Page 411 of Savage Bosses

"And use the app."

"I will. Love you, mom."

"Love you too, sweetie."

Tati ended the call and leaned against the counter, exhausted. Every time she got off the phone with her mom, she felt like she'd just run a mile. Tati checked her text message to make sure the ping she'd heard was really her mother's text. It was.

She stared at Julia's number. Part of her was eager to call and hear a familiar voice. Another part of her was afraid of what Julia was about to tell her. She'd said it was all her fault. What was all her fault? Tati's curiosity was piqued.

She stared at her dough. She needed to get back to cooking. The restaurant would be open soon for breakfast, and the fresh bread would need to be ready when the customers started filing into Le Jardin Enchanté.The Enchanted Garden.

Tati arrived every morning before the sun rose to start preparing the kitchen and getting things ready. If she took a short break to make a phone call, she would still have time to get everything ready. Tati strode over to a chair and sat down.

Her gaze was locked onto Julia's number. Before fear could kick in and force her to change her mind, she quickly called the number. For the first time in five years, she was reaching out to someone from her past. As the phone rang, Tatianna prayed she wasn't making the wrong choice.

"Hello," a familiar voice answered.

Tati froze, not breathing, not blinking, just seated there, staring off into space.

"Hello," the voice said again.

Tatianna swallowed. "Julia?" Tatianna's voice wavered slightly.

"Tatianna... Is that you?" Julia's voice sounded weak, fraught with emotion. "Please tell me this is you, Tatianna Dupree."

Tatianna teared up, her grip tightening around the phone. "It's me, Julia. It's Tatianna." She could've sworn she heard a sob escape Julia. "What's wrong, Julia? Why do you need to talk to me after all this time?"

A sniffle came across the line before Julia cleared her throat. "I've wanted to talk to you every day for five years. However, I couldn't work up the courage to do it."

Those words only heightened Tati's curiosity and fear.

"How have you been, Tati?" Julia asked.

Did Bryce ask you to contact me?Tati thought, hoping he had, while at the same time growing angry at the thought.

"Tati?"

"Oh, uh. I've been fine. How have you been?"

A few seconds ticked by before Julia answered. "Last year, I found out I had cancer."

Tati's eyes widened. "Oh, no. Julia, I'm so sorry."

"Thanks. It, uh, it went into remission. But it came back at the beginning of this year and is worse than before. It's spread, and the doctors now have me on morphine for the pain."

No, Julia. Morphine for the pain was never a good sign. More tears welled in Tati's eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Julia. I hate cancer. And I'm sorry you're going through this."

"Thank you for saying that. I have to admit, I'm afraid of dying, but I feel like I deserve this for what I did in the past."

"Don't say that."

"You'll probably think the same thing after I tell you what I've done."

That statement sent Tati's thoughts reeling.

"Listen, I don't have much time left before these meds kick in and I'm out. And after today, I don't know if I'll ever get to talk to you again," Julia told her, her voice shaking. "I'm dying, Tatianna. And I don't want to die without telling you what I did."

---