"I Hated You, Jessika."

Background info: So as many of you know I lost my best friend, my hero, and my finance this summer due to suicide. His mother and I were not on good terms at all. She didn't have a husband or any other children but him so she obviously kept him close and envied how him and I seemed to spend so much time around eachother. Since his death, she's always frequently put the blame on me whether it'd be calling me a two timing slut in front of Safeway, or calling me up in the middle of the day. Either way..it was obvious we weren't exactly destined to get along.

As I pushed my cart down the Produce section of Fred Meyers, I wasn't really paying attention and accidentally had a little cart collision with someone else. Looking up and opening my mouth to apologize I found that I was quickly lost for words. Standing in front of me with the same shocked look on her face was the one the only...Judi Scott. The woman who had chased me down the street with a young boys baseball bat. The one who accused me of pushing her son to murder himself.

So, naturally, I was expecting to hear another session of complete embarrassment as she told me what filth I was...but, (I still have problems believing this) instead her face twisted into a smile.

Yes, thats right, a smile. I never thought I'd see the day.

"You're looking pretty good these days, Jessika. How's life been going?" She said. I was waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out and tell me that I've just been Punk'd. However, that moment never came.

Damn that Ashton.

My reply: "I'm doing pretty well. And yourself?" She than went on to tell me about her new boyfriend and how life has been taking a dramatic turn to happiness. She told me that she has now been following a strict lifestyle of Mormonism and couldn't be more pleased.

Than the conversation took a uncomfortable turn.

"How are things without Frank?" She asked casually, referring to her son.

Someone hit me with a brick.

Obviously she realized the shocked look on my face because she quickly said: "I knew how much he meant to you. I mean, you guys spent more time around eachother than anything else."

I didn't know if I should laugh. But at times like these...its hard not to.

I explained how things have been extremely hard but that I've been getting by.

I asked her the same question and she told me how the first few months were hard. Than she told me something that I have trouble accepting:

"After he passed, I was so built up with shock that I didn't know how to react. I had already lost my husband and was left with no one but my son. I was bitter with divorce and no man to come to after work. And than you took away my baby boy and I didn't even have that. I was jealous that you were always the one to make him smile, and not his own mother. But of course, that was all my fault. I hated you, Jessika. I really did. Since I've found God, I've realized that forgiveness is something that we all have to do at some point in our lives. You made his last few years enjoyable. I don't see how I could be angry at you for that."

Its amazing how some people can change like that. I hadn't seen this woman in close to 4 months and here she was telling me that she was the one who messed up. It was a good feeling as I packed my groceries in my car and drove home. A settling in my stomach as if I didn't have such a heavy weight on my shoulders.

Forgiveness really can be an amazing thing.