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“Of course, I did. She’s no better than us just because she has money.”
“What did she say?” I chewed on my lip.
“Dani tried to say she didn’t mean any harm and that you’re a lovely lady and very talented. She’d say anything now, but she already showed what she thought when she put you down. She’d have to do a lot more for me to believe she’s a good person.”
I couldn’t disagree with Mom. Dani hadn’t been great to me when she cornered me at school. She didn’t hide how much she didn’t want me with her son. Of course, Dani would tell Paul, but honestly, I didn’t care. Mom stood up for me and now Dani knew that I wasn’t alone.I have parents that care about me.
I swallowed hard. “Thank you, Mom.”
“Of course, my lovely. You’re my daughter and I love you. I’ll never allow anyone to hurt you.”
“I love you too, Mom.” I touched my wet cheek. “Now you’ve got me crying.”
“You know emotional spikes can be a sign of pregnancy. Did you go to the doctor?”
“Yes, I finally did and there is no baby. Thank God.”
“Good. I can’t imagine what Dani Crane would do if you got pregnant. Seriously, Nadia please be careful. I sometimes wish you weren’t so trusting. Paul is still a Crane, just like Dani.”
Her disappointment was hard to miss and hurt my heart.But she doesn’t know Paul or how hard it is not to love him.
I cleared my throat. “I love you so much, Mom.”
“I love you too, dear. We both do. Let us know when you get home.”
“I’ll call you both soon. Tell Dad the same.”
“I will and I haven’t told him about…you know what, but I’m still not happy with your choice. You know right from wrong, and you deserve better. That’s all I’ll say.”
I sighed. “Thank you, Mom.”
We ended the call and even though Mom was still not loving me with Paul, our short conversation still lifted my spirit. Dad was doing better, and Mom may not agree with my choices, but she never stopped championing me.
After putting my phone away, I tied a sarong around my waist and returned to Lily.
“How about a quick tour so you can find your way around next time you’re here?”
I blinked at her.Next time?But I didn’t say anything as she led me out of the bedroom and down to the kitchen. A chef was busy working on dessert, and she gave us a taste of the Italian cream frosting, which we swooned over before Lily showed me the small cinema with a circular roof and a planetarium filled with stars.
We went to the library with floor-to-ceiling bookcases and many comfortable couches, lounges, and overstuffed, oversized armchairs.
“We’ve been wanting to add a recording studio so Paul would stay here longer, but we have a piano in the living room, and he sometimes plays if we ask him.”
“I’m sure he’d never turn you down.”
She grinned. “To be honest, Paul doesn’t. I met him when he was Darling’s age. He was a little jokester too, but very serious when it came to me. He still treats me like I’mhiskid.”
“He treats me that way, too.”
“He’s so loving and kind. It’s so wonderful to see him smiling again.” I could see that Lily loved Paul, and they were close. My heart warmed, hoping that I was a part of his happiness. That was what I wanted for him too.
She took me outside to the back of the house. There was a tennis court and a basketball court leading to an infinity pool near the cliff. When we came back inside, Lily led me down another path, past another waterfall. “This place is spectacular.”
Lily blushed. “Jonas had this made for me as my Neverland.”
“Second star on the right, straight on till morning,” I quoted Peter Pan.
She clasped her hands and smiled dreamily. “It’s my neverland, and I get so emotional whenever I think about the love he put into this place for me.” Her eyes watered, and she pressed her hand to her chest. “I’d have been happy anywhere with him, but he wants to make all my dreams come true. I told him I was just a simple Quincy girl. All I needed was his love, but he gave me that and my Darling. He always goes over the top.”
