Chapter thirty-one
Tara
I stared at Devyn’s contact information for several seconds before pressing the call button.
Normally I would’ve sent a text but today I felt like doing something different.
Today was her birthday and after everything that had happened with Monique, I just wanted to hear her voice and make sure she was dealing with it all okay.
The phone rang twice before she answered.
“Hello?”
A smile immediately spread across my face. “Happy Birthday, birthday girl.”
“Tara!” she shrieked.
I laughed. “Hey sweetie.”
“Thank you so much,” Devyn said.
“You’re welcome. How’s your day going?” I asked.
“Really good actually.”
I could hear the smile in her voice. I mean, actually hear it and it made me happy.
“Your daddy spoiled you, didn’t he?” I asked.
Devyn laughed. “Maybe just a little.”
“There’s no such thing as a little when it comes to Caine Vaughn,” I joked with a laugh.
She laughed harder. “Okay. A lot.”
“That’s what I thought.”
For the next few minutes, we chatted about her gifts, school, and everything else going on in her life.
Then I casually asked, “So how are things going?”
There was a brief pause, and I knew exactly what that meant. “You mean with Monique?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
Another pause then she said, “It’s going okay.”
I smiled because she didn’t say great or terrible. Honestly, that was better than I expected.
“That’s good,” I said.
“Yeah.” Her voice softened. “We’ve been talking a little.”
That surprised me. Not because I thought it was impossible but because it was happening faster than I expected.
“Well, I’m proud of you, sweetie,” I said.
“Why?” Devyn asked.
“Because that couldn’t have been easy for you.”
“No. It wasn’t.”
My heart squeezed because the poor kid sounded like she had been carrying this weight on her shoulders for years.
“Just take your time.”
“I am.”
“Good.”
We talked for another ten minutes before finally hanging up.
After the call ended, I sat there smiling. For the first time since Switzerland, things seemed to be moving in the right direction.
Later that evening, the front door opened and my man walked in. Immediately, I could tell he was in a good mood. The man was practically glowing.
I laughed and asked, “What are you smiling about?”
He tossed his keys on the table. “Nothing.”
“Uh huh.”
He walked over and kissed me then dropped on the sofa beside me.
“Devyn had a good birthday.”
I smiled. “I know. I talked to her earlier.”
That got his attention. “You did?” he asked in surprise.
“Yep,” I said.
“How’d she sound?”
“Honestly, she sounds happy babe.”
The relief on his face was immediate and honestly, it was kind of adorable.
“That’s good,” he said with a smile.
“She’s doing better,” I acknowledged.
He nodded. “Yeah.” A small smile appeared on his face. “I think things are moving in the right direction with Monique.”
I leaned against him. “That’s good.”
For several moments we sat together in comfortable silence. The kind that only comes after years together… no drama, no fighting, and no stress, just peace.
And honestly, it felt really nice.
︵?︵?????︵?︵
One Month Later…
“I cannot believe you talked me into spending this much money.”
Angie laughed from the chair beside me.
“Tara.”
“What?”
“You say that every single time we come here,” Angie said.
I rolled my eyes because unfortunately she was right. The spa day had been exactly what I needed… massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, the works.
Now we were sitting in the relaxation lounge sipping cucumber water like two rich housewives.
“This has been nice,” I admitted.
Angie smirked. “I know.”
I leaned back in my chair and sighed happily. “Things have actually been really good lately,” I said.
Angie’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh?”
I smiled. “Yaaassss girl!”
“What changed?” Angie asked.
I thought about it for a moment then shrugged. “Everything.” That made her laugh. “No seriously.” I smiled. “Caine and I are finally in a good place.”
“I’m happy to hear that.”
I nodded. “And Devyn’s doing well at school.”
“Definitely happy about that.”
“She’s talking to Monique.”
“To who?” Angie asked.
“The mother,” I clarified.
Angie’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yep.”
“Since when?” she asked. “Last I heard, they couldn’t even be in the same room together.”
I laughed. “Yeah. That was my reaction too at first,” I explained. “But they’ve recently made progress.”
For several moments neither of us spoke. Then Angie leaned forward. “You know what?”
“What?”
“It’s about time,” Angie said.
I laughed and asked, “About time for what exactly?”
“For you and Caine to get on track. I was starting to think y’all were never gonna get on the same page.”
That made me laugh harder.
“I’m serious,” Angie said. “Between you, Caine, Devyn, Switzerland, Monique…” She paused and shook her head. “I was exhausted just listening to it.”
I couldn’t even argue because I honestly felt the same way.
“And sending the little girl away would’ve been for nothing.”
I smiled. “No.” I shook my head. “It definitely wasn’t for nothing.”
Angie stared at me then slowly smiled. “Look at you.”
“What?” I asked with a huge smile.
“You finally sound at peace.”
The realization hit me immediately because she was right. For the first time in years, I could finally say that I was at peace.
When we left the spa, we grabbed lunch. Then spent entirely too much money shopping. By the time I finally pulled into the driveway that evening, I felt amazingly relaxed, happy and optimistic about my future with Caine.
I grabbed my bags and headed inside. The house was quiet and peaceful, exactly how I liked it. As I kicked off my shoes, I couldn’t help but smile.
For the first time in a very long time, I was genuinely excited about the future. And I had a feeling the best was still yet to come.