The Lies I Believed

All Is Forgiven

I walked into the house, expecting to be attacked by my children. I wasn't. I frowned at the silence, but didn't think much of it. Diane probably still has them. I can bet Vincent is with Ian's kids. Honestly, he's more like a babysitter whenever he goes over there.

"No one's home," I said. "Not weird, but it surprised me."

"I bet."

"What are you up to? I know you've been a bit busy helping out Rylie."

"Ah, kind of been taking it slow. I have some big news when you get here."

"I love surprises."

"I bet you do." Jade laughed. "Quinten moved down here to be with me. He had been helping out his sisters until they went to college."

"Aww, how nice of him."

"Yes, so nice. You'll finally get to meet him Sunday. He's been looking forward to meeting you. Super huge fan of yours."

"Really?"

"Mhm, I'm not lying. He's watched every single last movie and fashion show you've appeared in. I thought it was weird, but fans will be fans."

Yes, fans will be fans. I just hope he's not as weird as that sounds. I met some crazy people when I was a full-time actress. They pretended not to be superfans, but the moment I did something they didn't like, the backlash was terrible. I guess that's what led me to quitting before I decided to move here. I'm glad I did.

"I'm probably gonna end up having dinner with Diane and Jordan."

"You're cool with them now?"

"You can say that. Diane really is a big help. With Jordan away 24/7 and her kids finally grown, she doesn't have much to do. She doesn't accept many gigs these days, so she was the one who offered to look after my kids."

"Just like a step-mother should."

"I guess so." I freed my hair from its bun and sighed in relief. "Or maybe I should stay here and make sure everything for Vincent's party is ready. He's not supposed to come home until tomorrow afternoon."

"Ah, does he not know about that party either?"

"Nope. I know he hates surprises like Asher, but I have to be that annoying mom sometimes."

"I know that's right. I'm sure he's going to love it. Trust me on that, love."

I trust Jade knows what she's talking about. She's looked after her younger cousins for as long as I can remember. Some of them claim they hate surprises, but when Jade planned something for them without their knowledge, they worshiped her for reading their minds. I hadn't had the honor of surprising many people like that, but it wasn't too late to try. Vincent's life is going to change drastically after this. I want him to be prepared, but he also needs to be treated like a normal child every once in a while.

"I should probably go," Jade said. "I'm gonna work another hour with Rylie before heading home. You better get some sleep tonight."

"Sure, sure."

After hanging up, I took a long shower. I think it was because I was thinking about what happened this morning and the way Sha'Kera reacted when I told her about it. There's something I'm missing and it's disturbing me. Maybe I am crazy. Maybe I want people to lie to me. Maybe I'm playing the victim too well! WHAT IF I'M REALLY DEAD?!

I got out of the shower and didn't really bother changing into anything. I just dried off and put on a random pair of undergarments. I didn't feel the need to find a matching pair. It's not like that would stop Asher from getting some. I wish it would, though.