311 Pelican Court - Debbie Macomber [98]
“You can go on back to the break room, if you like,” Mary Lou suggested.
That was perfect as far as Rosie was concerned. She didn’t want to interrupt Cecilia while she was on the job. Her purpose was to thank her for everything she’d done for Allison.
Rosie was as familiar with the layout of the office as she was her own home—or what had, at one time, been the home she’d lived in with Zach. These days…well, that was territory she didn’t want to enter.
Just as Mary Lou had told her, Rosie found a young woman sitting at a table, reading a magazine and sipping coffee. An older woman sat at a separate table, chatting on a cell phone. Cecilia had straight dark hair that hung just above her shoulders and she didn’t look more than seventeen. She glanced up when Rosie walked in.
“Hello.” Rosie smiled. “I’m Allison’s mom.”
“Oh, hi,” Cecilia said, smiling back. “She talks about you a lot.”
Rosie pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. She was astounded that her daughter had mentioned her at all. “I just came to introduce myself and to thank you for being Allison’s friend.”
“I enjoy working with her.”
Rosie was sure she hadn’t felt that way in the beginning. “I wanted you to know how much I appreciate your patience with her. She’s going through a rough time, and you’ve made a tremendous impression on her.”
“I appreciate your telling me that.”
“It’s true,” Rosie said. “Just working with you has made a real difference to Allison.”
“Spending time with her has helped me, too,” Cecilia said. “I was only ten when my parents divorced and I remember thinking the breakup was my fault….”
Rosie was immediately concerned. She’d repeatedly talked to both children about this very thing, but Allison and Eddie had dismissed her questions, and after a while she’d let the matter drop. Surely, Rosie prayed, her children hadn’t taken on any blame for a problem that was clearly between her and Zach.
“Did Allison tell you she blames herself for what happened?” Rosie burst out. “Because that simply isn’t true.”
“No, no,” Cecilia assured her, and held up one hand. “I just meant that talking about what happened when my parents split has helped me realize I had nothing to do with their divorce. So you see, it’s been a real advantage to me to look back at that episode in my own life.”
“I see,” Rosie murmured, relieved. In retrospect, she wished she’d handled so many things differently, not only with the divorce, but her marriage, too. She tried not to think about the last twelve months. What was done was done. Indulging in regrets left her feeling depressed, and she was working hard to get past those negative emotions.
“I hope you don’t mind my coming by like this, but I did want to thank you,” Rosie said.
“It’s really sweet of you to do that.” Cecilia closed her magazine. “Did you enjoy your dinner with Allison?”
Rosie nodded. “It was great, although I almost needed a translator. Words like wicked and righteous and mad don’t seem to mean what I thought they did.”
Cecilia smiled. “I know. Teenagers have their own way of expressing things, don’t they?”
“That they do.” It was important Rosie leave before her daughter arrived for work. She got up, ready to head back to the front office, when Mary Lou approached her.
“Mr. Cox said he’d like to see you,” she said, sounding apologetic as she stepped aside and allowed Rosie to pass.
Zach’s door was open. When Rosie walked into his office, she immediately noticed that the family photograph was no longer on the credenza, but he’d displayed one of Allison and Eddie. He stood when she entered, frowning darkly. Without a word, he moved from behind his desk and shut the door, a little harder than he needed to.
Ah, so that was how it was going to be. Rosie tried not to let him intimidate her, but that was difficult.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded.
She didn’t understand his anger and suppressed the urge to respond in kind. “I came to talk to Cecilia.