Page 54 of Dreaming

“Darling.” She took a deep breath. “They picked Nicole up. Sh-she didn’t come quietly. Harlow planned to update you three days ago but…your sister is being particularly vicious. It’s best if you don’t go near her.”

“Why?”

“The baby, Nia. You don’t need the stress…”

“What do you mean by vicious?”

Swallowing hard, Nellie told her, “I’d rather not say. Please, honey. For now, she’s in a safe house with everything she needs. Let’s…leave it for now.”

Frowning, she stared at her mother for a long moment. “Mom. Are you scared?”

After a long hesitation, Nellie nodded. Sitting up and turning to put her feet on the floor, Nia held hands that had soothed her since her first memory.

“You’re hurting, Mom. Let me help.”

Barely audible, her eyes filled with tears, Nellie murmured, “Nicole wants us…she…I can’t. I can’t tell you.” Covering her face, she cried quietly.

“It’s alright.” Nia went to the floor on her knees and gathered her mother in a hug. “Ssh. It’s okay, Mom. You don’t have to tell me. I won’t push.”

She kissed Nellie’s temple. “That is an incredible perfume you’re wearing.” Leaning back, she said with a grin, “Smells expensive.”

“Nia, don’t embarrass me.”

“I would never. I hope you spend every cent you have. Spend away because you deserve it. I’ll secretly deposit more in your account and you’ll never notice. For a mathematics professor, you’ve gotten terrible about reconciling your bank accounts.”

Nellie’s eyes came up and her expression was shocked. “Nia! You do not! I have plenty…”

“I can spoil my mother whenever I want.”

“You really do, honey.” Smoothing the skirt of her dress, she said faintly, “I tried to spend my own money, Nia. I promise. Cedric, well, he took my wallet and refused to give it back. In fact, I still don’t have it.” Her eyes lifted. “He just kept…buying me things.” She sighed. “I stopped resisting. You know I hate to make a scene. He’s so charming, darling.”

“It runs in the family.” Her mother tugged her lip between her teeth and Nia laughed. “Charm isn’t the only thing then?”

Dennis started laughing and Cedric sat in the armchair looking more than a little smug. He leaned over, picked up her mother, and settled her across his lap.

Nellie straightened her skirts primly and announced, “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

Nia whispered, “That’s because you’re a goddamn lady.”

“I was not a lady,” Nellie confessed with wide eyes. “At all.”

“Somehow, I love you even more.” Standing, Nia kissed her mom. “I want to see everything. I’m so excited!”

Dennis and Cedric hauled in bags from the car and Nia distracted her mother for two hours asking every detail about her time out with Cedric and examining the purchases.

She didn’t have to fake how impressed she was with any of it. Cedric knew quality and he hadn’t gone cheap on her mother. She respected him for it.

“Would you like to go to dinner and dancing with us?”

“This is new and exciting for you and the last thing you need is your kid making you feel like you have to censor yourself. Go be Nellie with Cedric and you can come back and be Mom with me. Dance the night away. Drink, laugh, and take all the pleasure you want. You deserve to feel amazing.”

“I love you, Nia.”

“I love you, too. Have fun and have one of the guys drive you around if you drink.”

Not long after, their parents were gone again.

Looking at Dennis, she murmured, “I need a marathon.”

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