Page 23 of Marcus

Space was good.

For both of them.

Plus, though it made her guilty to think about it, Cella hadn’t taken time away from her child in years. Well, never. Those first few months after her husband’s death was nothing more than a blur in her memories, and that was probably the time when she accepted the most help from others with her daughter. Not that she ever spent time away, but there were spans of mornings where her mother woke up with her child instead of her, and even times when one of her sisters would take Tiffany out to the park or to an appointment if it was needed.

Cella just … hadn’t been able to do it.

Couldn’t get out of bed.

And then they would bring her daughter to her, the girl would climb into her mother’s bed, and that’s how they would stay. Tucked in with one another, her breathing in the familiar baby scent and memorizing every single part of her daughter’s features that she took from her father.

The depression cleared, though.

Eventually.

Still, she never took time for her. Not even a day—she always made sure to schedule things for her around her daughter’s needs. When Tiffany was in daycare or visiting with her grandparents.

Not this weekend, however.

That was for Cella.

Well, her and the penthouse job.

Yep.

That’s what she was going to keep telling herself, anyway. It certainly had nothing to do with the fact that this not a date felt like a date, in a way, and the longer she had time to think about the man who would be accompanying her that weekend to the dinner … well, the more she liked it.

Nope.

Wasn’t thinking about that at all.

“Ma?”

Cella glanced down at her daughter. “Yeah, baby?”

Tiffany smiled back. “Are we gonna go inside?”

Dammit.

She had been so distracted in her thoughts that they stood on the porch of her parents’ home for God knows how long. Sighing, and catching the sight of her kid’s snickering out of the corner of her eye, she didn’t even bother to ring the bell or knock before entering the house. Not that her mother or father would care—their open-door policy for their children extended straight into their adulthood.

Yet another reason why she loved them.

“Grandmama!”

Tiffany’s shout echoed through the house, and she dropped her sparkly, pink backpack full of the things she needed for the weekend to the floor without a look back. Cella smiled after her girl, knowing she should call her back and remove her shoes, but she didn’t get the chance before Tiffany darted down the hallway.

She, at least, took the time to remove her coat and shoes even if she was going to have to put them right back on in a few short minutes. She couldn’t stay very long given that the drive to Toronto was going to be eight hours from her parents’ house, not considering the traffic, which there always was too damn much of it.

Oh, she could have flown.

Cella thought the drive might be … nice.

Time to think.

Overthink.

And that was enough of that.