Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
I sat behind the desk, started the computer up, and looked at the text.
It was a photo, the sight of which, I gasped in delight.
It was a picture of a slender, white, long-haired cat with some nuanced gray shading around her eyes and ears. She had blue eyes and an expression on her face that stated plainly I cannot be dealing with you now.
In our conversation yesterday to set up lunch today, I’d told Mika that Jamie had said he wanted to adopt some pets, and since I’d been considering the same since the children had left (I just never got around to it), I decided to stop faffing about and see to that…for Jamie and for me.
I’d told Mika about this by asking her if she knew of any reputable shelters I should patronize.
Another text came in as my rhapsodizing gaze moved over the picture of the cat, and Mika told me, Her name is…get this…Heiress!
At this news, my thumbs flew over the screen, demanding, I have the call with my children now. Please contact whoever has custody of this animal at once to share I’m interested and wish to meet her as soon as schedules allow.
On it, Mika texted back.
I saved the photo and sent it to Jamie, with the message, We shall be meeting this darling soon. Warn Monica your schedule will need to be fit around it.
I was clicking into Skype when my phone vibrated on the desk.
I turned it over to read Jamie’s reply of, Trust you to find the most condescending cat in New York in only three days.
I didn’t share that I hadn’t found her, Mika had.
I said, I can’t be anyone other than me.
Thank God, he replied just as that annoying loop-de-loop sound of a Skype call coming in sounded.
I put my phone down and hit the camera to start the video.
Nico came up on screen.
He looked like his father, except far more handsome.
“Gotcha, Ma. I’m bringing in Allegra and Val now,” he said.
Shortly after, Allegra, who looked quite a bit like me, and Valentina, who, as mentioned, looked very much like her maternal grandmother, were in squares on my screen.
“She’s glowing,” Allegra said, grinning hugely.
“Mom’s totally getting herself some,” Valentina replied.
“Fuck. Stop talking about that,” Nico demanded.
“I love this so much,” Allegra enthused.
“I’m delighted you do,” I entered the conversation. “Now, I’d like all three of you, Nico, you as well, if you feel like a day trip, to come to lunch with Jamie and Dru on Sunday.”
“I’m in,” Valentina said.
“I am too,” Allegra said.
“I’ll talk to Felice,” Nico put in. “Are spouses invited?”
“Always,” I drawled, though, if given a choice, I’d invite Darryn and Archie without reservation, Felice, with some reservations, and I would pretend to be very sad she couldn’t make it (since she often opted out of family gatherings), but in reality, I wouldn’t be sad at all.
“Yay! Darryn loves Jamie,” Allegra announced.
“Not as much as Archie does,” Valentina returned. “Since he gave us those courtside tickets to the Knicks, Jamie has been Archie’s favorite person.”
“It isn’t a competition, Val,” Allegra retorted.
I cut in before my two daughters could start bickering. Something, regardless of how much they loved each other, they were prone to do.
“I want no argument about this, you all knew it was going to happen, but when I move in with Jamie at his brownstone, I’ll be transferring the apartment to Allegra and Darryn.”
All my children’s stunned faces just stared from the screen.
“This apartment has been in the family now for three generations,” I reminded them. “And it always goes to the firstborn. So I don’t want any squabbling. Nico and Valentina, you know I’ll find a way to balance it out for you.”
“You two are moving in together?” Nico asked.
“Yes,” I answered.
“You’re leaving Grandmother’s apartment?” Allegra asked.
“Jamie’s brownstone is far from uncomfortable,” I noted.
“What’s going to happen to Alyona?” Valentina queried.
Oh dear.
I hadn’t thought of that.
Jamie had Monica, of course, but she didn’t cook, or clean, (though she did handle Jamie’s groceries and dry cleaning and the like). Jamie had a cleaning service that came in once a week, one that Monica managed.
He also didn’t have a small apartment where Alyona could have her own space.
“We…haven’t discussed that yet,” I admitted.
“Well, you need to,” Nico asserted. “Alyona has been with us for twelve years.”
She had indeed.
“If you’re leaving the apartment, just rent one for her, close to Jamie’s, so she can come to work every day from her home like normal people do. It’s utterly archaic to have a live-in these days, Mom,” Valentina declared.
“That’s actually a good idea,” Allegra said.
“I have good ideas all the time,” Valentina retorted.
Again, I cut in, “I’ll discuss it with Jamie, then discuss it with Alyona. They get along. I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”
“Good,” Nico grunted.
As you could see, I’d also instilled the philosophy that staff was family with my own children.