Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
Cece had just finished rinsing her lunch dishes when her phone rang. Natalie’s name filled the screen. It wasn’t unusual for her daughter to call randomly, especially these days, but something about it suddenly made Cece’s stomach tighten.
She dried her hands quickly and answered. “Hey, sweetheart.”
“Mom?” Natalie’s voice came through like it was being pulled out of her. She sounded barely restrained.
Cece’s grip on the phone shifted. “What happened?”
There was a breath, then the words tumbled out.
“Jim showed up at the house this morning. He just—” She swallowed.
“He just walked right up the driveway like he had a right to be here. I thought he had come to argue or demand something, but he said he wanted to take Tyler to school. Said he wanted ‘his time.’”
Cece’s pulse jumped. “Did he try to take him?”
“No,” Natalie said quickly. “Thankfully, Tyler was already gone. He wanted to get there early because he’s got a final today and wanted to study in the library beforehand.
But still. Jim came inside, Mom. He pushed his way past me.
He said he deserved to talk to his son, and I was keeping them apart. ”
Cece reached for the kitchen counter, needing something solid to hold onto. “Are you okay? Did he put his hands on you? Did he hurt you?”
“No,” Natalie said, voice shaking now that the immediate adrenaline had clearly worn off. “He just scared me. I didn’t know what he would do.”
“How did you get him out of the house?”
“I threatened to call the cops. I would have, too, but he left.”
“And after that?”
“I called Joe,” Natalie said. “Right away. He told me to stay in the house, lock the door, and wait for him to call back. And he did about fifteen minutes later. He went straight to the judge handling the divorce. He knows the guy.” She exhaled.
“Joe is a lifesaver, Mom. He got the judge to issue a temporary injunction. Jim can’t come within three hundred feet of me, Tyler, or the house without violating it. ”
Cece closed her eyes. Relief swept through her, thick and overwhelming. It was quickly followed by a deep appreciation for Joe and the tremendous man he was. “Thank heavens for Joe.”
“Yeah,” Natalie whispered. “He was incredible, Mom. He took care of everything.”
Cece opened her eyes, focusing on the kettle on the stove, the folded dish towel, the way her kitchen was so neat and orderly while her daughter’s morning had been anything but. Then another thought came to her.
“Sweetheart,” she said gently. “Why didn’t you call me first?”
Another pause. “I didn’t want to worry you. I was also a little afraid you’d freak out. Rightfully so, because I did. But it was handled and bothering you with it seemed unnecessary.”
The answer hit Cece in a place she hadn’t expected. A place deep and low inside her. She felt an unsettling sense of shame as the words came to rest.
Her daughter hadn’t wanted to worry her.
How many times had Cece thought the same thing this past week? How many times had she chosen silence because she didn’t want to burden Natalie with the possibility of something bad? How many times had she found an excuse not to tell Nat what was going on?
Her throat tightened.
“Natalie,” she said gently, “I’m your mother. You’re supposed to call me. That’s not worrying me. That’s what I’m here for.”
Natalie exhaled shakily. “I know. But everything’s been so crazy lately. I’ve done nothing but lean on you and you’ve already done so much.”
“And you don’t think I want to be there for you through the hard parts?” Cece asked. “All of them? Because I do. I love you. You’re my life, Nat. You and Tyler.”
The line was quiet for several seconds. Then, softly, Natalie said, “Mom, you’re going to make me cry again.”
Cece went into the living room and sank into the nearest chair. “Then we can cry together.”
She wanted to reach through the phone, hold her daughter’s hands, promise her it would get easier. But another truth pressed harder on her. It came at her louder now, impossible to ignore.
She was doing the very thing Natalie had done. Shielding her. Trying to spare her. Trying to protect her from more stress.
When, in truth, she was shutting off her daughter’s ability to be there for her. To do what a daughter was meant to do.
That wasn’t fair. Cece realized that. She couldn’t do that anymore.
“Sweetheart,” Cece began carefully. “There’s something I need to talk to you about, too.”
She didn’t say anything yet, but at least she’d opened the door. It was time. She couldn’t put this conversation off much longer. Not when her daughter had just shown her so clearly what silence cost.
“You can tell me anything, Mom.”
“Thanks.” Cece took a slow breath, steadying herself. She could feel Natalie waiting on the other end, undoubtedly still rattled, but listening. Cece didn’t want to pile fear onto fear. She wanted to speak plainly but gently. The way she would have if things were different.
“Mom? What’s going on?”
“Well… Before I say this,” Cece began. “I want you to know I’m okay. All right? I’m here. I’m talking to you. Nothing bad is happening this very second.”
“Mom,” Natalie whispered, instantly alert. “What is it?”
Cece closed her eyes for a second. There was no perfect version of this. No easy way to put it. The best she could do was honesty.
“I went in for a physical,” she said. “Just routine. I’ve been working out more, feeling good, losing some weight, and I wanted to get everything checked. My doctor felt something on my neck. By my thyroid. She’s not sure what it is yet, so she ordered some tests. Which I’ve already taken.”
Natalie went ominously quiet.
“They’re just being cautious,” Cece continued quickly. “They want to rule some things out. It might be nothing at all.”
“But it might not be.” Natalie’s voice was small, thin. “Mom…why didn’t you tell me this when it happened?”
Cece felt the punch of that question right in her sternum. “For the same reason you didn’t call me this morning. I didn’t want to worry you. You’ve been going through so much. And I didn’t want this to be one more thing on your shoulders.”
“That’s not how it works,” Natalie said, tears threading through her words. “You’re my mom. If something’s wrong, I want to know. I need to know. You’re allowed to lean on me, too, you know.”
Cece swallowed hard. “I know. And I should have told you sooner. I just…I wanted to have answers first. I didn’t want to scare you with maybes.”
“Maybes are still real to me,” Natalie said. “Especially when they’re yours.”
That undid Cece more than anything else had. She pressed her hand to her chest, steadying herself, doing her best not to break down.
She took a breath before she spoke again.
“I hear you,” she said. “And you’re right. I promise, no more keeping this to myself. When I get the test results, you’ll know the same day I do.”
Natalie sniffed. “When do you get them?”
“Soon,” Cece said. “They told me early this week.”
“Okay.” Natalie exhaled shakily. “Good. And Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Whatever it is, we’ll handle it together, okay? You don’t have to go through it alone.”
Cece let that calm her, even though it made her warm and achy all at once. “Same goes for you,” she whispered.
“Deal,” Natalie replied, her voice stronger. She blew out a long breath. “Anything else you haven’t told me about?”
“There is one thing I haven’t told you about,” she said, easing her voice into a lighter tone. “Something good.”
“Oh?” Natalie sounded pleased. “Then let me hear it. I could really use something good.”
Cece smiled. “I’m starting a podcast.”
There was a sharp inhale, and the response that followed was both surprised and delighted. “Mom. What? I can so see you doing that. That’s amazing!”
Cece let out a little laugh. “I don’t know about amazing, but it feels like the next natural thing for me to do.
It’s called Real Life: Take Two. It’s about second chances, starting over, making the most of the second half of your life.
It’s kind of what I did as a reporter, but on a more personal level. ”
“That’s perfect,” Natalie said immediately. “That’s so you. When did all of this happen?”
“Very recently. I’ve been working on the setup, getting all the equipment, figuring out the format.” Cece paused, warmth rising in her chest. “Joe even wrote the music for it.”
“Of course he did. That’s incredible,” Natalie said. “Mom, seriously, you’re going to be great at this. You’ve lived so much life, and you know how to talk to people. You know how to get them to open up.”
Cece felt the compliment settle around her like a warm hug. “You really think so?”
“I know so,” Natalie said. “And I’m proud of you. Not just for doing it, but for doing something for you.”
Cece blinked hard, swallowing the sudden thickness in her throat. “Well,” she said softly. “That’s really nice to hear.”
And it was. More than she could say.