Page 45 of Keeping Lilith
They headed toward the bank of elevators. Cass swiped a card across a reader, and the doors opened. “I may or may not have programmed this elevator to only be available to the employees of Alliez,” she murmured as she pressed the button for their floor.
“You amaze me. I feel so inadequate next to you.”
“Oh no, please don’t. We all have our own special skills. Like there’s no way I can keep a plant alive, but in the short time you were at our place, you managed to bring back the ones that I’d almost killed back to life.”
Lilith hadn’t done much with the plants. Just pruned them back and gave them water and some organic fertilizer she’d asked Irish to get. “I’m sure you or Irish would’ve been able to fix them. I just had the time to do it.”
Cass laughed as the doors opened. “Trust me when I say you are so wrong about that. I think those were about the fourthplants we’d put there. But you did inspire Irish to look after them now. Seeing him work in the garden, with his shirt off, sweat glistening in the sunshine, is something I’ll be forever grateful to you for.” She fanned her face.
“I’m sure it is,” she murmured, her own mind filling with seeing Julian without his shirt. That was a step they still hadn’t taken, but Lilith hoped they would when he returned from his trip.
Lilith smiled at Yolanda who was on the phone. Yolanda waved back. The office was quieter than the other time she’d been there, but that could be because most of the guys were away. “Is everyone on this trip?” she asked.
“Ox and Angel are here, but that’s because Ox doesn’t like to be too far away from Oscar and Eveline yet. Angelica, Teresa and Angel’s daughter, has an ear infection, so he wanted to be home with her.”
A baby’s wail filled the air, and everything in Lilith stilled. She’d never thought about having her own kids, hadn’t allowed herself to think it could be possible for her, but hearing the cry, a part of her wanted to rush to wherever they were and comfort them. “Who is that?”
Cass nodded. “I think that’s Angelica’s cry. Everyone’s here, Astrid, Eveline, and Teresa. Which is another reason I asked if you could come to the office. You haven’t met them, and I thought it was time you did.”
“You did? Why?”
“I’m guessing that you haven’t kept in touch with any of the other women from either place you lived. Not only because when you were freed you all didn’t have phones or anything, but also because sometimes it’s easier to make a break completely from the past so you can move forward.”
Cass’s insight was correct. Even if she’d could stay in touch with the women she’d been around, she wouldn’t have. “Ididn’t have any friends in either place, particularly The Hopeful Sunshine. From the moment I arrived, all the women kept their distance from me, and to be honest, I was kind of glad. There was one woman, though. I don’t know her name, seeing as we all had to call each other sister. She didn’t like me. The day of the raid, she got me in trouble, accusing me of ripping out the healthy plants when all I was doing was pruning them.”
“I guess some women can be bitches wherever they are.”
“For sure. But I’d like to meet them all. Julian showed me Astrid’s show. She even gave me the belief I can cook anything.”
Cass laughed. “She has that effect for sure. I haven’t quite mastered the prettiness she achieves with her dishes, but I have made them and they are tasty.”
“Maybe I should try it when Julian gets home.” The idea of cooking for Julian didn’t freak her out like she thought it might. He wasn’t demanding she cook for him. She was thinking about doing it for him. The way it should be in relationships. He kept telling her he didn’t have any power over her, and she was slowly beginning to believe it.
“He’d love it. Come on, I’m guessing Angel has his daughter. She usually settles quickly with him.”
Lilith hadn’t even noticed the baby had stopped crying. A brief wave of nervousness washed over her, but she pushed it aside. She had nothing to worry about. These three women would not treat her like filth. There was no way Cass would expose her to that.
“Angel Donatello, give me that beautiful girl,” Cass demanded with a big smile as she walked into the conference room. Lilith was surprised when a tall, dark-haired man smirked at Cass. He gave his daughter a kiss on the head before handing her over to Cass.
“You always ask so nicely. Besides, Angelica loves her Aunt Cass.” He then came to where Lilith stood, still in the doorway ofthe large conference room. “Hey, Lilith, good to see you. Come meet the love of my life.”
She’d briefly met Angel the time she’d come in and helped Cass, but he was acting as if she’d known him a lot longer. Lilith liked that. Liked how she was included and not treated like an outsider. Would his wife treat her the same way?
Lilith followed and soon stood in front of a beautiful woman who was smiling indulgently up at her husband. The love between the two of them was so strong she could almost touch it. Ox stood, his hand on the shoulder of a dark-haired woman holding a chubby baby, the same look on his face.
There was so much love in the room that it was difficult for her to understand. She’d been in a room with couples before, but none of them acted the way these four people were. It was almost like they didn’t want to be away from each other.
Sitting by herself was Astrid Conway. Lilith recognized her from her tv show. She looked happy and content as well, even if her husband wasn’t standing near her.
Introductions were made, and Lilith sat between Teresa and Eveline, with Astrid opposite them. Ox and Angel, after giving their wives kisses, left them alone. Cass was still holding Angel, swaying and humming as the little girl drifted off to sleep in her arms.
“How are you doing with Julian away?” Eveline asked.
“I’m doing okay. Even though I lived by myself at The Hopeful Sunshine, I wasn’t totally alone. There were always people around. It’s just been me these last three days, and it’s been different.”
“Good different or bad different?” Teresa asked.
“Both? I mean, I have electricity and running water, which I didn’t have in my hut. I also have a soft bed and I know I’m safe there, but it’s also not my place. It’s Julian’s, so I feel like an interloper.”