Chester’s gaze swept across the room, his dark eyes growing more inscrutable by the second.
He stayed silent for a moment, not giving an immediate answer.
Joanna, always perceptive, gently squeezed Celia’s small hand and said, “Thank you, Celia, but it’s really alright. I can stay anywhere, truly. If Celly isn’t happy, I can move out.”
She finished with a soft smile, her hazel eyes tinged with just the right touch of disappointment. “No way!” Raymond burst out.
“You can’t!” Celia echoed, their anxious voices overlapping.
Raymond’s little face twisted in worry.
He missed Mom a bit, sure–but who knew when she’d be back? It had taken so long for Miss Joanna to return. Letting her use Mom’s room for now seemed perfectly fine…
“Miss Joanna has to stay! Mom’s the grumpy one–she should be the one to leave!” Raymond insisted, emboldened.
Celia puffed out her cheeks, clearly irritated at the mention of her mother.
Why did Mom have to go and be so annoying?
Turning to Chester, she tugged at his hand with pleading eyes. “Daddy, that room was Miss Joanna’s to begin with. Say something, won’t you? Didn’t you always say Miss Joanna was your favorite?”
A faint blush crept up Joanna’s ears. She playfully covered Celia’s mouth, pretending to be embarrassed. “Celia, hush now… If it really doesn’t work, I can just share a room with you.”
“No.” Chester frowned, shutting down the suggestion at once. “I won’t have you squeezing in with Celia. I didn’t ask you here to play nanny for them.”
Joanna lifted her fair neck, her eyes turning slightly red as she looked at him. “Really, it’s fine. I don’t mind…”
For a moment, Chester was thrown back in time, seeing a flash of the girl she used to be.
He instinctively reached out and ruffled her hair. “It’s just a room. Stay.”
Worst case, if Celestine came back, he’d put up with sharing with her.
Well–she’d better appreciate it.
The decision was made.
“Yes!” Celia cheered, grabbing both their hands and bouncing with excitement.
If only Mom never came back, she thought. The idea made her grin–then falter.
1/2
Chapter 10
Knowing her nagging mom, it wouldn’t be long before she showed up and messed things up again.
Celia had blocked her mom’s number earlier. She must have called a million times by now.
Celia pulled out her phone, flipping to the blocked calls list with practiced ease. Aside from a few calls at the start, the new blocked call log showed zero.
Her eyes widened, a strange unease creeping in. Not a single call from Mom?
Joanna noticed Celia staring absently at her mother’s name and squeezed her hand. “Come on, Celia. Let’s go have dinner. Tonight, I’ll help you and Ray with your puzzle.”
“Miss Joanna, you’re the best!” Celia’s worries melted away as she locked her phone and stuffed it in her pocket.
If Mom didn’t call, then good! She didn’t care at all. Who needed her anyway? She had Miss Joanna, and that was enough.
By eight o’clock, rain was falling in soft sheets over Oceanview City.
The National Chic Gala was winding down, and Crystal Lennox had to leave early for an urgent
matter.
After saying goodbye to Crystal, Celestine lingered to browse the exhibits alone.
She managed to trade contacts with a few promising new faces in the industry, and left feeling unexpectedly uplifted.
She’d been away from this world for so long, yet the thrill of it still made her blood sing.
Conversations flew, crossing continents and cultures, and for the first time in ages, her heart felt alive again.
Maybe it wasn’t too late after all.
Because of license plate restrictions, she waited for her ride at the entrance once the event ended.
A black SUV rolled up to the curb, the window gliding down.
“Miss Selwyn, the rain’s getting heavier. Would you like a lift?”
Celestine looked up and met the friendly gaze of Linden Lane–a master woodcarver she’d exchanged numbers with earlier in the evening.
She smiled, just about to politely decline, when a sharp, mocking female voice cut through the air: “Well, well, so this is why you’re not at home taking care of Mom. Turns out you’ve been sneaking around behind my brother’s back–already out looking for new men.”
2/2
