I stepped forward offering my hand, but she pulled me into her arms as well.
“Just call me Cece. The last name is going to change tomorrow anyway,” she insisted, letting me go so I could return to Logan.
“Who’s that, Mommy?” I heard Maddie say as she came to stand between Logan and me, her favorite spot nowadays.
“This is Logan’s Mom, Cece,” I said.
“Hi Cece. I like your name,” Maddie said, taking a step toward the woman. There wasn’t a shy bone in that kid.
Cece bent down so she was at the same level as Maddie, her eyes full of excitement as she looked at my daughter.
“Well I like yours too, pumpkin. I love your shirt, do you dance?” she asked, admiring Maddie’s pink shirt with ballerina frog on it that Logan had bought her.
“Yep. Mommy takes me to lessons. She says I’m a natural,” Maddie answered proudly, puffing out her chest to show off her shirt.
“Well, I was just in the gift shop downstairs, and saw the cutest ballerina necklace. If you’re Mommy says it’s okay, do you want me to show you?”
“Can I Mommy, please?” Maddie begged, bouncing up and down. Logan gave me a look that said the decision was all mine.
“Of course, baby. But, best manners okay? Cece’s in charge,” I instructed.
“Okay Mommy!”
“I’ll bring her right back. Just thought you two might enjoy a few minutes alone,” Cece said before scooping Maddie up in her arms and heading out the door. I could hear them chatting down the hallway and I found myself thinking Cece would make a wonderful Grandmother, which was odd considering the type of mother I knew she was.
“You okay?” I asked Logan as he stared out the picture window down at the busy street below, his body tight and rigid. He was so deep in thought, I could practically see them coming off of him in waves.
“That was not my Mother,” his voice was distant, as if he was still processing the last few minutes.
Closing the distance between us, I wrapped my arms around him, resting my head against his broad back, breathing in his unique scent.
“Talk to me Logan. I need to understand.”
“That woman you just met was warm and inviting. She was everything I wanted in a mother as a child, but never had. The mother I know is obsessed with material possessions and making sure she has someone around to buy them for her. She would have never allowed anyone to call her Cece. She was always Cecile. She gave up parental rights to my father when they divorced and I barely saw her after that. My sister and mother were just people I visited once a year when my father had nowhere else to send me,” he snarled.
“Something’s obviously changed. She’s different. Maybe she’s trying to make amends,” I offered as an explanation.
“I don’t know, but I have a hard time trusting this new version of her. So many years of neglect, how do I forgive that?” he said quietly, all the energy draining out of him.
“Just take it one breath at a time, Logan. That’s all you can do.”
The rehearsal dinner was lovely, and after being introduced, I was quickly becoming a fan of Cece’s fiancé, Robert. He was a banker, but although he was very well to do by most standards, he was by no means wealthy. He was, however, very handsome. He had dark features and piercing green eyes; he was the perfect example of what age did to good-looking men. It made them even finer, like a well-aged wine. It gave me a little thrill, thinking of Logan, and what he would look like in ten, twenty or even thirty years. Robert seemed very down to earth. He carried himself well, giving the impression that he was well educated, but he was very easy to talk to and made everyone in the room feel at ease.
The wedding was scheduled for tomorrow afternoon in the hotel’s ballroom. The guest list was small, only family and a few friends would be in attendance. The venue was beautiful, something I would have chosen actually, but it was peanuts in comparison to Cece’s previous nuptials.
After the food was cleared, the few guest mingled about, everyone stopping to congratulate the happy couple. And they did look truly happy. As I sat at the table solo, while Logan took Maddie on a walk around the lobby, his mother sat next to me.
“Hello, dear. Are you having a good time?” she asked, trying to making small talk.
“Oh yes, thank you. Everything is lovely,” I answered politely.
“I wanted to thank you for getting him here. I know he wouldn't have come otherwise.”
I didn’t know what to say. Luckily I didn’t get the chance to, because she continued.
“I’ve been a terrible mother. Actually I’ve been a terrible human being. I don’t know if he’ll ever forgive me for all the sins I’ve committed against him, and I likely don’t deserve it. But I’m going to spend the rest of the life I have left trying to make up for it,” she confessed.
God, I hope this woman was being truthful. I wanted so badly to believe her.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what changed?” I asked, hoping she wasn’t offended by my boldness.
“You can ask me anything Clare. I may not know my son well, but I can see the love he has for you and your daughter. I want to be part of your lives, and I’m hoping you can help with that. As for the reason for my drastic life change? Well, it’s the reason we do many things in life. Love,” she answered simply.
“Robert?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said with a smile, “I met Robert after my divorce to Mr. Carrington had just been finalized. I was at a charity event doing my normal thing, showing off my latest designer gown, and flashing the many layers of jewelry I had on display for the evening. All those things I had to have, it was like a disease,” she shook her head in obvious disgust.
“While at the bar refilling my drink, I met a man. Robert. He was ridiculously handsome, and I thought I’d have him eating out of the palm of my hand by the end of the evening. But he didn’t fall for any of my usual tricks. Instead, he handed me a business card and said if I wanted to go on a date with him, I’d have to agree to get dirty. And then he walked away. Our first date was a hike. I was miserable the entire way, but I’d never done anything like it. When we returned the car, I was covered in bruises and dried dirt, but I felt amazing. I accomplished something and it didn’t require anything but me.”
“He changed you,” I said, when she paused.
“Well, I’d like to say I changed myself. He just helped. He taught me there was more to life, more to marriage than a bank account and a walk-in closet. When we moved in together, I sold almost everything I owned, and then donated the money to charity. It was the most selfless thing I’d ever done.”