by Mia Ford
“I hope that he realizes what a good woman you are, Celia. I wish all divorces went this way. I do want you to get something out of this, though, so let’s get something drawn out for you.” Preston looked at his computer and started to ask me some questions that I answered honestly, telling me that he’d get some of them from the other lawyer to compare to. I left feeling confident about everything, turning to go to the bistro to meet a friend for lunch. I needed to get out of the room and have some time for myself, and I checked the balance in the bank account every day to make sure that Sean wasn’t going to screw me over.
I needed a job.
I let Lauren buy me lunch, and we ate and sipped wine for two hours as she drilled me about Sean. “What an asshole,” she said as I nodded and took another sip. “In your fucking house!!”
“It could’ve been the master bedroom, even though I’ll never sleep there again.” I shuddered. “I wonder if he’s…” I let my voice fade, too bothered to take the image of him and his new girlfriend in our bed any further. I didn’t want to deal with that, not right now.
“I hope she dumps him and he’s miserable. I hope that he comes crawling back to you so you can kick him away,” Lauren told me as I laughed weakly.
“I don’t even want that. I don’t feel vindictive…I feel like I just want it over with. I don’t even know if I want to stay in Boston.” My friend looked horrified, and I gave her a remorseful look. “I’m sorry. I have been talking to my mom. There’s a possible job there.”
“What is it?” She asked, and I raised my eyebrows.
“Nanny for a six-year-old girl. It’s something that I just heard about.” I shrugged. “It’s just one of many things running through my mind.”
“I understand,” Lauren said as she reached for my hand. She was a great friend, and I had a handful of others. The thing was that I’d met them through Sean and I was craving a life to myself.
I felt awful when I left and went back to the hotel. Lauren looked so sad that I might be leaving, but I knew that she was friends with Sean through a former job, no matter what she said over dinner. I was worried about that becoming a problem down the line, worried about what Sean was telling everybody.
I was just stressed out, and I walked into the lobby of the hotel, wandering to the elevator, and pushing the button. I made my way to my room and dropped onto the bed, taking a deep breath. I allowed myself to cry and mourn my old life for a while, giving in to the emotions that were flooding me as I dropped back onto the mattress and wailed.
I woke up that evening and rolled onto my side as I sniffled. Crying felt good, and I knew that I could move forward. I sat up slowly, stretching my arms as I yawned and called the bank to see if I could go and get some dinner at my favorite deli.
Our lawyers suggested that since we didn’t have kids, that we keep the process simple. Sean agreed, but he was warned that he was not going to get away with not paying me anything. He was told that he was lucky I wasn’t going for everything that he had.
It was a month later that I found the court proceedings ended and surprisingly smooth. Sean was keeping the house and remaining in it, as well as keeping his car. I was keeping my Tahoe, and he was giving me enough money to pay it off as well as stock some away, though I would have to work and I was all right with that. I didn’t think that he should pay for me to stay home if we weren’t together any longer.
I’d left the hotel, and I was staying with Lauren in her spare room. It didn’t make sense to rack up that kind of bill, even though some of the girls suggested that I should upgrade and really stick it to him.
That wasn’t who I was. I chose a Friday to get the remaining items of mine, to which he replied that he’d be gone. I walked around the shell of my former house, packing clothes and items that I’d brought into the relationship. It wasn’t much. I concluded that I actually was living out Sean’s life here while we were married and zipped up my suitcase as I made my way to the front door.
It opened just as I was rolling the bag across the floor, and I found myself looking into Sean’s eyes. “Hi.” I glanced past him, but he was alone.
“Did you get everything?” He asked, and I nodded as I turned my gaze to the living room. There were a few pictures of us set about, and I didn’t touch any of them. I didn’t want them. “Celia, I’m sorry about all of this. I went about it all wrong. I hate the look in your eyes now.”
“I don’t regret breaking up as much as I do the way it happened, Sean. We didn’t want the same thing.” I looked at him, seeing guilt cross his face. A realization hit me, and I shook my head. “She’s pregnant, isn’t she?”
His eyes darkened, and I let out a breath. “She just found out.”
“I am getting the fuck out of this town. You’re…unbelievable. You know that I wanted kids from the beginning and you said to wait, wait, wait. Did you even think about this with her?” I asked as his jaw set, making me realize that he was upset with himself. “Good luck, Sean. I hope you’re happy.” I walked forward with my suitcase, opening the door as I felt his eyes on me.
“Do you mean that?” Sean asked as I turned to him with a bitter smile.
“It hurts but I wouldn’t want kids with a man that didn’t feel the same way.” I sighed. “Goodbye.” I made my way to my car and loaded it up before I took another look at the house. It wasn’t mine anymore, and I took in the details slowly as I watched my soon to be ex-husband step out onto the front step. Sliding into the front seat, I started the engine and pulled out onto the main street as I turned up the radio.
I was on the phone with Mom a lot over the last few weeks and once a month or so passed, I found myself calling Nick to talk about the job. He sounded younger than I expected, but he did only have a six-year-old. Nick also sounded surprisingly calm for a man that lost his wife as we discussed the details of the job.
He was the owner of the hotel chain, Rouge. They were in high-end areas and popular, meaning that he had to travel a lot. He was looking for a nanny to live on the third floor of the house. It offered a large bedroom, office, bathroom with all the amenities, and a small kitchenette. He told me that he didn’t buy it for those features and originally planned to change it up, but now was glad that he kept it this way. His daughter had a room on the second floor, in between the third and first floor where he had his own room. The salary was generous at four thousand dollars a month, something that made me smile. I could save money and put it into the account with the settlement that I had from Sean. I had access to all the house apart from his room as if I wanted to go in there. Nick had a chef come in a few times a week to cook ahead as well as a maid service so my focus would be his daughter. I could appreciate that.
I told him that all my loose ends were tied up in Boston, accepting the job. We’d been over all the details via email and phone calls, and he felt confident about me as much as I did about taking this job. “I’ll leave tomorrow and make my way there as soon as I can,” I told him, smiling at the idea of seeing my ocean again. His house overlooked one of the beaches that I frequented when I just wanted to walk along the sand, so beautiful and peaceful.
I ended the call with his acceptance, walking out to the living room as Lauren and a few friends looked at me expectantly. “I got the job. I am leaving tomorrow.” I felt some emotion as my eyes teared up and they stood to hug me. We’d been spending time together over the last couple of weeks, going to dinner and having girl nights at Lauren’s apartment, watching movies and drinking wine. I felt like I’d said the things I needed to and that we were all settled with one another, that I could move on.
We went for dessert at a quaint little bistro, sipping wine and toasting to my new life. I knew that it was going to be a late night, but I was fine with that, planning to get a big cup of coffee from my favorite shop on the way out. I was prepared to stay the night in a hotel if necessary since Nick told me that my safe arrival was the most important matter here. He had a sister staying with him for the moment, and
she was open to staying another couple of weeks until I was settled in.
It sounded to me like Carmen had a lot of love around her and I hoped that I could add to that circle. She deserved it. I had looked Nick up on Facebook and was struck by her beautiful dark eyes and cinnamon-colored hair. Nick was handsome as well with dirty blonde hair and eyes the color of the ocean that his house overlooked, like Sean in a way yet so different. Nick exuded confidence in all his pictures as well as the kind of sexy presence only a mature man could have, something that made me blush. I was just divorced, and he was widowed! I just liked seeing how much he loved his daughter in the pictures of them all over the world, thinking how gorgeous his wife was as well. She looked a great deal like Carmen, and I wondered how they were both doing again.
We went back to the apartment, and I dragged myself to bed past two in the morning, smiling ear to ear. I loved my friends. I was going to miss them dearly, but we planned on trips back and forth to visit.
I was going home.
I ended up leaving the following morning before the sun rose. I hugged Lauren and cried the night before, leaving her to sleep as I loaded up my car. The city was beautiful in the morning as I left, giving it one last gaze out of my side window. It had always been a great looking place, but I think that I was always a bit homesick for Mendocino.
I enjoyed the drive, taking a lot of pictures along the way. I made a trip of it and stayed two nights in a hotel to catch up on sleep while I tried every coffee shop that I could on the way. I had fun with it and kept Mom up on where I was every single day, even sending her pictures in my down time.
I pulled into the long driveway of the majestic house that was going to be my new home. It was spacious and beautiful, and I admired the modern look of it as I parked to the left of the wide drive.
It wasn’t spacious. It was a mansion. I let my eyes drift to the third floor, seeing a lot of windows that I could open to the ocean air at night while I slept. It would be like having my own apartment up there, and the rest of the house was spread out as well. I cleared my throat and pressed my hands to my jeans before I got out of the car, ready to meet my new employer.
The door had opened before I reached it and a girl with blue eyes looked out at me. “Are you Celia?” She asked with a warm smile as I nodded. “Hi! I’m Rebecca, Nick’s sister. Come in.” She ushered me inside, and I followed as I looked around the house. It was one big open room on the first floor that consisted mainly of a kitchen and living room that had a ton of windows. It was bright and welcoming, and I grinned as she gave me a tour. “Nick is going to be back soon. He went to get Carmen at school.” She showed me the large den that was off the kitchen that offered a large flat screen and couch before leading me to the second floor where Carmen’s pink bedroom was. There was also another bedroom up there as well as a playroom that was clearly well used and offered some fantastic views. It was a good place for a child and Rebecca noticed me looking at the stairs that led to the third floor.
“It is magical up there. The views alone are stunning!” She grinned and led me over, and we climbed up to the third story where I looked around in wonder. “This view sold the house to Nick,” Rebecca said as she looked at me. I walked over to the windows in a small loft area currently serving as an office and took in the waves crashing against the sand just down the cliff the house sat on.
“Wow,” I murmured, staring at it as a smile formed on my lips. “This is so peaceful.”
“I wish that I lived here sometimes instead of Chicago,” the woman beside me said as I glanced at her. She was pretty and looked a lot like her brother.
“How are they doing?” I asked impulsively as she looked thoughtfully outside.
“They’re a strong pair,” she told me slowly as she nodded. “You’ll see.”
There was the sound of a door opening and voices from downstairs, surprising me in such a big house. I raised an eyebrow as she giggled and looked at me. “That’ll be Nick and Carmen. Prepare to be amazed.”
We made our way downstairs with Rebecca in the front, and I stood still as I watched a little girl run into her arms with a happy cry. She was more beautiful in person, and I smiled as I observed the exchange. I lifted my eyes to the man that came out of the den, taken by his good looks as Rebecca looked around. “You guys, Celia arrived while you were gone.” She found me still standing on the steps and gestured for me to come forward. “This is my brother Nick Chambers and his daughter Carmen. This is Celia, and she’s going to be taking care of you both.”
I cleared my throat and wondered how messy I looked from driving and walked forward, focusing on the little girl. She looked at me with full curiosity in her eyes as I smiled uncertainly at her. “Hello, Carmen. How are you doing?”
“I’m good,” she said shyly, very different from the girl that entered the house so loudly just a few moments earlier. “You’re pretty. You look a little like my mommy.” The words hit me hard as I thought to myself that her mom was far more beautiful, as well as reading her expression as she told me that.
“I…thank you,” I told her as I flushed a dark pink. I looked at Nick and Rebecca, both of whom were giving me apologetic eyes as I smiled assuringly at them. I looked back at Carmen, who was slowly smiling at me as I walked towards her dad. “Hello, Nick. Thank you for the opportunity here in this gorgeous house. It’s great to be back home.”
“You didn’t tell me she was a local,” Rebecca teased her brother as he glanced at me with a small smile. He knew a lot about me from emails and calls and kept it quiet. I liked that.
“I am. I have been living in Massachusetts for the past several years and was happy to come back here. You know the big city life, Rebecca. I miss this peace and slower way.” She laughed and nodded as Nick looked at her.
“I do envy you guys, but it would be hard to work at a Chicago paper if I didn’t live there,” she laughed as I looked at Nick again. “I think this will work out well.” Carmen was already easing closer to me, and I watched her quietly, the room going quiet as everybody focused on her.
We ended up in the kitchen together once Carmen and I got my bags from the car. She helped me carry them to the bedroom, which was beautiful and spacious, and I made a trip across the room to the windows to look over the long beach before me. Carmen showed me the way downstairs, losing her shyness as she told me that we were going to make enchiladas with Aunt Becca for dinner.
I learned that their mother was Spanish and this recipe was an old family one. I watched as Carmen got involved with the process as much as she could at her age, amazed at her apparent acceptance of her loss. She didn’t break down when she told me that I looked like her mom, though there was some sadness deep in her eyes.
Everything was homemade, and I helped with laughter, knowing that my mom was the cook in the family. I tried with Sean, especially since I was at home during the day but the crock pot was my best friend. I pushed him out of my mind as we worked on shredding the chicken and getting the sauce down to a liquid form. Rebecca cooked the tortillas, and then Carmen filled them before they were placed in the oven to cook, at which point Rebecca finished the beans on the stove. “I might not let you go home, Bec. This smells delicious.” Nick told her warmly as his sister smiled at him.
“Do you cook?” Rebecca asked me as I laughed.
“Barely. I’m glad that there’s a chef here, but I wouldn’t mind learning a little along the way,” I said as I glanced at Nick. He was talking closely with Carmen at the table by now and focused on his daughter. “This kitchen screams for someone to work in it.” It was large and modern with all the latest appliances, something that Rebecca apparently loved.
“Tell me about it. My apartment has a tiny little kitchen, but I make it work,” Rebecca said, winking at me. “I’ll give you some of Mom’s recipes to play around with. We lost her right after Carmen came along and it’s a nice memory for Nick.” I vowed to do that as best as I could as I nodded and smiled.
Onc
e we were sitting at the long table in the dining room surrounded by more windows, I took a bite of the enchiladas and sighed happily. “These are so good,” I told Rebecca and Carmen as they smiled.
“This is a nice way to celebrate the time with my family. I’m leaving on Friday to go back to Chicago,” Rebecca told me, holding Carmen’s hand beside her. That was in roughly a day and a half, and I frowned as I wondered if that would be enough time to adjust to everything.
I observed them the rest of the night, noting that Carmen worked on homework either before or after dinner. That depended on the day’s events, and after she was done and by seven-thirty, she was in a bath or shower and bed by eight fifteen. Carmen loved a bedtime story, and Rebecca told me over a glass of wine once she was asleep that her niece was trying to read them to someone while she learned to read at school. It was challenging at times but also excellent for her. “There will be wine in the fridge for those nights. I bought a bunch for you, not that you need to be getting drunk around my sweet girl.” She chuckled as I shook my head at her. “What brought you back here apart from the job?”
