Page 56 of Flawless
“Here at this cottage,” she says, jabbing her finger towards the floor.
“I don’t want to put you out or make you uncomfortable with a teenager running around.”
“I can’t think of anything better, Z. I mean, I met her when she was a little girl, but I haven’t seen her since. I’d love to see your daughter.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. I mean...” she hesitates, and I see the uncertainty in her eyes. “Unless, of course, you don’t think she needs to be around me.”
“What? No, that’s not what I’m saying,” I reply emphatically.
“It’s okay. I understand if...well, I guess I can see how you might...” she sighs as she breaks off her comment.
“I don’t know what you’re trying to say, but I can promise you that I’m not trying to keep my daughter away from you. I’m not ashamed of you, Dani. I think you’re a very inspirational woman. You’ve gone through some challenging times—”
“Most of which I’ve created myself.”
“And yet you’re still overcoming them and beating the odds.”
Shrugging, she asks, “For what? To reclaim my show and do it all over again?”
“Is that what you think? Is that what you want, Dani?”
“No! I don’t want it, but what if I fail? What if I fall back into it? Remember last week?”
“Then you’ll get back up and work harder than before, just like you did last week. I doubt that you will, though, because I’ll be here every step of the way with you. Besides, you made your choice last week, not me. It took a lot of strength for you to not take that drink. I was sitting outside on a phone call with Mattia for at least ten minutes before I came inside. You didn’t take a sip in all that time. You exercised restraint even during your battle. I won’t let you fall, Dani,” I say, taking her hands into mine.
“I can’t rely on you, Z. I have to hold myself accountable.”
“Isn’t that the problem, though? You always felt as if you had to do it all on your own, and you never relied on anyone else to have your back?”
“Yes.”
“How often do you speak with your sponsor?”
“Once a week.”
“Then maybe you should connect with your sponsor more often than that, especially when things are overwhelming. If that doesn’t work, you’ll reach out to me. And if you still feel like you’re failing, then you’ll pray.”
Danica’s eyes well with tears as she nods slowly, and finally, the tears spill forth. I pull her into my arms and hold her close.
Kissing the top of her head, I say, “This is a daily battle for the rest of your life. But it’s this battle that will keep you strong and make you a better woman than you were before. You’re going to be just fine. I believe in you, and if you open your heart and let us in, you will find that you’ve got an amazing support system.
“From everything that you’ve told me about your family and your best friend the last few days while we’ve been cooking, I know that you have a solid system in place. Now, just lean on us, please.”
“I still can’t believe you got me to cook,” she says, leaning back and looking up at me as she wipes her eyes.
“Have you enjoyed it?”
“Are you kidding me? The opportunity to go back and brag to my mom that I can make lobster bisque thrills me.”
We both laugh. I look into her eyes, and my heart melts. This is the first time since we’ve been around each other that she’s laughed so openly. It seems that all of her cares have been abandoned for this moment.
“Zílda is going to enjoy her time here,” I say.
“Do you think that she’ll like me?”
Squinting at her, I say, “What’s not to like? She’ll love you, Dani. You’re an amazing woman.”