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She smacks her lips, searching my face. “I know my daughter, and I know that starstruck look you get in your eyes. It happens every time Henry Cavill comes on the TV.”
I roll my eyes. “You are ridiculous. Charles and I work closely together. I respect him and how hard he works.”
“And...” she drawls.
“Andhe’s doing great things for Cavendish Group here in the United States. And I can’t help but admire his tenacity.”
She snorts. “Tenacity? Goodness, me, bringing out the five-dollar words. That’s more than a crush.”
I grab the pillow from behind my head and whack her with it. She squeals, grabbing her own pillow. Sometimes we act like children, but it’s just how we are.
It wasn’t always like this. We had a typical mother-daughter relationship throughout school. One day, I loved her, and the next, I hated her.
She was always the strict one. When she said no, I always went to Dad, and he’d give in, earning himself a scowl and the cold shoulder for a couple of hours.
Their fights never lasted long. They were the true definition of love, and it broke my mom’s heart when dad died.
It broke mine, too. We were a solid unit, and the world only made sense with us all together.
We both fall back onto the bed, laughing at our shenanigans. My mom grabs my hand and squeezes, and I know the moment is about to get heavy. That’s her telltale sign that a serious conversation is about to begin.
“Promise me you’re not falling for your boss.”
I look at her.Reallylook at her, wondering why this bothers her so much.
“Would it be so bad if I were?”
She presses her lips into a straight line but doesn’t say anything.
“I’m not, but I’m just curious why you’re so bothered by the idea.”
She blows out a harsh breath. “From all that you’ve said, it sounds like heartbreak waiting to happen, baby girl. He’s the heir to the entire Cavendish Corporation, and the headquarters are in London. His home.”
I don’t say anything, but I give her a look that saysand so.
“What happens to you if he goes back there? Would you go to London?”
I bark out a strangled laugh. “Mom, I told you nothing is going on between us. It’s ridiculous to even consider what I would do in a situation that will never happen.” I take a breath and offer a small smile. “But you know I’d never leave you.”
She would never admit it, but I know, deep down, that’s what really scares her. The thought of being alone is my mom’s biggest fear.
“Not that it matters. You and I both know wherever I go, you go. It’s not the first time you’ve packed up and followed me,” I say, offering a bigger smile, but she doesn’t return it.
“I’m worried about you. This is your dream job. In your dream city. You worked so hard to get here, and I know how easily a man like Charles Cavendish could creep under your skin.” She said his name as though it were a disease. “I don’t want you to give everything up for a man because nothing lasts forever, love. You’ve got to take care of yourself first.”
“Mom,” I say, looking at her long and hard. “What’s really going on?”
Her bottom lip trembles, and a tear drips from the corner of her eye.
“You know I loved your father more than anything, baby girl, and I will never regret the sacrifices I made to be with him, but I gave upeverythingthe moment he smiled at me. I’d do it all over again, but life is short, and we’re not guaranteed our happily ever after.”
Tears stream down her cheeks now, and I reach out, swiping them away. She hiccups a sob, and I pull her head into my chest, holding her while she cries.
I doubt tequila has played a part in her current state, but I also know she’s never really grieved the way she needed to.
After several seconds of allowing her to have her moment, she lifts her head, rubbing at her eyes. “When your dad d-died, I didn’t even know who I was anymore. All the dreams I had before meeting him were no longer an option for me, and I felt lost.”
My father did become my mom’s identity. His friends were hers. Where he went, she went. Looking back, I can see now how unhealthy that was. My mom didn’t have her own life, so when Dad died, she lost everything.
