Page 11 of One Small Secret

I hear a squawk behind me and my body goes limp.

I mutter a curse. I can’t go to Vietnam. Not now. Not even if I wanted to. Mom can’t care for a baby on her own. It was bad enough that she would have to do it for eight to nine hours every weekday. I sink to the floor and my mind goes numb.

What am I going to do?

A knock sounds at the door. Mom’s arms must be too full to punch in the code, but I’m still in shock and can’t manage to pick myself up. My phone is on the floor next to me, and I have a smart apartment. I tap the button that unlocks the door, and it makes a little dinging sound. Then I fall on my side and rest my head on the floor.

The door cracks open.

“Mom?” I call out in a desperate voice I probably haven’t used since I was 13 years old. But as the door widens, it isn’t Mom standing there.

It’s Christian.

His eyes widen as he takes in my dejected position on the floor. “Cadence, what happened? Are you sick?”

I groan and pull myself into a sitting position. I really don’t want to deal with a coworker right now. Can’t I just have one moment of dramatic self-pity to myself? Why is he even here? “I’m fine, Christian. I never should have out-debated Ruben Palmer in high school. That’s all.”

“What?” Christian's eyes furrow and he walks into the kitchen.

“Actually he was mostly fine in debate. It was the Redwoods treetop proposal. Too many people loved that one.” Ben couldn’t stop touting what a good idea it was, and I’d only been at corporate for six months.

Christian is standing above me, his gaze on my open laptop. “Hey.” I lurch to a standing position. and reach for it. “That’s personal,” I say, but he pushes my arm to the side without looking up.

“You’re going back to Vietnam?”

I groan but drop my hand away. “No. I can’t.”

“Then…” He turns to me but his face freezes when his eyes catch the other, smaller intruder behind me. “Who is that?” His words are slow and careful.

I shake my head, not in the mood to get into my whole life story with a coworker who soon won’t even be that. “Axley.”

His eyes widen and he looks back and forth between me and Axley. “Is he…a neighbor’s kid?”

“No.”

“Is he…” He tips his head to one side. “From your time in Vietnam?”

Axley has that stupid spoon back in his mouth and he's cooing at me. How will I answer all the questions? Can I say he's my nephew? How many people will hear about it if I do? As soon as anyone from town finds out, they’ll know exactly who Axley is. The old-timers all knew Garff and Moira. And once her show starts airing, it will only be a matter of time before the media finds out.

How dedicated am I to protecting Moira’s secrets?

I’m not sure, but Christian has intruded enough for one day.

“Yes, Christian.” I tip my head and put a hand on my hip. I force heavy sarcasm into my voice. “He’s a souvenir.” He can draw his own conclusions until I get my story straight.

Christian doesn’t smile or laugh, just slides his jaw to one side. “That’s a strange souvenir. I collect shot glasses.”

“Well, I collect babies, which is why I can’t go back. One is plenty for the moment. Now, why are you here?”

“I was hoping to change your mind about going out. But…” He looks at the computer, then Axley, and then back to me. I’m one hot mess he had no idea he was stepping into when he opened that door. “Perhaps tonight isn’t the night.” He winces. “Unless, you need something?”

I shake my head. “That’s kind of you. But…I think I need to figure some things out.”

He nods like I’ve said something very wise. “I’m sure you’re right.”

Christian takes a few steps backwards. Great. Now he’ll head back to work, tell everyone about me getting sacked, lying on the floor crying, and having a baby. If my apartment is so smart, why didn’t it stop me from opening that door?

I’ve spent my whole life trying to prove my worth by excelling in everything I do. Look what it’s gotten me. Ruben wouldn’t treat a regular employee like this. There are protections in place against such things. But because he knows Mom loves his family, and heck—because I love his family, I could never sue them. I shake my head. No one should have that kind of power. At some point, I need to stop this competition and move on with my life. His family owns an amazing company and has become millionaires hundreds of times over. My family still owns an apple orchard. Big deal. My family wants to be apple farmers. Every single one of them.

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