by Simply BWWM
“Mama he's paying me so much that I wouldn't have to work if I don't want to, but I do want to... so I'll still make my art, but, Mama, we're doing so good now that I won't have anything to worry about. It's like I have a good friend to help me through it all." Cami felt good saying all of it out loud, as though his support, responsibility and generosity had offered some semblance of redemption for them falling into each other's arms.
Mama's voice was still loud and higher pitched. "Friends? He's putting you up and doing all of that for you and you think he's just going to be friends with you? Girl, you better wake up and smell the coffee. He's going to want a lot more from you than that. He's looking for a mistress, and my baby girl- both my baby girls, are better than that.
“Don't you dare take him up on any of that nonsense! You take care of yourself and be your own woman; you be independent. I don't want you being some man-whore's kept woman. Don't you dare! That is not the kind of girl I raised!" Mama was starting to rant again.
Cami shook her head. "No Mama, it's really not like that. I promise you, and if it was, I wouldn't do it, because you're right, you didn't raise me like that. Aside from the glaring fact that I have a child with a married man, it's the only time it ever happened and neither of us wants it to happen again. He just wants to step up to his responsibility and he's pretty well off financially, so in his eyes, he isn't buying me, he's just taking care of a situation that he created and feels completely responsible for."
Mama was quiet for a short minute, and then she spoke in a softer voice. "What's his wife like? Does she know about you and Emma?"
"No, Mama, I don't think she knows, and I think we're going to try to keep it that way for now. Maybe someday she will know. I mean, at some point she's bound to find out, don't you think? Who could keep their own child a secret from their family?" Cami hadn't really thought about that aspect of it, but now that she was talking to her Mama about it, she realized that Denise was going to be a step-mother to her daughter, and that put their situation in a whole new light for her.
Mama seemed to think the exact same thing. "Well, when she does find out, you better keep an eye on her. She better be good to my little grandbaby or I'll put the fear of God into her."
Cami laughed a little. "I know, Mama, we both feel that way. You and I are on the same page about that. Listen, I just wanted to let you know what's going on here; you know, that we're moving and why... and to let you know that everything is going to be okay and you don't have to worry about me doing any of this on my own. Everything is going to be okay, and I'm really happy, Mama, I'm not scared or worried anymore."
She could hear her Mama smile through the phone. "Alright, well, I don't like what you told me, but it seems like it's all done now, so we'll look toward the future and we'll take it a bit at a time. That's the only way to do it, and you know that. Day at a time."
"Yes ma'am," Cami answered her. "I love you Mama,” she said gratefully.
"I love you too, baby girl. You kiss Emma for me and tell her I miss her," Mama said with a smile. She knew Mama must be looking at one of her photos of Emma just then, as her voice got a little high and she sort of cooed.
"I will." She hung up and pulled Emma from the car, heading in to their hotel with a glance around her new city. Things were going to be alright finally, and nothing felt better than that.
***
Roman went home that afternoon with his head and his heart totally focused on the new change in his life. He had a daughter; a beautiful baby girl, and he was never going to be the same again. It seemed like nothing could bring him down, until he walked into the kitchen at home and was surprised to see his mother-in-law sitting at the kitchen table with his wife.
"Uh... Agnes! How... how are you doing?" he asked, trying not to stumble over the words he spoke.
She turned her face to him and narrowed her eyes. "I'd be a hell of a lot better if I wasn't sitting here looking at your rotten face," she snapped at him.
Denise stood up and walked toward the wine cooler, pulled out a bottle of wine and started to decant it. "Mother is going to live with us now. She needed a good place to go, so I told her she could live here! Isn't that wonderful?" Denise giggled, grinning and bouncing as she spoke.
Roman stared at Denise. "I don't know what to say," he said in a quiet tone, but then blinked and turned to look at Agnes who was swilling a tumbler of whiskey.
"Uh... welcome, Agnes. Welcome home. It will be nice to have you here. I'm sure Denise will appreciate your... company." He felt like a rug had been ripped out from under his feet and he'd landed on his back hard enough that the wind was knocked out of him.
He looked at his wife. "Denise, may I please talk with you in the other room?" he asked delicately, with a serious undertone.
She turned and leveled her eyes at him. "Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of Mother. We have no secrets."
Roman looked from Agnes to Denise, and then shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Alright. I think it would have been helpful if you could have mentioned this to me before it changed. Of course, Agnes is welcome here, but you should have talked with me about this first. You could have at least... mentioned it."
Denise gave him a nasty look. "Why would I do that? This is my house too, and if she's welcome, then why would we need to talk about it? She is my mother, and if my mother wants to be here with me, then she's going to be here with me. It has nothing at all to do with you."
Roman pursed his lips. "Thanks for being thoughtful." He looked at Agnes and smiled as best he could. "Agnes, if there's anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable, please let me know." He nodded and turned to walk out of the kitchen when Agnes stopped him.
"Yeah, there are some things you could do to make this dump more comfortable!" She pulled a cigarette from her little painted leather cigarette case, snapped it shut, and lit her cigarette up, blowing smoke all over the kitchen.
"You don't have any ashtrays around here. I had to use whatever I can find, and I got stuck using this crappy bowl." She nudged a beautiful blue and green hand-blown glass bowl by Dale Chihuly, and then ashed her cigarette in it. There was a thick pile of dead cigarette butts in the bowl.
Roman closed his eyes for a moment and tried to still the clenching of his stomach. He took a deep breath and looked steadily at her. "That is a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork worth over fifteen thousand dollars. It was created especially for me, and signed by the artist. It's not an ashtray."
"You think this ugly thing is artwork? Why am I not surprised,” she said with a nasty sneer. "Well, it's crap, but at least now it's practical, useful crap." She blew cigarette smoke at him and ashed in it again. "Another thing; what the hell is that thing you have me sleeping on up in my room? You are supposed to be so successful; can't you even afford to buy a decent mattress? That thing is hard as a rock! I want a new bed!"
Denise piped up and rested her hand on her mother's arm. "Don't you worry about it, Mother, we'll have a decorator come in and redesign your room, and you and I can go shopping and buy any bed you want. I'll take care of you, and Roman can pay for it." She turned and narrowed her eyes at him again meaningfully.
"Well thank heaven someone around here knows how to treat a guest. I must have raised you right, Denise. I just wish I'd have raised you with enough sense to marry a good man, because you sure got the short end of the stick with this one,” Agnes snapped.
Roman bit his tongue, walked over to the cupboard and pulled a cereal bowl out of it, then walked over to the table and yanked the Chihuly glass from where it sat before Agnes. He turned the Chihuly upside down and emptied it into the cereal bowl, and then he pushed the cereal bowl in front of the older woman and looked at her meaningfully.
"While you're out shopping, kindly pick up your own set of ashtrays. I'll be more than happy to buy them for you." He turned on his heel and walked out of the room with the Chihuly bowl still in his hand. It took him the better part of an hour, but he
finally got it clean and smelling like it had never known burnt tobacco.
He placed it up in his room on the third floor of his home; a room that only he ever saw the inside of, since his wife slept in her own room.
After it was safely tucked away, he wandered through the house, looking for anything else he might want to protect, and wondering miserably how long she would be living with them.
He ate dinner alone in the breakfast nook, which he usually did, unless Denise happened to want his company, which was rare. One of the good things about Agnes was that she went to bed early every night. One of the challenges about her was that she was up before dawn every morning and prowling about the house, bored and looking for things to get into. There was no way to escape her in the morning, and starting the day with her was a difficult thing for him to do.
Roman was grateful that he had put Denise on a specific allowance each month so that she wouldn't bankrupt him. He had learned early on that it was best to curtail her spending ability, and now with her mother in the house, he knew that would be even more important.
He also wondered, when he looked at Agnes, if he was looking at a version of what his wife would be like in thirty years. Denise had smoked when she was younger, but the day she saw her first wrinkle, she put the cigarettes down and hadn't touched them again; not for the sake of health, no, but rather for the sake of vanity.
Roman went up to his room later that night and lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering about the profound changes in his life. He had wanted children when he was a younger man thinking about his future, but the idea of starting a family hadn't been at the forefront of his mind when he married Denise. Then after he had been married to her for a while and their relationship changed so much, he knew without a doubt that he didn't want to have children with her.
The thoughts he had once had about having children fell away in the face of a cold and hollow marriage and a thriving business.
Having a child became one of those things that fell into the life category of “I was going to do that, but it just didn't happen.” Well, now it had happened.
Unexpectedly, of course, but his heart welcomed it. He had been blown away by the discovery that he was a father, and the knowledge of it warmed his heart and gave him a happiness he had not ever known before. He felt more whole than he had in all the years of living in an empty and meaningless marriage. He felt as though somehow his life had suddenly blossomed and developed deep meaning; he had something to look forward to and someone to love.
Roman wondered how he would be able to explain to Denise how he had a child outside of their marriage, and what she would say to him. She was going to be Emma's step-mother, although she didn't know it yet. The thought of Denise as a step-mother contorted Roman's face with a look of doubt. She wasn't really cut out to be a mother, and he suspected that she may not be an ideal step-mother, either. He hoped that she would somehow be able to understand what had happened and accept Emma, because he wanted Emma in every facet of his life, including his home. Denise would have to make a choice, because in his heart of hearts, he knew that Emma was the one person who came before everyone else in his life now, and he loved it.
His thoughts strayed to Agnes as he tried to picture her involvement with Emma, and his brain wouldn't let him think of her that way. Instead, he shook his head and told himself that it would be better if Agnes weren't involved with Emma at all.
He caught himself chuckling at Janine, who had been so utterly delighted with Cami and Emma. He was grateful that she hadn't been judgmental at all, but rather welcoming and kind to Cami and Emma, and she'd taken to the baby right away. He hoped that somehow all of it would work out. It was that hope that he held to as he fell asleep alone that night.
The next day dawned with a grey fog filling the air and hanging thick and full on everything it silently covered. It gave a mysterious and cloaked feel to the house and grounds. Roman was sitting in the kitchen, enjoying it, when Denise walked in and poured herself a cup of coffee.
She seemed to be bubbling with happiness as she prepared herself something to eat. He looked up at her and wondered if it was the right moment to tell her about Emma. He knew it would be hard, no matter when he told her, but he thought that perhaps if he told her when she was in a good mood, it would settle better than if she was in a foul temper.
She sat at the table with him, and he smiled at her.
"Good morning. You're looking lovely today," he began in a friendly tone.
Denise flashed him a grin and shrugged her shoulders. "Good! It's such an important day. I really want everything to go just right today. It feels like everything will go right, you know, and that's good, because if anything goes wrong, I'll lose it."
Roman nodded his head and sipped his coffee. He knew it wasn't the right time to tell her. "Are you ready for the party tonight?" he asked. It seemed like it had been much more than a week since she had said she was hosting the big bash for the Senator and his wife aboard the yacht that Captain Heatherwick and been keeping in the marina.
"Everything is ready, except for this damn weather. It's supposed to be nice today, and just look at all that fog. I'll be furious if it ruins the party." She glared out the window into the misty morning.
Roman took a deep breath and sighed. "It'll burn off. The party isn't until tonight, so don't worry about it."
She finished her coffee and leveled her gaze at him. "Are you ready for the party? Do you have your suit?" she asked him in a warning tone.
"I have it. I'll be there tonight," he said pleasantly.
"Good. Everything has to be perfect. I absolutely have to make a good impression on Senator Johnson and Carmen." She stood up and took her coffee mug to the dishwasher. "My mother is really looking forward to tonight,” she said, turning and looking over her shoulder at him. "Don't ruin it for her. Be decent to her tonight."
Roman closed his eyes and drew breath into his lungs slowly, willing himself to keep calm. He didn't respond to her, he only released the air from his body gradually, focusing on it rather than on Denise.
She walked from the kitchen, having made an ordinance and not a request.
He heard the door shut and looked out of the window, appreciating the morning fog a bit more than he had before she walked into the kitchen.
Roman and Captain Jonathon Heatherwick spent the afternoon on the yacht, and Roman had to admit that it was a beautiful boat, and one he did not regret purchasing to sell to the Senator, if the Senator wanted it.
They talked and laughed over old times until Denise showed up and Jonathon looked visibly annoyed with her. He closed himself up on the bridge and Roman joined him in a bid to remove themselves from Denise's presence as she readied for the party.
She didn't really love sailing or being on boats so much, it was all about the prestige for her, and showing off to others. She had no interest at all in the bridge and so it was there that the two men stayed until the guests started arriving in the early evening, and then Roman bid goodbye to Jonathon with a smile and a clap on the shoulder.
"Come out for food and drinks whenever you're ready. In another half an hour there will be a good number of people here that you would enjoy spending some time with,” he said to Jonathon as he closed the bridge door behind him. Jonathon saluted him, and Roman headed to the deck to meet their guests.
Denise was flitting around talking to people, all smiles, hugs, and air kisses almost brushed upon cheeks. She was dressed in a bright red skin-tight dress and stiletto heels. Her red hair was curled and piled around the back of her head almost in a mane. Her makeup and perfume were thick, and she was hung about with chunky jewelry in her efforts to look the part of what she thought was abundance, because in her mind, abundance equaled quality, value, and worth.
Roman greeted guests separately from her as much as he could, although she would occasionally drag him over to introduce him to people she felt he just had to meet. He was glad to meet all of them, but he
wished he wasn't presented in the light that she showed him; that of a wealthy tycoon, rather than just as himself. He could see that very few people were impressed with her gushing and posturing. He faded back away from her and mingled with people every time she turned her head away from him.
The Senator and his wife, Carmen, showed up right on time, and Denise saw them coming, so she rushed over and pulled Roman's arm to greet them as they came aboard.
He reached out his hand and shook Senator Johnson's hand, as well as Carmen's, welcoming them warmly.
"Good evening, Edward and Carmen! It's wonderful to have you here tonight as our guests of honor. Thank you so much for coming!" Roman said as he handed them each a flute of champagne. Denise slid her hand through Carmen's arm and stood close to her.
"There's tons of champagne and the very best seafood in all of the bay area. You won't believe it. Oh! My mother is here, too, and she wants to meet you. So, after we take you on a tour of the boat, I'll introduce you to her!" Denise practically squealed with excitement.