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“Thank you,” she says, patting her chic updo. A few dainty wisps of hair are left deliberately loose to frame her heart-shaped face. She moves towards the floor-length mirror and I hurry to get out of her way.
Adam is already bored with all the dress talk. He’s running around my room and using my bed as a trampoline. Meanwhile, my heart is throbbing painfully.
What did he say about the present Dad left me?
“Adam, honey, can you come here for a second?”
“Why, Mama?” he asks as he launches himself onto my bed.
“Tay, just let him play. Let me fix your makeup.” Cee reaches for the makeup kit she’d forcibly bought for me on our shopping trip.
“There’s nothing to fix,” I insist quickly. “My makeup’s done.”
“That’s it?” Cee asks in surprise. “It’s so light.”
“I like it that way. Can we just get this show on the road?”
She gives me a long-suffering sigh and waves me on. “As you wish. Spoilsport.”
“Edna.” I turn to the nanny. “Adam’s been—”
I break off as my eyes land on my son. He’s in the corner of the room, rooting through the old duffel bag I’d packed to come here.
And to my horror, he’s tossing my snow globe back and forth between his hands.
“Adam!” I bark as the breath rushes out of me with irrational panic. “Put that away now! Before you break it!”
He’s so startled that he drops it. It hits the ground with a sickening thump. I gasp and rush forward, snatching it up off the floor. I twist it in my hands, making sure there’s no crack.
Thank God. It’s okay. Everything is okay.
“I’m sorry, Mama,” Adam says nervously. “I didn’t mean to.”
I take a deep breath, feeling like a monster for reacting the way I did. “It’s okay, baby. I’m sorry. I overreacted; it’s all good. Now, give me a kiss and go hang out with Edna, okay?”
He grabs my waist and gives me a quick hug before rushing for the door. Edna follows behind him and I turn to Celine. “Let’s…”
I trail off when I see her face. She looks like she’s seen a ghost. Even the makeup can’t offset the sudden pallor. Her mouth is parted, and her eyes are fixed on the snow globe in my hand.
The moment I see her expression, my heart sinks.
She recognizes it.
Judgment day is here at last.
50
TAYLOR
“Cee—"
“Did he take you to the cabin?”
The question is direct and curt. There’s no room for anything but the truth. “Yes, he did.”
“When?”
“A long time ago.”
