Bedroom Diplomacy(53)

“Is she back?”

“Sorry,” Betty said with an apologetic shrug. “You missed her.”

“What? How?”

“She was only here a few minutes, just long enough to grab some clothes for her and Dylan, and all his meds.”

“Did she mention where she was going?”

“Only that she’s staying with a friend.”

“What friend?”

Betty shrugged again. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know.”

He had the distinct feeling she was lying, but he didn’t push her. It seemed that if there was one person who was unfailingly loyal to Rowena, it was Betty. He was walking back to his room to pack when he got an email on his phone from Rowena.





Colin,

I’m so sorry for what happened last night, and I know you probably don’t understand why I did what I did, but I had to. And I can’t deny that throwing that drink in his face was therapeutic. More productive than a year of counseling. I just want you to know that I don’t regret it at all.

I also wanted to say thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have had the courage to do what I did. I’ll always appreciate that. However, I think this is the end of the road for us. We both knew it was inevitable. But I had a really good time these past few weeks and I’ll miss you. So will Dylan. Thank you for being such a bright spot in our lives, and for helping me find the courage to move on.

Fondly,



Row





He tossed his phone down on the table and it landed with a clatter.

Fondly?

She dumped him by email and all he got was fondly?

Maybe she was right. Maybe now was the best time to end it, while it was still good. Maybe now she was open to the possibility, trusted herself enough to get out and meet people, make friends. Meet a man who would give her everything Colin couldn’t.

Or what if he could? What if he could be that man? What if he was ready?

He had a lot of thinking to do.





Seventeen


Rowena was in Dylan’s room Monday morning packing up his toys when she heard the door to her suite open. She expected it to be Tricia with more boxes, but in the mirror on Dylan’s dresser she saw her father walk in.

“Why aren’t you at work?” he snapped.

Hello, Father. Great to see you, too.

Then he noticed all the sealed boxes in the corner.

“What is this?” he demanded. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Packing.”

“What for?”

“Dylan and I are moving out.”

“You most certainly are not.”

“I most certainly am. I’m sick to death of living under your thumb, being treated like dirt. I need to take responsibility for myself and my son.”

“And how do you plan to do that?” he said, so smug and self-righteous she wanted to punch him. “What will you do for money? How will you pay for Dylan’s doctors and therapists? Where will you live?”

“I got a manager’s job at a day-care facility. It doesn’t pay much, and I don’t have much money saved, so I’m going to stay with Tricia until I can put together a security deposit on my own place. As for Dylan’s medical expenses, I’ll have a low enough income that he’ll qualify for public assistance. I’ve made arrangements to get on a payment plan with his doctors in the meantime.”

“No daughter of mine will be relying on public assistance,” he blustered. “I forbid it.”

“You can’t. You don’t own me anymore. I was a prisoner here, and I’m free now. I’m taking control of my life.”

“You don’t have the slightest clue how to do that.”

“I’m smarter and more capable than you think. Than you’ve ever given me credit for. And you’ve done your damnedest to keep me so beaten down emotionally and insecure that I would never realize it. So I would be stuck here.”

“You and Dylan need me.”

“Not as long as we have each other, and we have friends like Tricia.”

“You’re not fit to raise that boy on your own. I’ll see that he’s taken away from you.”

“The family law attorney I hired doesn’t think so. Well, I guess I didn’t actually hire her since she was more than happy to represent me pro bono. But go ahead and file for custody. She would love it. Last time I talked to her she was already drafting her first press release.”

Something in his demeanor shifted, and something that looked a little like apprehension flashed across his face. She’d had no idea that was an emotion he even possessed.

“You’re not the only one with friends,” she said.

“We’ll discuss it when I get back from Washington,” he told her.