Page 78 of Lorenzo & Lily

Chapter Twelve

Lily heardtheir giggling from across the hall. Liliana’s laughter, even in giggle form, always cheered her up; even now it brought a small smile to her face.

Liliana had woken not long after Lily had rushed to her room in a fit of fear. Lily had barely calmed down, had barely thought about things when she had to push everything aside so as not to worry Liliana.

Her daughter hadn’t had the easiest life thus far. Liliana knew when things were bad – those months when Lily had run low on funds and had to strictly economize – so she knew when her Mama was sad or worried. Fortunately, she’d been too happy when she had woken from her nap to notice anything was amiss.

Liliana was so excited to move into the castle, and so excited to have a father and a whole new family. Lily had been selfish in thinking she could take Liliana and run. She’d been a coward to want to run, instead of facing Lorenzo’s parents.

It was time to face her fears. It would be terrifying – she still didn’t know how everything would play out – but she had to be strong. She had to show her daughter how to be a strong woman, and that started with her example. Liliana would need to be strong and smart to handle everything that came with being a princess. She was already well on her way, but having a weak mother wouldn’t help her any.

So, she’d be strong. She’d face whatever problem came their way, whether that was her and Lorenzo’s burgeoning relationship, Lorenzo’s parents, her old job, or anything else.

To help her tonight, she’d donned clothes that made her feel confident. It was the most elegant dress she owned: a knee-length black silk dress, overlaid with a black lace. It had small cap sleeves, a boatneck neckline, and was cinched at the waist with a dark purple belt covered in fake purple jewels.

The amethyst earrings she wore, however, were real; Lorenzo had given them to her years ago. She’d considered selling them more than once when she was desperate for money and not because she’d been desperate to forget. Fate had always intervened and provided for her in other ways, so she’d never needed to sell them. She was thankful for it now.

She hoped the king and queen appreciated her efforts; dark purple was Valleria’s royal color, after all. It was a sign of respect to wear purple while meeting the royals. She’d also dressed Liliana in a white dress covered in purple lilies with a dark purple sash.

She took another moment to turn this way and that in the mirror, and smooth the invisible lines in her dress. Her phone rang, jarring her from her thoughts. It was from an unknown number and she fleetingly wondered if it was a journalist. Her number was unlisted, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. She considered letting it go to voicemail, but decided against it.

Her voice was wary, however, when she answered. “Hello?”

“Cecilia! Oh, but I am glad to finally get in touch with you.” It was the hotel owner’s wife, Blanche! Lily and Blanche had always been on friendly terms, and Blanche and her husband, Phil, adored Liliana.

“Were you?”

“Yes, dear. I tried your home phone, but it had been disconnected. We all thought the worst.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it doesn’t matter now. I can tell you, I was just livid when I received your note after you’d been fired.”

Oh no.“Were you angry with me? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have–”

“Oh, not at you, dear. At John! I told Phil he should never have hired that nephew of his. Oh! He is always causing trouble, as you know.”

Lily wasn’t surprised. After a quick glance at the time, she hurried the conversation along. “Blanche, I’m sorry to be abrupt, but I do have a prior engagement I need to see to, otherwise I’d love to chat longer. Are you calling because John was causing trouble this morning?”

“This morning?”

“Well, yes. When he threatened me. Isn’t that why you’re calling?”

A pause. “Threatened you?”

“Well, yes. He and Calvin – my replacement – showed up at my apartment this morning. I, well, had people around and was busy so couldn’t speak to them. John, however, sent me a threatening message to my phone. I guess he found out about the note I sent you and decided–”

“Decided to threaten a mother and her little girl.” She sniffled.

Was she crying? “Blanche.”

“I had a little girl once.”

Oh my God.

“She died when she was just a baby. We were never able to have children after that. It’s one reason we loved you and your little girl so much.”

Oh my God.“Blanche, I had no idea.”

---