Chapter 529 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

“That’s good then,” Celsie said as she glanced at the hour hand of the clock which was almost hitting ten.

Who would ever have thought that her once ordinary life would become so filled with activities? From the moment they had gotten out of the car to meet Jamal, until this very moment she had barely had a minute to herself apart from the time she spent in the shower freshening up before dinner.

After freshening up she had gone to take over from Benne in helping Jamal with his school work, while Benne went in to freshen up. And when Benne returned they had to have dinner.

From the dinner table, they had gone to the Den to have dessert while watching Benne and Jerry. While they were doing that, Lucas called to inform her that he was on his way to the airport to visit Tyler.

She had offered to go see him off at the airport but he had insisted that there was no need for that.

She had then asked for details of his date with Miley, but he had said he wasn’t in the mood to talk about it, but had promised to call her after he arrived.

He had asked for her permission to send her phone number to Tyler, and she had been more than happy to let him do that since she missed Tyler too.

After her phone call with Lucas, she had also received a phone call from Sonia asking her when she would be able to talk so they would have a conference call with Jade, and she had promised to call them back after putting Jamal to bed.

So here she was now, trying to get the kid, who was most likely her relation, to sleep so she could return Sonia’s phone call before going to bed.

“You have to go to sleep now, Jam. It’s late,” Celsie said as she patted his hair.

“Can you sleep here tonight? I can let Benne sleep with us if you want, but I will sleep in the middle,” Jamal offered, and Benne chuckled.

“Did you just say, LET? This is my house, buddy. I can sleep wherever I want without your permission,” Benne pointed out.

“But this is my bedroom. You can’t stay unless I want you to,” Jamal countered matter-of-factly, and Celsie giggled.

“Okay, boys. No fighting. We can do this,” Celsie said, and they all glanced at her phone when it started ringing.

“I have to take the call. It’s my mom. Read him another story, Ace. I’m sure your voice will put him to sleep,” Celsie said with a wink at Jamal before walking away with her phone to receive her mother’s call.

“Hello, mom!” Celsie greeted cheerfully immediately after she received the call, and walked into Benne’s bedroom.

“Lucas called…”

“Celestia Miller!” Janet interrupted in a tight scolding tone, that made Celsie snap her mouth shut, while Andrew who was listening to the call since it was on speaker, shook his head at Janet.

Celsie knew that tone. Her mother only referred to her that way when she was upset. Did she do something wrong? Celsie mused.

“Did I do something wrong?” Celsie asked with a slight frown.

“Did you meet with Sara today despite my warning to you?” Janet asked harshly, ignoring Andrew’s warning to her not to overreact.

The crease between Celsie’s brows deepened in confusion. She hadn’t expected Sara to do that.

“She told you about our meeting? I thought you said you were not taking her calls?” Celsie asked in surprise, and Janet prayed for patience not to yell.

“Do you mean you had no intention of telling me that you met with her?” Janet asked in a controlled voice.

“Calm down, mom. Trust me, I had good reasons for meeting with her and not telling you about it yet,” Celsie said, and before Janet could snap at her, Andrew snatched the phone from her.

“Hey, Princess! I trust you’re good? Listen, we trust you, and we know you must have your reasons for doing whatever you did or are doing. But can you tell us why you chose to meet with her and what you both talked about?” Andrew asked, and Celsie shook her head.

“It is complicated, dad. I can’t tell you about it yet,” Celsie said apologetically.

“Celsie…”

“Can you tell me what she said? Did she tell you how and why we met?” Celsie asked curiously.

“Celsie, we called to hear from you not to be questioned by you. We want to know why you met with her despite your mom’s warning,” Andrew said in a disapproving tone.

Celsie sighed, and after a moment’s hesitation, she decided to tell them why she met with Sara without mentioning Harry even though they had only heard of him without seeing him.

“I can’t give you all the details right now. But somehow I’m friends with her husband and son whom she abandoned over twenty-eight years ago and I only just realized it today…”

“What?” Janet and Andrew asked in disbelief as Janet took the phone back from Andrew.

“What are you talking about? Sara got married?” Janet asked in disbelief.

She was more shocked by the fact that Sara with all her selfishness had gotten married in the first place than by the fact that Sara abandoned her husband and kid.

Sonia who was seated on the couch, watching a movie with Bryan, turned to him when the clock struck 10 PM, “Shouldn’t you call them? They’ve been gone all day,” Sonia said, worried about Evelyn and Desmond who were yet to return from their date.

“They are not kids. I’m sure they will be back soon, and if not, they will call. Don’t worry about them,” Bryan assured her as he ran his hand down her arm.

Sonia looked at him unconvinced, “Let’s give them a call just to be sure they’re fine. I could act like I need something,” Sonia insisted as she reached for Bryan’s phone.

Bryan sighed as he paused the movie and dialed his dad’s line and after the third ring Desmond received the call, “Sonia wants to speak with you,” Bryan said before passing the phone to Sonia.

“Hey, Sony girl! Missing me already?” Desmond asked cheerfully, and Sonia smiled in relief.

“I guess so.”

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