“We just don’t get it, Mom,” Sylvie admitted in an even voice. “Why didn’t you talk to us about any of this? I mean, you sent us an email to let us know you were leaving.”
Amy perched on the edge of her bed. “Because I knew, if I heard your voices, I’d never be able to leave, and I had to go.”
Continuing to live in that house with Eric was slowly killing her, and something about Lily’s letters had brought that into focus for her.
Without her tainted, rose-colored glasses, Amy was seeing everything more clearly. Since walking away from Eric, she felt lighter and freer, like everything weighing her down didn’t exist anymore, and she owed her stepdaughter so much for blazing her own path first. Without Lily lighting the way up for her, Amy had no idea what she would’ve done.
Or if she would’ve ever plucked up the courage to leave.
“Look, Mom, we know you and Lily are close, and maybe you were influenced by her leaving and starting over or whatever, but this isn’t you,” Lucas replied after a lengthy pause. “You’re not Lily.”
Amy stood and wandered over to the dresser. “I need you two to know that this isn’t about you. There are certain aspects of mylife with your father I’m not going to share, and I need you to be okay with it.”
“Dad already told us everything,” Sylvie revealed. “He’s really heartbroken, Mom. I’m sure if you saw him—”
“Your father is a resilient man,” Amy interrupted a little too quickly. “He’ll survive.”
“What if he doesn’t? What if he really does want to change, and you’re not even giving him a chance?”
“Please, Mom. We just want you to think about coming back,” Lucas added in a softer voice. “That’s all we want.”
“I need you two to listen,” Amy said, her voice catching toward the end. “He’s going to try his best to vilify me, to make it seem like I’m this awful human being who never cared about family, and I want you to know that none of that is true.”
“Mom—”
“You two are smart, kind, and capable individuals,” Amy continued, her heart beating faster now. “I need you to see through the lies and the smear campaign.”
He was playing her children like a fiddle, and they were eating up every word.
Why couldn’t they see the truth?
And why was she so reluctant to unmask him for the cruel and heartless person he was?
Stooping to his level would make things much, much easier for her, but she still didn’t want to do it.
So, she spent the rest of the phone call skirting around their questions and reiterating the same statements. Eventually, Sylvie was the first to hang up, the sound of clattering keys never once letting up. Lucas followed soon after, and Amy was left alone to the mercy of her own thoughts. After a quick phone call with Lily, Amy stepped out of her room and made a beeline for the kitchen.
She’d been staring at the same empty spot on the counter when the doorbell rang. When she swung it open, revealing a red-faced Lily in running pants and shoes, with her bright yellow shirt clinging to her skin and wisps of hair escaping from her low ponytail, Amy did a double take.
“What are you doing here?”
“I heard how upset you were on the phone,” Lily replied, pausing to shift from one foot to the other. She pulled out her earphones and shoved them into their box. “And I was nearby, running with a potential client, so I thought I’d stop by.”
“You didn’t have to bring the meeting to an end on my account,” Amy protested with a frown. “I’m fine, really. I was just talking to Sylvie and Lucas.”
“Sabrina was telling me she’s thinking of opening up another branch of the spa here.” Lily shifted from one foot to the other and offered Amy a bright smile. “But she’s got some competition. I’ve got some time on my hands, and Sabrina and I are thinking of going into business together. So, I’ll be coming down every so often to get a better feel for the town and whether or not people would be open to another spa and wellness center. I was going to go scope out the competition right now. How would you feel about coming with me?”
Amy hesitated and then nodded.
With one last look at Lily, Amy darted inside to change into a comfortable pair of pants and a shirt. She stuffed her keys, wallet, and phone into a purse and came back out. Lily was still in the doorway, chatting with her aunt, when Amy made a beeline for her. In silence, the two of them stepped out into the midmorning sun and began to walk, with Lily leading the way.
They walked past rows and rows of houses until they reached the center of Falmouth, with brightly colored signs and the smell of baked goods lingering in the air. Then, Lily led them down a quieter, cobblestoned path that opened onto a narrow,residential street. A blue-colored door rose to meet them, and Lily gave a quick rap.
A woman in black pants, a green shirt, and perfectly coiffed red hair answered the door. She led them down a dimly lit hallway, which opened into a sitting area with hardwood floors, a set of leather couches, and a cascading waterfall in one corner. A group of similarly dressed women sat behind a circular-shaped desk. After a quick conversation, during which Amy kept peeking at her phone, the two of them were led into a tile-floored changing room with loud vents and rows of lockers.
Reluctantly, Amy left her things there and gripped the key.
“So, do you want to tell me more about the conversation with Lucas and Sylvie?” Lily waited outside the changing room while Amy pulled on a pair of disposable underwear and a bra. Then, she tightened the sash of the fluffy white robe and stepped out, her slippers making a low clattering sound.
