Page 104 of Marcus

Cella cried until her eyes burned. Until her throat constricted around every sob she tried to hide, so it wouldn’t wake her daughter up in the back seat. Knowing she couldn’t go one more mile without a worse breakdown than she was already experiencing, she managed to pull off on the side of the freeway and get her phone from the bag in the passenger seat.

She called the only people that would understand.

Those who had been there that day.

That day when she lost everything.

It felt like Cella was living in that day again.

She didn’t move after she made the phone call. Didn’t pull back on the highway, and couldn’t be bothered to watch the cars speed on by without even considering stopping to see if the woman in the black BMW needed help.

She did need help.

Not from strangers, though.

Her father got to her in four hours.

Just the drive to her place would have taken him at least six. From Rochester to her current location, another hour or more. She didn’t even want to know how fast he drove.

Her brother came with him.

John took Tiffany from the back seat and let Cella give her daughter a hug and a kiss.

“Uncle John is gonna take you home, okay?”

Tiffany sniffled, so confused and tired.

Cella hated herself more.

Why couldn’t she do this?

Why couldn’t she breathe through this?

“Cella,” she heard John say.

She met her brother’s gaze.

He nodded like that was a whole battle won right there. “It’s okay to need a minute—she’s going to fine when you are. It’s okay to not be okay.”

Of course, John would be the one to say that.

Of course, because he would know better than anyone.

“Take her home, John,” Lucian murmured.

“Say bye to your ma, Tiff,” John told her daughter. Tiffany tried to smile, and wave.

Cella managed the same.

“Bye, Ma. Love you.”

“Love you, too, baby.”

John moved Tiffany to the other car. She watched the taillights of her father’s Mercedes disappear on the freeway.

Lucian sat in the passenger seat next to Cella in the BMW, saying nothing, and letting her scream it out.

Just scream.