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“And what if things go wrong in your perfect world?” Cynthia asked. “It’s easy enough to say that now, but when push comes to shove, I don’t think you’re worth as much as they say you are.”
I shook my head. She was a tough one. “I don’t think you hear what I’m saying,” I said gently. “I’m not like Erica’s dad. I’m not leaving.”
This time, Cynthia’s face crumpled, and she covered it with her hands. Her shoulders shook, but she didn’t make a sound as she sat there crying.
“Do you have any idea how hard this is for me?” she asked, her voice a little muffled through her fingers.
“I can’t begin to imagine,” I said honestly. “But I do know that it’s hard for Erica too. She didn’t plan this, and if she needs anything, it’s our support. She needs her mom.”
Cynthia lowered her hands, and her cheeks were stained with tears, but her expression was serious again. “All I want for Erica is to be happy. I had a very tough life because of what Christian did to me, and I wanted Erica to stay far away from the mistakes I made. And now? She’s pregnant, just like I was.”
“But I’m not like him. I’m not Christian,” I said. “And I’m not leaving her. This wasn’t planned, but it doesn’t have to be a mistake.”
More tears rolled over Cynthia’s cheeks. “I want Erica to realize her dreams. I’m worried that with her being pregnant now that’s not going to happen.”
“I’ll make sure that she doesn’t lose her job,” I said.
Cynthia shook her head. “She didn’t want to be an EA. No girl wakes up one day and decides to be an assistant. She had dreams, goals.”
“Like what?” I asked. Even though Erica and I were in a very good space now, even though we loved each other, we didn’t know everything about each other. We had never talked about future plans because it hadn’t come up. Now that we were going to have a future together, it would.
“She’s always wanted to own a company of her own. She’s crazy about makeup and fashion, and it’s been her dream to own a brand of some kind.”
I nodded slowly. “I didn’t know that about her, but I can see how she could make something like that work. Erica is a very intelligent, ambitious woman. If she sets her mind to something, she can achieve it.”
“Even if she has an unplanned child? The doctors are saying it might be two. I had my hands full trying to make ends meet with only one child, doing it all alone. Dreams were a novelty I couldn’t afford. I don’t want that for her.”
“Of course, as her mother you want her to be happy,” I said. “I understand. “But logistically, it’s all taken care of. Money isn’t an object, and Erica won’t have to work herself to death. And she won’t be in this alone either. She has me, and I would very much like for her to have you too.”
Cynthia looked down at her hands for a moment, as if thinking about what I was saying. Finally, she nodded. “I want to be there for her.”
“I’m so sorry your life was hard. I’d like us to work together to ensure that it’s different this time.”
Cynthia nodded. “I appreciate that. You’re different from how the media painted you.”
“That happens. Living in the public eye is hard.”
“And you don’t think it will affect Erica negatively?”
“I’m not going to let it.” I was determined to protect her.
As we spoke, Cynthia’s body language changed. She wasn’t so prim and upright anymore. She relaxed, and she started smiling and laughing. I spent a little time with her, getting to know her as a person. She was going to be a big part of my life, after all.
When I finally left, everything was different. Cynthia seemed to have come around about my relationship with Erica, about her pregnancy, and about the future I wanted for us together. This was what Erica needed. She needed her mom by her side. I was glad I had taken the time to get to know Cynthia and to talk to her. I hadn’t asked her for permission to be together, I had told her that no matter what, we were a couple and I was going to be there for her.
