The world had gone dull since last night. The walls of her condo felt too small, the air too heavy, her friends’ worried faces too suffocating no matter how much they tried to cheer her up. Caelis needed to breathe. She needed… someone who could hold her together when she was falling apart.
So the next morning, she found herself at her mama’s company.
Everyone recognized her as the CEO’s daughter the moment she walked in—the way her sharp features mirrored Amara’s was unmistakable—but today, the confident energy she usually carried was gone. Her eyes were rimmed red, her shoulders sagged as if she’d fought through a storm.
“Good morning, Miss Caelis,” Grace, the receptionist, greeted warmly. Her smile faltered, though, when she noticed how lifeless Caelis’ expression was.
Caelis’ voice was small, uncharacteristically fragile. “Is my mom busy?”
Grace hesitated, sympathy softening her eyes. “I’m afraid she’s in a meeting right now, sweetheart. Do you want me to leave her a message?”
Caelis nodded, lips trembling faintly. “Please. Just… tell her I came by. I’ll wait.”
Grace’s chest tightened at the sight. Caelis had always been polite, always poised whenever she came here. To see her like this—like her spirit was barely holding on—was jarring.
---
Meanwhile, in the top-floor boardroom, Amara sat at the head of the table. The presentation in front of her went on, graphs flashing on the screen, but she wasn’t really listening. The moment her phone beeped, she picked it up.
“Yes?”
Grace’s voice came through gently. “Ma’am, your daughter stopped by. She asked if she could see you.”
Amara blinked, taken aback. Caelis rarely visited her office. “Did she say why?”
“No, ma’am. But…” Grace hesitated, then added softly, “She looked… depressed. Like she’d been crying.”
For a second, Amara couldn’t breathe. 'Crying? Her Caelis? Her fierce, strong-willed daughter who rarely showed weakness?' Alarm shot through her like ice water.
The room fell silent as Amara rose to her feet. “Reschedule this meeting. Tomorrow. First thing.”
“But ma’am—”
“I said tomorrow.” Her tone was final, sharp as steel. No one dared argue.
Because Amara may have been their CEO, but right now—she was a mother first.
---
She all but flew down to the first floor. And there she was.
Caelis sat slouched on one of the lobby chairs, her gaze unfocused, fingers twisting the hem of her sleeve. She looked so small, so lost, it made Amara’s chest ache.
When Caelis noticed her, she stood instantly. Her lips trembled as her eyes glossed over again. “Mama…”
Her voice cracked on the word. And before Amara could respond, her daughter threw herself into her arms.
Amara caught her tightly, holding her close, feeling the faint tremors running through her body. Her strong, independent daughter—the one who rarely cried over anything, not even scraped knees as a child—was shaking like a leaf.
Her heart broke. No matter how old she gets, she’ll always be my baby.
“It’s okay, love. Mama’s here,” Amara whispered, stroking her hair. “Let’s go upstairs.”
---
Inside her private office, Amara made sure the door was locked, instructing her secretary firmly not to disturb them.
Then she guided Caelis to the couch, pressing a plate of her favorite snacks into her hands.
“Here. Something sweet always helps.” Her voice was tender, but her eyes searched Caelis’ face, desperate to understand.
Caelis picked at the food absently, her lips quivering. For a long moment, she stayed quiet, staring down at her trembling fingers. And then, finally, she broke.
“It hurts, Mama.” Her voice was fragile, a child’s voice. “I didn’t even know it would hurt this much.”
Amara rubbed her shoulder, urging her gently.
Caelis’ eyes blurred with tears. “I… I love someone. Astrid. And I thought maybe she… maybe... just maybe she loves me too. But she has a boyfriend. And I knew that. I knew it from the start but—” her voice cracked, “—I let myself fall anyway. I was so stupid.”
Her tears spilled, falling onto her hands.
“She wasn't even mine, Mama. I was just someone she… shared nights with. Not her heart. Not her future. And yet here I am, breaking like she was mine to lose.”
Amara’s chest tightened, her own eyes stinging. She wrapped her arms around her daughter, pulling her close like she used to when Caelis was a little girl scared of thunder.
“Oh, my baby.” She kissed the top of her head. “You’re not stupid. You just loved. And sometimes… love makes us blind, reckless. But it doesn’t make you weak.”
Caelis shook her head against her mother’s shoulder, voice muffled by sobs. “It feels like it does. I don’t know what we were, Mama. I don’t even know if I mattered to her. All I know is it hurts. So much.”
Amara closed her eyes, cradling her daughter tighter. Her strong, resilient Caelis—finally letting herself break. And if it was pain her daughter carried, then Amara would bear it with her.
“Then cry, love. Cry it out. You don’t have to be strong with me.”
For the first time in years, Caelis let herself weep openly, not holding back, not pretending. And Amara just held her, whispering soft reassurances, her own heart breaking at the sight.
Because no matter how old Caelis got, no matter how strong she seemed—she was still her little girl.
And Amara would always be her safe place.
---
YOU ARE READING
Only When No One's Looking
RomanceThey were always careful. Careful with their words. Careful with their distance. Careful not to let the world notice the way their eyes never quite let go of each other. Behind locked doors, love bloomed in whispers. But love that can only exist in...
