Page 100 of The Gathered Fragments of Us
"Jesus, Felicity," Maliyah said when I finished. "No wonder you sounded overwhelmed. That's like a lifetime of drama crammed into two weeks."
"The weird thing is, though—Caden and I are better than we've been in years. Like, really better. Not just crisis-better, but actually better."
"It sounds like it. This is all huge, Fliss."
"Macy goes back to school tomorrow. Caden and I go back to work. I guess time will only tell for us—and now that we are going back to normal scheduling, I wonder how everything will unfold.
"That's what I'm here for," Maliyah said firmly. "To help you figure it out while things get back to a more normal cadence. I'm off for the next couple of weeks, so let me help you with whatever you need."
"I can't tell you how much that means to me." I twisted my wedding ring around my finger. "I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, you know? Like things are going too well, and something's going to come along and mess it all up again."
"Like what?"
"Ugh, I don't know. Like Jessica finding some way to manipulate the situation to her benefit." I shrugged helplessly. "Like me screwing up this whole stepmom thing because I have no idea what in the hell I'm doing. Like Caden getting overwhelmed with work and reverting back to his old patterns—though I'm worrying less and less about that last one."
Maliyah was quiet for a moment, then said, "You know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think you're borrowing trouble. You've got a good thing happening here—Caden's stepped up, Macy's safe, your marriage is healing. Instead of waiting for it to fall apart, maybe just... enjoy the moment?"
From downstairs came the sound of something crashing, followed by Sandy's voice calling out, "It's fine! Everything's fine! Just dropped the syrup!"
We looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"See?" Maliyah grinned. "This is what family chaos looks like. Messy and loud and perfect."
"Should we go rescue Sandy?" I asked, standing up.
"Probably. But Felicity?" She caught my hand. "Whatever happens next, you've got this. And you're not alone."
I squeezed her hand back. "Thank you. For making the drive with two little ones—all by yourself. For dropping everything. For just... being here."
"That's what sisters do. Though a glass of wine tonight wouldn't get declined. I can promise you that—early though, I'm going to need an early bedtime. I have to sleep off the trauma of the drive and the kidney kicks I experienced from sleeping with both of my kids these last two nights—apparently, hotels are scary so everyone sharing a queen-sized was necessary to avoid bad dreams." Maliyah rolled her eyes at this and started making her way to the stairs.
As we headed back down, I could hear Lucas trying to explain the rules of spit to Caden while Zoe demanded to be tossed around like a "sack of potatoes"—a game he liked to play with the kids when they visited. The sound of my family—expanded and chaotic and wonderful—filled the house with exactly the kind of noise I'd been missing without even knowing it.
Whatever challenges tomorrow would bring, at least I wouldn't face them alone.
Chapter 40: I Can't Keep It
~Felicity~
Monday morning felt surreal. After two weeks of crisis mode and chaos, the simple act of putting on work clothes and heading into the office seemed almost foreign.
"You okay?" Caden asked from the doorway, buttoning his cuffs. Damn, he was hot in a button down and slacks. Something about a man all dressed up is a righteous turn-on. Looking at his face though, I could see the tension around his eyes. Going back to work meant facing the reality of Jessica's theft, the missing money, the potential impact on the company.
"Yeah, I'm okay—just feel weird, you know? Like we're playing dress-up as our old selves."
He stepped into the closet and wrapped his arms around me from behind. "We're not our old selves, though. We're better—well, I'm doing better. You are just as amazing as you've always been."
I leaned back against him, drawing comfort and warmth from his presence.
He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "Maliyah going to hang out at the house while we're working today?"
"Yes. I gave her a key, figured she could take the kids to the museum or just out and about if she wanted—not sure she will want to be cooped up with the kids all day."
"That's a good plan. Maybe she can come up to your office and grab some lunch."
