Chapter 34 A New Light
~Felicity~
It was evening, and we were sitting outside on the garden bench, the air cooling but quiet. Macy was upstairs in her room, working at her new desk with her art supplies—still decompressing after her first therapy appointment.
Dr. Maggie Chen, Macy's new therapist, had met with us first. She had a kind face and an easy, steady way of speaking that immediately made me feel like she was the right choice.
She explained her process and the approach she planned to take with Macy.
Her priority, she told us, would be building a relationship where Macy could begin to feel safe enough to trust her.
That meant some conversations would stay just between them—unless there was a safety concern.
She also let us know that Massachusetts law is fairly strict when it comes to confidentiality, even with children, which meant her ability to share details with us would be limited.
Honestly? We didn’t care. We didn’t need to know everything.
We just wanted Macy to have someone—someone safe, someone steady, someone who could help her hold the weight of everything she’s been through.
As someone who works in HR, I understand how important psychological safety is in the aftermath of trauma.
I can only imagine how much more essential it is for a child.
We told Dr. Chen to share only what she needed to. But Caden had one caveat—and I was grateful he said it out loud.
“Dr. Chen,” he said, his voice calm but lined with restrained fury, “as you know, the circumstances surrounding her mother were… highly concerning. If you learn anything suggesting Macy’s safety with her was ever at risk—or if something needs to be reported to the court—can you share that with us?”
Dr. Chen nodded. “Yes. I’m a mandatory reporter.
If I have reason to believe Macy has experienced abuse, neglect, or exploitation—or if there’s substantial risk to her safety—I’m required to report it to DCF.
That includes formal documentation and notification through the appropriate legal channels.
I also reviewed your emergency custody paperwork.
Macy has a Guardian ad Litem assigned to her, so any serious concerns I uncover would be shared with them as well. ”
She said she’d always let Macy know when something needed to be shared, and why.
That transparency, she explained, was part of how she protected the therapeutic relationship.
It wasn’t about keeping secrets—it was about giving Macy a safe space that belonged just to her.
Still, she promised to keep us in the loop on big-picture things: patterns she noticed, progress toward goals, and anything she thought we could help support at home.
It felt both like a relief and a letting go—knowing we wouldn’t know everything, but that maybe, for once, Macy wouldn’t feel so alone with it all. Macy may not be my biological daughter, but she's been my stepdaughter for more than half her life, and I want nothing but good things for her.
After the meeting, we left Macy there for her session. Caden and I walked down the street to grab a coffee. Exiting the front entrance, Caden reached for my hand just as I had unconsciously found myself reaching for his. We walked to the nearby shop close to Broadway Station called The Grind.
It had a chill atmosphere. I grabbed us a table while Caden ordered—black coffee for him, cappuccino for me.
Before finishing, he looked back at me and nodded toward the pastry case.
I mouthed “YES, you pick” with a smile. I hoped he would go for the ridiculously sized slice of Chantilly lace cake—one of my absolute favorites.
I watched as the barista went straight to the cake and pulled it out of the case.
Something in me twittered—excited for the cake, but also pleased he’d chosen it.
It spoke to my heart as a small thing he knew about me.
We sat for about half an hour, speaking about our discussion with Dr. Chen. Eventually we came to the topic of our appointment coming up next week.
"I feel a little nervous, but I'm glad we are going," I admitted.
"Me too. I know we are going to be seeing someone together, but I think I should also plan to see someone myself." Caden's words surprised me—in a good way.
"Really?" I asked. "I have to admit, I've been thinking of doing so too. These last few weeks have brought up a lot for me, and I think I may want to talk to someone about it all too."
"Whatever you want, sweetheart."
I smiled at him and took a sip of coffee. We sat back and enjoyed our time before having to go get Macy.
Back at the house, sitting in our garden, I looked at the cherry trees and said to Caden, "They look good out here."
"They do. Jake said they may not bloom this year with the transplant process, but there's still a chance they could."
"Makes sense, but I hope they do. I can't wait to see it."
"I keep thinking about what you said before," I murmured, pulling my sweater tighter around my shoulders. "About wanting to remember how to see each other again."
"What about it?"
"I think we're doing it. Right now." I gestured to the space between us, the comfortable silence that had settled over the garden. "This feels like seeing."
Caden's phone buzzed in his pocket, the sound almost mingling with the chirp of the crickets. Pulling it out, he glanced at the screen with a slight frown. "It's my mom. Should I—?"
"Take it," I said with a smile, stretching my legs out and feeling the satisfying pull from my ankles to my hamstrings.
He swiped to answer, his voice immediately shifting to the warmer tone he always used with Sandy. "Hey, Mom."
I could hear Sandy's voice through the speaker, warm and animated as always. Caden got his easy laugh from her—along with his pancake recipe.
"Hi, sweetheart. Is Macy still with you tonight?"
"Yeah, she's inside probably raiding our snack cabinet as we speak. Why?"
"Well, I'm driving down to Providence tomorrow to visit Gladys for the night. Angie and Alex are coming up from Hartford." Gladys is Sandy's sister; Angie and Alex are her grandkids—adorable twins just a bit younger than Macy.
Caden smiled, and I could see him picturing the chaos those three created when they set their minds to it.
The last time everyone was at my in-laws', the kids were upstairs while we were in the family room.
Things got quiet—we all know what happens when kids are quiet.
Caden and the twins' dad, Andy, went up to check.
Lo and behold, the three of them had decided they wanted to see how the upstairs armoire was put together—so they found tools and took the whole thing apart.
Every piece, from the shelves and drawers to the doors, was completely disassembled.
I started laughing to myself, remembering my mother-in-law's reaction. Troublemakers, the bunch of them. Caden looked over at me questioningly. I just shook my head, still smiling.
“Oh! Nice, Ma. You have enough quarters for the rounds of poker you’re sure to lose to them?”
“Quarters!” she laughed. “More like dollars now. They’ve progressed from amateurs to pure sharks.”
Caden let out a solid belly laugh, Sandy following suit.
“Anyway,” she said, “I thought Macy might like to come along. Gladys always spoils them rotten, and you know how much Macy loves hanging out with them. Plus, she’s been asking about them since Easter.”
I watched Caden’s expression shift, becoming more thoughtful. “That’s really thoughtful of you, Mom, but are you su—”
“Plus,” Sandy continued, not letting him finish, “I thought it might be nice for you and Felicity to have some uninterrupted time together. You know, without an eleven-year-old’s ears and eyes around the house. Just for a couple of days.”
Caden looked at me, eyebrows raised in question. His mother was about as subtle as a Mack truck, but her heart was always in the right place. Honestly, the idea of a full day with just Caden sounded almost too good to be true.
I found myself nodding before I’d even fully thought it through.
“Actually,” he said into the phone, “that sounds perfect. Let me ask Macy, but I’m pretty sure she’ll be thrilled. Those kids always have the best adventures together, and I think she could use a little fun and mischief right now.”
“Wonderful! I can pick her up around ten tomorrow morning. Pack enough for a few days, then. I’ll bring her back Sunday or maybe Monday.
We’ll see how things go. With everything going on, I think she could use a little grandma time, and I could use a little time with my grandbaby.
Plus, your father will want to see her when I get back from Providence, so we’ll just plan to keep her another night unless she grows tired of us. ”
Not two minutes after hanging up, Macy’s voice exploded from the kitchen.
“YES!” she shouted. We heard some unintelligible sounds and squealing, then through the back window, “Daaaaaaaaaaaad! Felicity!”
Caden scoffed. “Here we go,” he said to me. Then he called toward the house, “Yes?!”
“Grandma said I’m going to Providence tomorrow!”
“Yup! So I heard!” he yelled back through the window.
Getting up, both of us groaning a bit from stiff muscles, we headed toward the house. Following her voice toward the stairs, we found her practically bouncing a couple steps up, the remnants of a sandwich in her hand quickly disappearing into her mouth.
She started to rattle off questions but found her mouth too full. Unprepared for the moment, she stomped her foot, looking at the ceiling, chewing as fast as she could while clearly dying to talk. When she finally swallowed, Caden and I both laughed at her antics.