Page 91 of Break Me Not

“So you're guessing?”

“Absolutely,” I said with a small laugh. “But her vibes are infinitely better than those people Stefan sent me.”

“Yeah… Those guys were assholes.” She looked at the note more carefully. “Okay, well, if you trust her, then, so do I.”

Jen also had opinions on various artworks and who they went to. We were alike in the sense that we saw them as pieces the artist spent their sweat and tears on, and they couldn't go to just anyone willing to throw cash at us. They deserved a home. People who would treat them well.

“Can you start preparing this for me? I have a date with my daughter for lunch?” I asked as I handed her the customer’s card.

“Of course! Have fun!” She waved at me and disappeared to do her work.

I took that as my chance to leave, though just as I was walking out the door, I saw Claire walking up. I smiled when I saw she was carrying two bags containing some very yummy-smelling Thai food.

“I thought we could sit at the park nearby?” she asked.

“I picked that restaurant because it was closer to you, silly,” I said and pulled her into a quick hug as I took the bags from her, ignoring her attempts to take them back.

I had a whole plan in place. We would go to the restaurant, have a nice lunch, and then head back here to talk.

To be fair, if the park wasn't too crowded, it might give us a little bit more freedom. The last thing I wanted was for Claire to feel like she didn't have a choice. At the office, she might feel under attack, so maybe some fresh air would do us some good.

“Saves you a trip, doesn't it?” she asked with a smile and put her arm through mine.

I took her in as we walked down the street. She seemed happy. The sky was awfully clear and the birds were chirping. Everyone outside seemed to be in a good mood, which was really weird for the city.

It looked like I was set up for success.

I leaned into my daughter, taking in her familiar warmth and smell.

Even if I had just seen her a week ago, it was so easy to miss her.

“You're in a good mood today, huh?”

She nodded. “Things have been going really well at work. Oh yeah, did you ever go to that concert? Maybe take a date?”

She must've noticed the blush through my makeup and started jabbing her elbow into me like I was one of her friends.

Memories of that night flashed through my mind. It had been one of the catalysts to Jax and me being together. It was the first night I realized how freeing it felt to be with her. How exciting. The first night I fully let go of all of my inhibitions.

“OMG Mom!”

I rolled my eyes at her. “I'm glad your work is going well. And I'm sorry again that you didn't feel like you could tell me the truth back then. It was my fault.”

She dropped her smile to a pout.

“Please don’t go there again. I already feel bad about lying to you and being mean to you. I was just under a lot of stress, but now that I've settled into the job, I feel much better.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” I said, pulling her closer.

Even though I do.

But instead of trying to make myself feel better and get it off my chest right away, I led us to the park, where we sat under a nice, shaded area.

We enjoyed our lunch, talking about the new projects that she was taking up. I might not fully understand the tech world, but I knew she was doing well, and, more importantly, she obviously found excitement in it.

She was happy, and I was more than excited for her. She deserved a career that she enjoyed. I knew my daughter and I knew she would excel at whatever she set her mind to. There was nothing she couldn’t accomplish, and I would support her all the way.

When there was a lull in the conversation, I cleared my throat. Claire's eyes shifted to mine. She was still wiping the food from her mouth.