“Daughters are a lot of work, aren’t they?” Frank sighed. “Work that Stacia used to do, although now I’m questioning if I shouldn’t have stepped in a little more.”
“You should definitely call Sophie.” Essie’s shoulders relaxed a fraction as a new idea came to her. “And I’m going to call Liliana.”
He tipped his head. “Why Liliana?”
She nodded. “She’s got perspective. She’s about Sophie’s age and she also lost a parent. If anyone can help me understand what Sophie might be feeling without my own biases muddying the water, it’s her.”
Frank squeezed her hand. “That sounds like a very wise plan.”
Essie reached for her phone, steadying herself before unlocking it. “I just need someone to talk this through with. I might reach out to the Queen Bees, too.”
“I think that’s a great idea. They seem like a smart bunch. I like those women.”
“Thanks.”
He kissed her temple. “Always.”
Essie went back to the bedroom. She sat on the bed and tapped Liliana’s name, hoping the advice she needed was only a call away.
Liliana picked up on the second ring. “Hi, Mom.”
Relief washed through Essie at the sound of her daughter’s voice. “Hi, sweetheart. Do you have a minute?”
“For you? Always,” Liliana said. “What’s going on? You sound tired. Let me guess—this is Sophie-related, isn’t it?”
Essie leaned back against the headboard and stared up at the ceiling. “Yes.”
Liliana exhaled softly, already clearly understanding there was no quick answer here. “Okay. Tell me what’s going on.”
Essie filled her in carefully, choosing her words the way she always did when talking about Sophie, so she wasn’t adding to the drama. Essie told her about Sophie’s visit to see Chad, then the abrupt trip home and the big confrontation in Miami with Ryan and his cheating. And finally the question that had been gnawing at her since dawn.
“What should I do?” Essie finally asked. “I don’t want her to feel abandoned. But I don’t want to push when she’s not ready to hear from us. Especially from me. I know a lot of this is grief. She still misses her mother and then I come along…”
Liliana was quiet for a few seconds. “Mom,” she said gently. “This is hard because there isn’t a great answer. But you’re doing one important thing right. You’re respecting that Sophie’s an adult.”
Essie closed her eyes. “It doesn’t feel very loving.”
“Sometimes it is, though,” Liliana said. “Not swooping in to fix everything is its own kind of love. Tough love, I guess. Sometimes you have to let someone live with the consequences long enough to actuallyunderstandthem.”
Essie swallowed. “You think we should wait.”
“I think you should follow Frank’s lead on any direct contact,” Liliana replied. “He’s her dad. And I think you should just be you. Be a soft place to land if and when she decides that’s what she wants.”
Essie nodded slowly, even though Liliana couldn’t see it. “What if she never is?”
“She will be,” Liliana said, her voice full of confidence. “She’s got to be hurting too much not to want to change something. But it has to come from her.”
Essie’s chest ached. Inactivity was never her thing. “You really believe that?”
“I do,” Liliana said. “Sophie has to figure this out for herself. I know you care about her and you’re worried for her. Keep praying for her but understand you can’t walk this path for her. Nobody could have done that for me, either, after losing Dad. Although I obviously dealt with my grief differently.”
Essie let out a shaky breath. “You always did have more wisdom than I give you credit for.”
Liliana laughed softly. “You raised me, Mom. Some of it had to stick.”
Essie smiled despite what she was feeling. “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”
“Anytime,” Liliana said. “And Mom? You’re doing amazingly with this, all things considered.”
