It appeared my time at Harlow Manor was coming to an end.Well done, Cassidy.
“Hey, buddy,” I said once my little boys face filled the screen of my phone.
“Hey, Mom. You don’t normally call this early.”
“I just wanted to see your beautiful face.”
Finn scrunched up his nose. “Well, I’m playing online with Reed in, like, five minutes, and he’s going to stream it.”
“Okay. I won’t hold you up.”
“Is everything okay? You have puffy eyes.”
I forced a smile. “Everything’s great,” I said with an unconvincing squeak to my voice. “But it looks like I may be coming home a little earlier than anticipated.”
“Really?” Finn’s eyes lit up. “Did the old guy die?”
“No!” I laughed. “Liam’s doing great.”
“But I thought you said…”
“Things change, bud. You know that.”
“Trust the universe?”
“Exactly,” I said, repeating our family mantra.
Finn bolted upright. “I’ve gotta go! Reed’s online.”
“Okay, baby. I’ll speak to you tomorrow.”
“Cool. Bye, Mom!”
Although my plans were coming to an abrupt and messy end, I had to look on the bright side, and that was Finn. If I got fired, at least I got to see my son. I’d already paid off our debt with my first two month’s paychecks and was now saving for an apartment. It was going to take a little longer to get where we wanted, but at least we were moving forward.
I wouldn’t let myself think of Liam and how he’d react when the news broke. We’d grown close in our time together, and I couldn’t imagine leaving him now. Would he be disappointed in me as a mother, or would he understand my purpose and fight for me to stay? Either way, he didn’t need the stress.
Once Josie and Grayson hit the road back to their apartment on Sunday evening, I wandered up the hallway to Liam’s room. I wanted to spend as much time with him as I could before Caroline and William’s return and my inevitable firing.
“Hey, Liam,” I said as I approached his bedside. “Would you like me to read to you before dinner?”
“Oh, I would love that. Adam said he’d finish the book this weekend, but it appears he’s MIA.”
“I’m sure he’ll be back next weekend,” I said with little confidence.
“Well, he’ll have to catch up when he returns.”
With a shrug, I picked up the novel and lowered myself into the chair beside Liam’s bed.
“I’ve missed your company over the last couple of days,” he said as I searched for the bookmark. “Have dinner with me tonight.”
I pushed past the dread that lingered in my stomach since Adam left and smiled. “I’d love to.”
After Liam advised Max to prepare our meals, I read the remaining chapter of Betty’s old romance novel while holding back tears. “Wow,” I gushed, placing the book on my lap as I dabbed my eyes. If only real life could be that beautiful.
“I understand now why Betty read so many romance novels after Adam passed. They really push away the harshness of reality, don’t they?”
I ran my fingertips over the frayed cover. “I’ve definitely read my fair share since losing Dom.”