CHAPTER7
Violet
Truthfully, I don’t know what to do with myself. I have a beautiful house, a pool, and an indoor garden at my disposal. I could swim, draw, read, or nap. I should probably be exercising and cleaning. I can’t live here and let Leon take care of the cooking and tidying, no matter how much I hate him. I’m only grateful he doesn’t have a nosy housekeeper like Flora. I like my privacy. It’s refreshing, but being alone all day also takes getting used to.
The first thing I do when Leon leaves for the office is call my mom. I don’t only want to make sure that she’s not veering from the straight and narrow now that I’m not there to keep an eye on her, but I also want to reassure her that I’m okay. I know she worries.
She suggests coming over to Leon’s place for lunch. Realizing how strange it is that my own mother hasn’t visited my new home yet and feeling guilty for not thinking of inviting her sooner, I give her the address. With all that’s happened yesterday, a family celebration was the last thing on my mind.
She arrives at noon with a large casserole dish of lasagna. “You can pop some in the freezer,” she says, putting the dish on the kitchen table before kissing my cheek. “For a day when you don’t feel like cooking.”
“Thanks,” I say, playing along and pretending I’m a regular housewife who’ll cook for her husband and welcome him at the door when he comes home from work.
“Wow,” she says, looking around the open space. “The house is very original.” She pushes the strap of her handbag over her shoulder and drops it on a chair. “Do I get a tour?”
“Of course.” I try to smile with enthusiasm. “Let me show you around.”
She pops her head around every doorframe, inspecting each room as we go along, and sucks in a breath when she sees the pool.
“This is an unexpected gem,” she says. “It must add a lot to the value of the property. It’s on the small side, but you can always upgrade to a bigger house with a proper garden later.”
“This is more than enough space for the two of us,” I say, leading the way upstairs.
“As I said, for later.” Her tone is forced casual. “You know, when the family grows.”
“Mom.” I pause on the landing. About this, I can’t pretend. “We both know my relationship with Leon isn’t like that.”
“Every couple wants children at some stage.”
“You and Gus didn’t.”
“We already had you and Elliot.”
“Well, don’t hold your breath. I have no intention of making you a grandmother.”
Her eyebrows pinch together. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“Of course,” I say quickly. “But you know it’s not a normal marriage.”
A pained expression washes over her pretty features. “If it’s not normal then what is it?”
“Convenience, remember?”
“Oh, honey.” She pats my cheek. “Give it time. You’ll learn to love each other.”
I want to tell her not to hold her breath for that either, but I don’t want to make her concerns worse. Instead, I flee, opening the first door. “This is the main bedroom.”
She steps over the threshold and takes in the space. Trust my mother to make a beeline for the nightstand. Of course she’d notice the blue box with the Hart Diamonds logo first. My mom is well-versed in status symbols. Worse, she’s an incurable romantic.
Gasping, she picks up the box. “Hart Diamonds. You need an appointment to visit their showroom.”
“Unless you’re family,” I say with a wry smile.
My mom places a palm over her heart. “Family? You mean…”
“Didn’t you know? I thought Gus would’ve told you. At the very least, I expected you’d put two and two together, seeing how hard Gus was pushing to make Leon a partner.”
The minute the words are out, a bitter taste fills my mouth. Will I ever be able to forgive myself for what I did to Leon? Probably not. Just like he’ll never let it go. My forever isn’t the fairytale that reflects in my mom’s dreamy gaze as she traces the logo on the lid of the box with a finger. My forever is made up of paying penance.
“May I?” my mom asks, staring reverently at the box.
“Go ahead.”
When she flips back the lid, her face crumples with a swoony expression. “Oh, Violet.”
I wish she would stop saying that. She makes it sound as if my life is a Disney movie.