Starlet's Web - #1 {Exclusive Read}

Starlet's Web - March - NO MORE

~    NO MORE

“Dad! Celia!” I jumped up from cuddling with Manuel while we watched TV in the living room, waiting for them. Manuel was careful which channel he chose so I didn’t hear anything about me or see my image. I gave them both huge hugs.

“I’d like you to meet my new boyfriend,” I chuckled.

“Hi,” Manuel said as he blushed. “Prom was a lot of fun.”

“I’m glad you had fun. Now, you be good to my girl.” Dad warned.

“¡Claro! I love her,” Manuel shrugged, embarrassed.

“Turn on the game, would ya?” Dad asked.

I took Celia’s hand and walked into the kitchen, smiling. She was so beautiful. Celia was my height, probably fifty pounds heavier than me, and curvy. She’s African American, with cocoa skin and onyx eyes. She’s warm, smart, honest and patient. She’s selfless and generous. I could see why Dad adored her. I adored her. I could talk with her about anything and knew that she would never betray my trust or anyone else’s. I was sure everyone she knew confided in her because she had a very mature sensibility, like that of a guru or spiritual leader. Although she was only thirty-five years old, she was wise.

After Dad divorced Mom, a little less than a year after he had moved out, he moved back to Grandma May’s ranch in Montana. He was only there for a few months when he met Celia as a guest at the dude ranch. Her family had her mother’s memorial service there. Celia was a junior professor at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business in Palo Alto, California. We were all drawn to her because she was beautiful, intelligent, and funny. Grandma May thought she was a ‘hoot’ and would laugh so hard at Celia’s humor that her belly shook.

I remember when I met her that week. Mom dropped me off for the month I was to be there that painful summer. Grandma May kicked Dad off of the ranch during Mom’s stay because May was so mad at him for dumping Mom. May loves Mom and will always consider her as a daughter. Mom stayed a little over a week, which overlapped with Celia’s family coming to the ranch. The ranch was completely full, so May just had Mom stay in her room. Celia and Mom instantly hit it off: talked about psychology, their careers, their projects. They went for long walks together and shopped together in Bozeman. They became fast friends. When Mom left, Dad returned to the ranch and met Celia for the first time.

Celia was completely unimpressed with Dad and thought he was a playboy rancher. No one told her that he was Mom’s ex. No one thought about explaining that I was their daughter. None of us gave it any thought, especially since Celia dissed Dad repetitively, which, of course, we all thought was hilarious. Celia had to return to California a day before the rest of her family was scheduled to depart so Dad drove her to the Bozeman airport, about an hour away from the ranch. Her flight was canceled before they arrived in Bozeman so he drove her to Missoula, which was an additional three-hour drive.

Dad was a changed man when he returned that evening. We all saw that she had humbled him somehow. He wouldn’t talk about it with any of us but he knew he wanted to be with her, so he pursued her and then found a job as a large animal veterinarian in Woodside, California.  He was thrilled that he was primarily caring for horses. It was his ideal job, and he knew Celia was his perfect mate.

Somehow, Celia and Mom were able to keep their friendship. Celia was innocent of wronging Mom in any way by dating her ex. She knew I was Mom’s daughter but assumed that we were guests who frequented every summer since our last name is “Michael.” Dad’s last name is “Durglo,” and May’s last name is “Johnston.”  Celia knew me as “Marie.” Tom talked about his daughter, “Lia.” She didn’t know I was one and the same. The day she learned that Dad was Mom’s ex, she called Mom and talked it through with her and somehow helped heal their wounds. She is remarkable.