“Perhaps inside? Over tea?” Julia nodded toward the door. “I would appreciate sitting down. I’ve been here waiting for over an hour. Your schedule had you home—”
“My schedule?”
Julia had the grace to look abashed. “I had the PI get me a copy.” She offered a tight smile. “I bought the building, and that helped.”
“You bought… my apartment building?” Kaelee stared.
“Last month. My parents left me a discretionary fund, too, and I wanted to be sure your home was safe and in good repair.”
Mutely, Kaelee unlocked her door. She gestured her mother inside. “You’re my landlord?”
“Technically.” Julia walked over, rinsed and filled the teakettle, before looking at her. “Tea?”
“Sure.” Kaelee pulled out a few options.
They were silent as the teakettle heated.
Julia busied herself adding tea leaves and sugar to the cups. She added enough sugar that Kaylee winced.
Her mother gave her a sad smile as she poured water into the cups. “That’s changed, too? You used to like it this way.”
Kaelee sighed and accepted the overly sweet cup of steeping tea. She walked over to the table and pulled out a chair. “No, I didn’t. I accepted it. I accepted a lot of things that I won’t ever again.”
“Fair enough.” Julia joined her at the table. “I didn’t want you to be unhappy. I tried to do what mothers are to do, for you and your sister. It worked for Betsey.”
“Are you sure?”
Julia smiled. “I asked Betsey, after I found out about what happened to you… with Kyle… and the things he did.”
Kaelee swallowed. Talking to her mother about her trauma wasn’t on her list of things she ever wanted to do. So she redirected the conversation. “I’m glad Bets is okay. Does Tripp know you’re here?”
“He wasn’t always like this, you know?” Julia stared down at her tea. “I think the man I married, the one my parents liked, would be appalled to see who he’s become. At first, it was his affairs that hurt, then when I tried to stand up, he hit me and… until now, I never thought about what message that gave my daughters.”
“That doesn’t erase everything,” Kaelee said roughly. “You realizing it.”
“I am well aware, but I’m filing for divorce, and if he doesn’t drop his nonsense about you or your book or… well, he’ll have bigger problems than embarrassment over a book.”
“And Kyle?”
“I think it’s too late to press charges, but”—Julia met her gazenow—“I wasn’t born an Alden, but I’ve learned from him. I have enough dirt on Kyle and your daddy to—”
“I would rather you don’t call Tripp that,” Kaelee interjected.
“Fine. I have my PI, and he has files on both of them that I can use if I need to encourage their better angels to be front and center.” Julia sat there, ankles primly crossed, sipping her sugar-saturated tea and making threats.
For a moment, Kaelee admired her, truly admired her. “Are you safe? I have lawyers that are handling things on my side. They’re good.”
“I do, too. I’m filing for divorce, dear, and I want to takeeverything.” Julia laughed. “No mercy. That’s the Alden way, and as I’m still an Alden…” She shrugged. “His missteps with you will be useful to my divorce attorneys. I was going to use it to encourage him to improve his actions, but he authorized the assault ofmy child.”
“Oh.”
“I wasn’t the mother you deserved, but I want to try again.” Julia reached out to take Kaelee’s hand in hers.
“I don’t know,” Kaelee whispered. “I need to think.”
Julia nodded. “In the meantime, I’m going to join the leagues of middle-aged women who start over. You gave me the motivation to learn to be happy, and I hope you’ll allow me to find a place in your life. I want to get to know you, be the mom I should’ve been, if you’ll allow it.”
“I need time,” Kaelee stressed.
