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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“Have you given any thought to what you want to do for Bron’s birthday?”
Adrianna shook her head like her mother could see her. It really wasn’t a good time for a chat. She was exhausted mentally, physically, in her soul. She hadn’t slept much in the last week, afraid even as she held her daughter, to lose her. And the fight with Cam, if you could call their silent war a fight, didn’t help at all.
“No. Honestly, I haven’t thought about it. So much has happened lately…”
“It’s okay, hon. I understand. It’s just you always know what you want to do as early as January. Are you sure you are okay?”
Adrianna let her head hang back and stared at her office ceiling. She hated not being on top of her game and this dancing around subjects. “I’m okay, Mom,” she repeated for the fourth time in the span of fifteen minutes.
“I’m sorry I keep asking but you don’t sound well,mi hija.” Her mom was breaking out all the nicknames, which meant she was really worried about her.
I need to put her mind at ease.
“Well, I’m scared as hell that someone may take my baby from me and though I’ve explained that like a thousand times, some people can’t even give me a few days to have her home and work through my fears.”
Adrianna swallowed the groan.She’d failed again. She was trying to tease, and instead came off angry and bitter. Which is the way she felt since this morning when Cam strolled into Bron’s bedroom and ordered their daughter to get ready for school.
“Cam was right on taking her to school, Adri. It’s time she went back.”
She shook her head. “It’s too soon. I needed more time.”
“But Bron doesn’t. It’s been a week,cariño. She can’t miss that much school or she’ll fall behind. She was already absent when you all went to New York.”
The rational words pricked her skin. “It’s not like she wasn’t doing anything. I was helping her through her lessons and she was doing her reading.”
Where I could see her, touch her, make sure she was safe.
“You’re a lot of things I’m proud of,mi amor. You’re a good woman, a tremendous professional, an amazing mom but you are not a teacher. You can’t keep Bron indoors all her life because you’re afraid.”
“I know.”
In her head she did, but explaining it to the heart that trembled at the idea of being apart from her baby was harder, if not impossible. The minute Bron and Cam walked out of the door, her windpipes had begun to close and she’d had to force herself to breathe. She was alone and anxious and she had to get out of the upstairs apartment. Especially after the panic set in when he didn’t come home after. Only his text saying that he’d gone somewhere with Chase, let the breath return to her body.
“Adri, you can’t protect her from everything. All you can do is prepare her. I tried to shelter you from the ugliness that was your father andme, and you ended up carrying my cross with me…” Her mother’s voice broke. Adrianna had only seen her mother cry twice in her life. The day she’d told her about Fausto and the abuse, and the day Bronwyn was born.
Her mother cleared her throat. “Hasn’t Walter robbed you of enough? Are you going to let him take away the man that you love and force you to raise your daughter in fear? Like I raised you.” Her voice dropped in the end.
“Mom, you were the best mother I could ever want. You taught me how to be strong, even if I don’t seem like it right now. It’s just…”
The ringing of the school bell echoed through the phone line. “Drat, I have to go. We have an assembly, but I’ll call you later. Adri, promise you’ll think about it?”
“I will. Love you,Mom.”
“I love you too. KissLa Princesafor me. I’m taking a day off and coming for her birthday next week. We’ll figure out what to do for her.”
Adrianna hung up the phone and released a long breath. Her mother was right. Cam was right. Everyone was right but she couldn’t help the way she felt. And it was affecting everything. She hadn’t been out of the building since they came home from Acacia and Bron only got out today because Cam had had enough.
She knows how jumpy and scared you are. She wants to go outside but doesn’t dare ask because she doesn’t want to upset you, Adri. I’m trying to be sensitive and supportive, but we can’t do that to her. She’s a kid.
Cam had said it in a calm manner but there was a tinge of frustration. The past few days he’d been so patient, unlike any version of him. He’d tried to talk to her but when she’d shut him down, he had not blown up sky high. He’d even asked her to come with him this morning. She couldn’t.
She would’ve never let Bron out of the car and into the school.
It was all so stupid. Walter was in jail. The District Attorney had spoken to them and said he’d pled guilty for a lesser sentence. He and his lawyer had asked for the laptop and shortly after called to agree to a deal.
He’s looking at ten years. Seven, if he agrees to go into rehab.
