Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Brielle
It had been three days since I’d heard from Caden. It was unlike him not to call or text me. He usually either called or texted at least once daily, even just to say hi. I was getting a little worried, and even though I shouldn’t have been, I couldn’t help it. On the days I didn’t hear from him, even if it was a simple text message, I found myself missing him. I knew this was only a job, and he was only a client, but my feelings for him grew stronger every time we were together. The way he spoke to me that night hurt me. But his words were of hurt and anger about something that had nothing to do with me. Something happened on that night, and I needed to know what.
While I was cooking dinner, Stella was practicing the piano. I tried to hire her a teacher, but she told me no and that she was okay learning by herself. She played incredibly well for someone who had never had a lesson. Listening to her play reminded me of Caden, and the knots in my belly tightened every time I thought about him. After Stella and I ate dinner, she took a bath, and I put her to bed. As I was lying in bed reading a book, my phone dinged with a text message from Caden.
“I’m leaving for a business trip on Thursday to Chicago, and I need you to go with me. We’ll be back on Saturday. Have your driver drop you off at my penthouse at nine a.m. sharp.”
“That’s in two days.”
“And? I’m giving you notice as you asked. I’ll see you then.”
My belly twisted as I typed my next message.
“You don’t want to see me tomorrow?”
“No. I’ll see you on Thursday.”
I didn’t know if I should have responded to that or not. So, I just left it, and I dialed my mom.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Mom. Caden just texted me and said he needs me to go to Chicago on Thursday, and we’ll be back Saturday.”
“That’s fine, but I need to talk to you about something.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll come by tomorrow morning around seven a.m. That’ll give us enough time to talk before Stella wakes up.”
“Yeah. Okay, Mom. I’ll see you in the morning.”
I ended the call and set my phone down on the nightstand. Her tone sounded off, and now I was worried.
I got up early enough to get dressed and make some coffee before my mom came over. I had some leftover chocolate chip muffins from yesterday that I’d made, so I put them on a plate and set them in the center of the table.
“Good morning,” my mom quietly spoke as she walked through the door.
“Hey, Mom. Good morning.”
I poured her a cup of coffee and set it on the table.
“So, what’s going on?” I asked as I sat down.
“I met someone.” She smiled.
“What? When?”
“Last week. I didn’t want to say anything until I got to know him better.”
I cocked my head at her in shock.
“Who is this guy, and where did you meet him?”
“His name is Steven. He’s fifty years old, and we met in the meat section at the grocery store.”
I arched my brow as I took a sip of my coffee.
“I hope he’s not married.”
“His wife passed away a few years ago. We’ve been talking every day and met for coffee yesterday.”
“Oh, my God! You couldn’t tell me this?”
“Like I said, I wanted to get to know him a little better first. You know my history with men. Anyway, I really like him.”
“And what does this Steven do for work?”
“He’s retired.”
“At the age of fifty?” My brow raised.
“He used to work on Wall Street, made very smart investments, and now he doesn’t need to work anymore.”
“So, what does he do with his time?”
“He golfs, travels, and is heavily involved in charity work.”
“Does he have any children?” I asked.
“No. He and his wife could never have any. I’m telling you this now because he wants to spend more time with me, and with your schedule, it’s hard because you never know when Caden will call you.”
“He gives me notice, Mom. You know that.”
“Not enough notice, as far as I’m concerned.”
“So, you’re saying you don’t want to be responsible for Stella as much anymore?”
“That’s not what I’m saying. I just think you need to have a backup because I have a life too.”
Wow. I couldn’t believe she’d just said that.
“I know you have a life, Mom, but you agreed to help me with Stella.”
“And I have been for the past six years. I’m always there the second you need me. Now I want to live a life for me too.”
“Okay. I’ll see if Sasha can be available more.”
“What about Ben? You know Stella loves him, and he loves Stella. He isn’t driving for you as much anymore, so maybe watching her could make up for it.”
“And what do I do when I need him to drive me somewhere?”
“You’re a smart girl, Brielle. You’ll figure it out. You always have. I’m sorry, baby, but I really like him. Maybe when your six months are up, you should consider retiring. You’ve saved quite a little nest egg already, and with the money you’re getting from Caden, you’ll have more than enough to live on. You can use it to go back to school.”
“I’m happy you have my life figured out for me, Mom,” I snapped as I grabbed my coffee cup and got up from my seat.
“Don’t you dare take that attitude with me, young lady. I have been here for you since you had that child. Did you think I was going to do this forever? Maybe you should look into hiring a nanny for Stella. It’s not like you can’t afford it.”
“Mommy, Grandma, what’s going on?” Stella said as she walked into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes.
“Hey, good morning, sunshine.” I smiled as I walked over to her. “Nothing is going on. Grandma came over for some coffee, and we were talking. I’m sorry if we woke you.”
“It sounded like you were using your outdoor voices.”
“Come here, baby,” my mother spoke as she held her arm out to her. “Give Grandma a hug. I have to go. Think about what I said, Brielle.”
I rolled my eyes as she walked out the door. Maybe she was right. Perhaps I should hire a nanny for Stella. If I did, my mom wouldn’t be watching her anymore, and she wouldn’t be getting paid.
I spent the day with Stella and explained to her that I had to go to Chicago for work for three days. She wasn’t happy about it, making me even more upset than I was. The older she got, the more difficult it was for her not to have me here. I only wished I could tell her that everything I was doing was for her.
“Mommy, don’t be sad,” she said as she touched my cheek.
“I’m not sad, sunshine.”
“Yes, you are. I can tell. You know what we do when one of us is sad.” She smiled.
“Not right now, baby. I don’t really feel like it.”
“It doesn’t matter if you feel like it. It’s something that has to be done.”
She picked up the music remote on the table, pressed a button, and “Hakuna Matata” began to play. Stella grabbed my hand and started singing. A smile crossed my lips as I got up, and we sang and danced our troubles away.