Celine
I sit in Rene's arms looking over the city. I can't get tired of the view, especially as it's dusted in the lightest snow. Everything is slightly hazy, seems just a little out of focus, softened –except Rene. He's so real and true – a constant in my hectic life. He rubs up my arm and neck, into my hair, stroking and petting until I feel as harmless and gentle as a kitten. I glance up at him and notice him smile, even though he doesn't look at me. He takes a sip of his steaming coffee and I shake my head while biting my lip. We've been together five weeks now. From the frigid night we started – where I only found warmth in his bed, to us curled together with a heater plugged in on his balcony, daring the chilly morning air to try and touch us. "Yes, my love?" "Nothing at all." I assure. "Certainly no one thinks this hard over nothing." He bends to kiss my forehead softly. "Especially not you." Smiling, I press a lingering kiss to his neck. He doesn't need to know how romantic I find this. Some of my thoughts, at least, are mine and mine alone. I rub his chest in a slow circle. "The holidays are coming up." "They are. Thanksgiving is this week." "Impossible." I snort. "There's no way that it's past October."
"That's what happens when you have no work life balance." His chuckle echoes through
me. "My kids already have their Christmas Lists together." "I have plenty of work life balance." I huff anyway. "As it is, I'm sitting here with you instead of working." "We can fix that, if you're feeling restless." "No. We're slated for noon and I won't be there more than fifteen minutes early." He shakes his head slightly. Not that he has any ground to stand on. We're both workaholics. We have our lazy morning in full, lounging on the patio not thinking about anything until my stomach growls. Rene strokes down my back and starts to get up, even though I don't want the serenity to end. I know we won't always have quiet moments like this, stolen away from the world. "Breakfast – love, we have plenty of time." He assures with a wink. I watch him walk inside, adjusting his robe as he does so. I know I'm love struck, ready to follow him around like a puppy. I smirk to myself and shake my head clear of that romanticism. We're adults, in an adult relationship. I'm independent. So why does the winter snow suddenly seem to shift and invade my space once he leaves? Just before I get up to go inside, my cell phone rings. I grab the bulky thing from the table it sits on and open it. "Hello?"
Hello, darling! How are you? I hope you're staying warm in this cold weather. You're
not working yourself crazy, are you?" "Hi, Mama." I roll my eyes. "Tell me about your life! I haven't heard from you in weeks." "Nothing has changed." Even though, I've failed to mention that I'm dating Rene. "Now, now. I know when you're keeping something from me, Celine. I feel it in the back of my head and it keeps me up at night." I pick the knitted blanket Rene left behind. Glancing over my shoulder, I see him working in the kitchen. I've learned he'd rather cook than order in, especially breakfast. I can't quiet figure out why when it takes up so much time. Other than the one morning that we danced in the kitchen together as he cooked, it seems to be just as good as ordering food. "Celine!" My mother snaps. "Sorry, Mom. Nothing's new. Just working and recording." "Good. I'm proud of you. When you come home for Thanksgiving, I'd like you to meet someone." "Meet someone?" I groan. "Mom, I don't need to be set up with anyone!" "It's Nancy's son. Louis is such a nice boy. He's going to be a doctor. He loves your music. Give him a chance." "That would be kind of ... difficult." "You are coming to spend time with your family, aren't you? Thanksgiving is for families, not work." "I'm dating someone." "I knew you were keeping something from me!" I rub my forehead and pull the blanket tighter around me, preparing for the million and a half questions I know that I'm going to get. She doesn't disappoint. I'm half sure that my mother doesn't need to breathe to talk based on how quickly the flow from her mouth. I don't have a hope of remembering them, let alone answering them. "Well?!" She finishes. "I'm dating Rene." Silence. So much silence, I'm sure the call has dropped. Cell phones aren't as reliable as they're supposed to be. I clear my throat and hear her disappointed sigh. That means the line is still connected. It also means, she's about to give a lecture. I can practically see her, rubbing her forehead, shaking her head, acting like her heart is hurting for my bad decision making. "Celine, he has two failed marriages." "Yes." "He's twenty-six years older than you." "He is, Mama." "I don't understand. How can you justify this? How can you think you have a relationship with him at all? He's old enough to be your father!" She takes a small breath. "It's because of all your work isn't it? Because you've spent so much time with him that you're convinced he's the only man in the world that can understand you. I should have known way back then that he was a predator." "Please." "You met him when you were so young and he snatched you up." "It's not like that." "And now he's got you so wrapped around his finger you're convinced this is normal!" "Mom!" I raise my voice. "I'm still your mother and I expect you to show me some respect, Celine." "And I'm an adult who wants her mom to listen rather than make snap judgements." I insist. When she doesn't argue, I continue. "It's not a fling mom. He has never taken advantage of me. He cares about me and I care about him." "He's your manager, he should care about you!" "He's more than that. He's my best friend and I've liked him for years. You just need to see how he is with me and see how I am with him. Then you'll understand. I know it." "Celine-"You've done everything for me – worked so hard to teach me my worth, to ensure my happiness. Rene makes me happy. Please, give him a chance to prove your fears are wrong." I beg. "Let me bring him to Thanksgiving, or you can come here." "I wouldn't want your siblings to know about this yet. He gets one day." She grumbles. "Okay, then we'll have Thanksgiving together. I'll book your flight. I'll show you the studio and everything, Mom. It will be fun." "This isn't about fun, Celine. It's about fixing this problem. I love you." With that, she hangs up. I groan and lean back in the chair. So much for a relaxing morning. Rene Celine comes back into the house with a new flush in her cheeks. She huffs and sits at the table, clearly frustrated. I've learned to wait until she's ready to tell me. It's better to only ask her when it's something positive. Not that I ever have to wait long for negative things. "We're going to have company for Thanksgiving." "Lovely." I beam at her as I set her crepes down in front of her. She stabs all the way through the crepe and the strawberry, shoving a huge bite in her mouth. Apparently, the news isn't lovely. After swallowing she shakes her head at me. "My mother." "And does she know about you and me?"
