’t worry, my dearest. Mama knows what to do.” Strawberry noticed the glint in her mother’s eyes. She knew her mother had a plan and was determined to follow through. “Come on, let’s go. It’s time to record the songs you’ve written all these years and turn them into an album.”