Page 66 of The Cost of Love

“Don’t I need a fiancée to plan a wedding?” I rub my forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

“You’ve been seeing Elizabeth for three months.”

Technically, yes, effort-wise, no. Sparse texts, a few phone calls, and our two dates are all that have happened in that time. All I could manage to do while my focus lies elsewhere, and now Elizabeth and I are over.

I have to wonder if Elizabeth told her, and that’s why she is sitting here now. Even if my mother does know why on Earth she thought after our last argument that I would feel inclined to do anything for her is beyond me.

“No,” is all I offer up, still trying to keep the conversation civil.

“No?” Her mouth twists in a way that reminds me of my youth. Every moment of freedom I was able to carve out was overshadowed by that expression.

“No,” I repeat.

Her eyes widen and her lip quivers as she sinks into her seat. “I’m going to die soon,” she says.

“What?”

“Your father just died. I’m next.”

At a loss for words, I just watch as she wilts in front of me. Somehow, she makes herself look her age despite all of her cosmetic efforts to prevent that.

“What are you going to do if I do?” she asks.

In all honesty, I don’t know. Despite the urge for her to not be a part of it, I have never imagined my life without her. Against all common sense and logical reasoning, I still love her in equal measure to my hatred. Goddammit.

I stop myself from slamming my head against my desk and instead run my hands through my hair.

“How about this? I’ll keep looking and promise to ask someone by the end of next year.” She doesn’t need to know that the “someone” will likely be Chanice.

“Really?” she says, sitting up. And just like that, she is back to looking forty.

“Yes, really. Now would you like to see pictures of your grandson?”

Surprisingly, she nods, and I hand her my phone, a sense of relief coming over me. Unfortunately, as soon as she grabs it, that scrunch happens again.

“He’s Asian,” she says.

“Yes.”

“Why is he Asian?” Her look borders on disgust, and that’s enough for my anger to flare back up.

“I have work. You should go,” I snap, grabbing my phone back, like that can protect Theo. I need to talk to Liv about the danger of having her in his life.

She doesn’t protest, standing up and dusting her skirt off. Telling me to still keep Elizabeth in mind, she turns and leaves. I don’t bother to walk her out, scared I might push her down the stairs or something. Instead, I turn back to my computer and start looking up deep breathing exercises. I have no idea how I am going to calm myself down after that conversation.

Chapter 26

Chanice

It takes days for things to get back to normal with the kids. In the meantime, I have been exploring every option we have, including the solicitor, Dana Albright, that Alex suggested. After a quick phone call with her assistant and a breakdown of legal fees that would normally make me pass out, we set an appointment.

Now sitting in this fancy office, with a bottle of expensive water, I hope that I don’t stand out as much as I feel like I do.

“Ms. Jones?” A Black woman comes out of an office and gestures for me to follow her back in.

I don’t know what I was expecting when Alex said he had someone, but I didn’t think she would look like me. She gestures for me to sit and offers a gentle smile. The bottle of water crunches from my grip, I’m holding it like it’s my lifeline in this sea of uncertainty.

“I looked over the papers you filled out and requested the file from your social worker to have a better understanding of the situation.”