Chapter 473

“Your father and I loved one another more than I can even explain,” Devi said quietly. “I walked away from my family for him and he defied his mother to marry me. Without the love we had, we could never have weathered the storms that buffeted our marriage.” “Exactly,” Emma said. “And when he died, you couldn’t live without him.” “Losing your father was the worst day of my life,” Devi said, “but the guilt is what crushed me.” “Guilt?” “If I had just gotten a job like he asked. If I hadn’t been so stubborn and determined to stay home then your father wouldn’t have died. That accident was my fault and I blame myself every day for leaving you and your sister without a daddy.” Emma pushed up from the table. “So you denied us a mother as well?” she yelled. “I just couldn’t face you. I didn’t know how to make it up to you. How could I replace him? I couldn’t—” “So you didn’t even try? I was ten! Kirra was two! You blamed yourself for the accident that took our father but didn’t even try to fi