Page 106 of Better Together

“No, thanks.” Remi couldn’t stomach a sip of water right now, much less coffee.

Willa knocked gently on Camille’s open office door. “Remi is here.”

When she stepped into the room, Camille stood and rounded the desk. “Let’s go to the lounge.”

Remi followed Camille back into the hallway and into a small sitting room. The whole place had the welcoming feeling of a home. Old bedrooms had been converted into offices and conference rooms, but the small touches of domestic life stripped the business of its cold intimidation.

Camille took a seat in a worn-in armchair and gestured for Remi to take the seat beside her. “Is this a business meeting or girl talk?”

“Girl talk,” Remi said as she took her seat. Leaning forward, resting her elbows on her knees, she looked at the floor. “I read the texts.”

“And what do you think?”

“I don’t know. What do you think?”

“Which part makes you question Colt?”

Remi picked at her cuticles and debated. Emotion and her default logic swung through her mind like a pendulum. Which to trust? “Princess.”

“I wondered about that part. It’s not an overly common endearment, but the conversation around that word negated the sweetness. It seemed out of place.”

Remi hadn’t bothered to read the whole conversation carefully. The red flag spread over the entire thing, blocking out any rational thought.

“Do you think he had a relationship with her? Do you think he’s lying?” Camille asked.

“I don’t, but that would mean completely disregarding that word that Colt uses. It was the whole princess thing. He’s always called me that.”

Camille grinned. “You? A princess?”

Remi rolled her eyes. “I know. It’s sarcastic, but I always thought it meant he was holding out hope that I could be something else.”

“Like what?”

“Like the typical picture of a princess. The quiet kindness, the selflessness, the honor–I’m so far from those things. I thought it was special. When I saw it in the messages Tasha gave you, it felt like she’d ripped something good away from the happy life we’re trying to build.”

“It sounds like that’s exactly what she wants. Do you really think Colt could call someone else his princess?”

“No. Not really. But is that just because I don’t want to believe this?”

“I’m not sure. Colt knows you’re really not a fairytale princess. He knows your heart, and though you’re not as innocent as a fairytale princess, he sees those gentle traits in you. I don’t think that’s something he would share with someone like Tasha.”

Remi rested her forehead in her hands. “It’s so stupid, but Colt is so over-the-top.”

Camille laughed. “He’s pretty extra, isn’t he?”

“You have no idea! He’s so caring and soft. He’s all the things I should be. But I’m the hardened one.”

“It’s okay to be different from society’s picture-perfect couple. I think the two of you balance out well. I’ve seen you with the kids. I’ve seen you working as a team to help others.” Camille rested a hand on Remi’s shoulder. “I’ve seen you give up the safe and secure life you had to take in children who were strangers. If that’s not selfless and kind, I don’t know what is.”

“Anyone would have done that.”

Camille shook her head. “That’s not true at all. You forget that I work in family law. I see the worst of people daily. The injustice is crippling. Parents don’t care about their kids. Parents don’t give their kids basic needs. Parents neglect them and abuse them, and I get a front-row seat to that painful circus. You and Colt have been a bright light in my career. You took those kids in before you knew about the money. You stopped your lives and jobs in a heartbeat to help Ben and Abby.”

There was a moment of silence, and Remi looked up. Tears shone in Camille’s eyes, reddening the edges.

“It gave me hope. You gave me hope that I’m not alone in this mission to help families.”

Remi swallowed. If only someone like Camille had been around to fight for Remi in those early years. She hadn’t met a single person who cared the way Camille did. “You’re doing a great job. I can’t imagine how hard it is to see those things over and over again.”

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