Lied to mamma

Cassie

“Oh mama.” I beamed at the woman in the bed and she smiled right back. It didn’t matter how much I was hurting on the inside seeing her looking so much better lifted my spirits.

And she did look better. There were hardly any wires now and all of the tubes were gone. She actually looked younger than she had in years.

It had been so long since she had first fallen ill that I had somehow forgotten how beautiful she once was.

I could see it again now.

“You look so good.” I rushed forward and her hand went to her hair and patted it self consciously.

“One of the lovely nurses was he and fixed my hair. Do you think your dad will like it?”

My heart plummeted into my shoes. Pulling over a chair with a scrap I sat down and took her hand in mine. “Let’s not talk about boys here.” I forced a happy note into my voice even though inside I was screaming. “Our husbands aren’t here.” I lowered my voice like we were two best friends sharing a secret. “So we can have some real girl talk.”

There was silence for several long second and I could tell that she knew the truth. That her husband and my father wasn’t coming. He hadn’t changed his ways.

He loved her as much as he loved me. Not at all.

“Oh girl talk sounds good.” She squeezed my fingers and giggled but it was the kind of laugh that hid the need to cry.

She was hurt.

So was I. My father had royally screwed me over. The amount on the cheque wasn’t even half of what he owed me. Not even close and I had been kicking myself all morning that I hadn’t checked the cheque in front of him. I could have done something about it if I had but there was no way I would lower myself to go back and beg for the rest. I would rather die first.

Maybe I could get legal advice. Technically the money was mine and my mothers and he had no right to it. He definitely didn’t have the right to spend it on his mistress and their kid.

Still legal advice was expensive and I knew how much money was on that cheque. Just enough for me to get by with mum for a little while.

A tiny while really.

“Cassie,” my mother said softly and I shook myself. Plastering my face with a smile so I looked happy. Even if I didn’t feel it. The least I could do for her after everything she had been through was pretend to be happy.

“Sorry mamma , I fell into a daydream then. Thinking about how happy I am.” I added as an after thought and the moment I did I regretted it. I sounded like I was trying to hard to make her believe it.

“Cassie.” She pulled her hand away from mine and the look on her face was one she had worn a lot when I was a child if I was naughty.

I felt like a naughty child.

“What aren’t you telling me? You were never good at hiding things.” Her eyes darted over my face and she sighed. “Your father.” She masked the pain in her voice with a shrug. “I know he’s not coming. I have always know what he is like. If you are worried about my feelings then you don’t have to be. I learnt early on in our marriage to harden my heart around him. But is that all you are worried about?”

If I was going to tell her everything now was the time but i wasn’t going to tell her. My mother had enough to worry about.

It wasn’t her problem that I was a jobless , almost penniless woman in a loveless marriage. Those were my problems. She had enough going on just getting better.

“Yeah.” I lied. “I was worried about that.” The lie slipped from my lips so easily and once I started lying i couldn’t stop.

“I didn’t want to bring it up and make you sad. And I don’t want you to worry because I’m going to look after you.”

Somehow I added silently. I had no job anymore thanks to my darling husband and the money in my account wouldn’t last long with ongoing medical bills but somehow I knew I would manage.

I always managed , it was just what I did.

Taking a deep breath I leant forward, resting my elbows on the edge of her hospital bed. “I know it’s early days and you might not want to do it but I’ve been thinking.” I took a deep breath. “I want to open my own clinic. It’s always been a dream of mine.”

Her eyes darted back and forth over my face. “You have , that or join the royal medical unit.” She admitted.

“Well joining the unit now would take me away from you so that’s a no.” I didn’t bother to tell her that my spot had been snatched from me. It was another thing she didn’t need to know.

“And I don’t want to do that. So I was thinking maybe a clinic, maybe I could do some more charity work as well. Work with those in the paranormal community that can’t afford proper care. I do it a few times a month anyway but I always feel like I could be doing more.”

“And what about your job here Cassie.” My mothers eyes darkened. “Shouldn’t you be at work right now actually?”

I blew out a breath, my lips pursed. I was going to lie to her face again but really I didn’t have any other choice.

“I took some vacation time so I can be with you. But what do you say? Do you fancy working and living with your one and only daughter?” I teased.

“What about your husband?”

Averting my eyes I forced myself to giggle. “Oh I forgot about him. Sometimes I forget I’m married at all, it's all so new.”

Inside I giggled. Sometimes I wished I could forget I was married, was more like it but I couldn’t say that to her.

“But I’m sure me and Julian will work something out.”

Or at least I would.

I would find us a home and a regular income coming in so we could live. I would make sure our dreams came true.

Somehow.

All I needed to do was get a job and free myself from a husband that despised me.

No easy feat when that husband was the heir to the werewolf king.