Before he can say another word, I storm into the bathroom. The sound of the shower masks the shaky breath I let out as the first tear falls.
By the timeI’m out of the shower and dressed, the house is quiet. There’s no sign of Worth or Brianna. Just Maggie in the kitchen, fussing with the coffee machine.
“May I?” I ask, coming around the island.
“Oh. Hi, dear. Yes, please do. Worth did something to it before he left.”
“What do you mean?”
“He looked very angry and smacked the top of the machine with a curse when it wouldn’t pour his coffee.”
I sigh. Yes, the things I said were harsh but they needed to be said. Worth has to remember why we’re doing this.
Maggie glances up at me. “What happened?”
“We got into an argument. It’s no big deal.”
She presses her lips together. “I beg to differ. Worth doesn’t get rattled easily, and this morning he looked ready to erupt.”
I swallow. “Yeah. I might’ve hit a nerve.”
Maggie softens. “Don’t let it follow you into today. Fix what you can before you walk into that boardroom.”
I nod, even if my chest feels tight. “You’re right.”
I flip the machine off and on, reseat the portafilter, adjust the grind. It sputters, coughs, then finally pours a steady stream.
“Thank you,” Maggie says softly.
“Of course.” I slip on my blazer and check my phone. If I leave now, I can get to the office on time after a quick stop.
Twenty minutes later, I park in front of my parents’ townhouse and let myself in.
My mom is curled up on the living room sofa, glasses low on her nose, a paperback splayed in her hand. Surprise skitters across her face when she looks up, then melts into a grin.
“Well, look who remembered she has a mother.” She sets the book on the coffee table and opens her arms. “Ever since you got married to that hunk of yours, we’ve barely seen you.”
It hasn’t been that long since Brianna’s birthday, but I can’t remember the last time I visited my parents. I drop my tote by the armchair and throw myself onto the couch beside her. “Hi, Mama.”
She studies me for half a breath. “What’s wrong?”
I exhale. “I have the Project Rebuild presentation today.”
“I know.” Mom nods toward the mantel where my grad photo still sits crooked. “I lit a candle this morning.”
“Thank you.”
“But that’s not why you came.”
I lean back, staring at the ceiling like it might give me all the answers.
“I got into an argument with Worth,” I say, picking around the edges. I’m not ready to uproot the whole truth. “About the project board… and me.”
Her brows lift. “Go on.”
“I told him I’m worried they’ll fund the project because of my new last name, not my work. And that people will think I slept my way into an opportunity.” The words taste ugly coming out. “He said an advantage isn’t always bad. I said he doesn’t understand. Then it got heated.”
My mom is quiet for a moment. “When your father and I got together, people had opinions. He was older, had some money, and everyone said I only dated him because of that, including your grandparents.”