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We’d had other heart-to-hearts like this. I was well aware of how Vicky loved me, how she thought of me. And she was right. I’d never wanted to be a bother because I’d learned I was always a bother. No matter the therapy I’d gone through, some of that was always going to be with me. I’d accepted it. But it was minimal, which I was proud of. Maybe because of the nightmare, some of it felt stronger than usual today.
“Thank you, Vicky,” I whispered, unable to say anything else.
Her eyes were wet. She nodded, finishing her coffee. “You’re going to have to bring him for family dinner, you know.” She sighed. “Howard will want to have a beer with him and talk football. Warn your man ahead of time about how Howard can be about sports.”
“I will.”
“What do you have going on for the rest of the day? Besides communicating with this man of yours.”
I told her about some of my clients, about the projects I needed to work on today.
She nodded. “Lo was rooting for Travis, but I think she’ll be over the moon about this new one too.”
“I gotta call her.”
“Call her before she gets done with work, or you know she and Roger will come over for dinner again. Though I wouldn’t complain about that.” She gave another nod before standing and coming around to my side of the table. She brushed my hair from my forehead, gave me a soft kiss, and bent down to take Miss Sylvia Rivera out of my lap. “I’ll switch you, Miss Sylvia Rivera for the coffee cup.”
She stepped down and was a few feet away when I called her name.
She turned around.
“You were the best thing that ever happened to me,” I told her. “I love you too.”
Another soft smile filled her face, her head tilting to the side. “I’ve always known that, Billie. You love people as soon as you meet them; they just don’t realize it. But I knew—took one look at you and felt all the love you wanted to give the world. I consider myself real lucky that I was the one who got to raise you.”
Cluck! Cluck! Cluuuuuuuuuck.
“See? Miss Sylvia Rivera agrees with me.” She gave me a nod. “Go on. Take the cups in and get to work. Thank you for starting the day with me.”
9
BILLIE
I’d not gotten to Lo before she finished work. I made the mistake of checking my email first. An emergency project had come up for an ad campaign that was scheduled to come out in a week. There’d been enough problems with the previous designer that they’d scrapped everything at the last minute and prayed for a Hail Mary.
Those were their actual words.
I’d spent the day doing mock-ups for them, and now, with the afternoon almost gone, the third option had just been approved by their team.
“Thank you so much for this help, Melanie. I don’t know what we would’ve done, and your designs are just brilliant,” my client gushed. “You have no idea how you’ve helped us. Our other option was Ronald’s cousin, and I know Ronald’s cousin. He lives in Ronald’s basement for a reason.”
I chuckled, but didn’t say a word since I was living in Vicky and Howard’s guesthouse. “It’s not a problem. I’m glad to help. I’ll be sending my invoice, and then I’ll send the final files once that’s paid.”
“Of course, of course. Thank you again. Have a great week, Melanie.”
We hung up.
I was Melanie Morning to them. There were no pictures of me on my website. I allowed my designs to represent my brand. Word of mouth drove business to me, and I did good work to keep it. I worked fast, professionally, and I always finished on time. That was vital, and after the first few projects, I made sure to receive payment before I sent the final files. Some balked, but that was my policy stated on my website.
When I looked up after finishing that transaction, it was nearing dinner time. I’d not made my call to Lo. So, thirty minutes later, I wasn’t surprised when their car came down the two-mile driveway.
I hadn’t even had time to check messages today, but Lo had sent a couple texts. I’d thought I might hear from Brett. But I hadn’t. He’d said he was going to call, so maybe it would be this evening?
I ignored the little trickle of fear in my stomach.
Lo and Roger parked, and as soon as their SUV stopped, the passenger door swung open and Lo was coming in fast.
That wasn’t good.
