Page 103 of Embracing the Change

“What time for lunch on Sunday, Mom?” Allegra asked.

“Anytime after noon. We’ll eat at one thirty,” I told her.

“I think Felice and I can manage that,” Nico said.

This made me happy.

All of it.

All right, maybe the Felice part didn’t make me ecstatic, but I couldn’t wait to see my son.

We caught up a bit more, then Nico had to sign off. I continued to chat with my daughters, until they both had to get back to work from their lunch breaks.

And after I shut down the computer, I picked up my phone again.

Because I couldn’t delay any longer.

It would be awkward, considering I hadn’t heard from him, so there was no springboard from which to deny his suit, but I’d promised Jamie.

So I called Roland.

He didn’t answer.

But his voicemail did.

Thus, with no other choice, I left a message.

“Roland, although it’s not yours to know, but considering your recent behavior, and our last chat, I feel it’s fitting to share that Jamie and I are moving in together. As I believe you’re aware, my partner is not fond of your attentions toward me, and I’ll reiterate, I don’t welcome them either. Therefore, unless it has to do with the children, I require that you don’t contact me. This can’t come as a surprise. The house we built, you burned down. There is no phoenix that will rise from those ashes. So allow us both to move on.”

With that, I hung up.

Then I took my phone, my drink, and I went to my closet to form a preliminary plan to find Jamie no small amount of space.

Because the space I gave him in my closet was a metaphor for the space he occupied in my heart and in my life.

And that was not small at all.

CHAPTER 12

HERMÈS

Nora

“This is classic Hermès,” Ryan intoned, staring at the scarf draped over his hands with awe. “I’ve been obsessively checking The RealReal for this exact scarf for two years. Not a single listing.”

“Take it,” I said.

Four sets of eyes whipped to me.

Teddy and Mika, however, both lounged on my closet chaise, didn’t blink.

Teddy, because he knew I was generous.

Mika, because she knew, me giving that scarf away meant it’d be an excuse to buy another.

That said, the loss of that scarf meant Jamie could fit at least three of his lovely ties somewhere in that closet, so I wouldn’t be replacing it.

“Are you sure?” Ryan asked.

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