Page 47 of Break Me Not

We shot up through the building until we reached the twenty-second floor.

“One quick pitstop,” she said, motioning me forward.

“Is this… all right? Am I allowed here?” I whispered.

She shook her head with a laugh. “Of course you are! I invited you. Plus, it's not every day my mother comes to visit me at work.”

My heart twisted in my chest. Why haven’t I done this before?

I had been so consumed with my own work and nervous at the thought of embarrassing her that I hadn’t even tried.

She walked with me along the hallway, pointing at where each team sat. They all seemed to have important names, like Critical Response, Regional Affairs, External Responsibility, or Crisis Protocol Management.

Then she led me into a small section with a very good window view, and I knew which desk was hers when I noticed the small clay cactus we’d made together when she was in middle school. Unlike her colleagues’ desks, hers was very clean, with cute knickknacks and a lot more pink than I would've expected.

“My product is a little unique because it’s Novak’s newest venture. Our CEO decided to dip into celebrity and influencer advertising, so we’re creating a marketplace that connects brands and celebrities. It's nothing new, but let's just say we’re going to change the game. Many of the products you see here have multiple managers, but I'm the sole manager for this one.”

I looked in awe. “Isn’t that… a lot for you?”

She shrugged.

“Like I said, it's new. And it’s… exciting. I get to meet lots of new people. Oh yeah, here!” She reached over to her desk drawer and took out a T-shirt three sizes too large for me. “I know how you like to sleep in big T-shirts. This is from a band I worked with not long ago.”

Holding it against my chest, I couldn't help but tear up.

“Claire… I'm so proud of you. Everything you’ve achieved, it’s just incredible. Truly, you've done such a good job.”

For the first time in a long time, my daughter beamed at me like she used to. I remembered that same smile during her graduations. When she accomplished something and was proud of herself, those wide eyes would find mine immediately.

“Oh Mom, don't get emotional here,” she said, quickly getting me away from her desk.

“I'm sorry, I can't help it.” My voice was choked.

“Come on, save it for where we’re going next.”

She took me to a garden on the floor above her workspace. We were still inside the building, but you wouldn’t be able to tell based on how open the space was.

There were a couple of employees eating lunch or walking around here and there, but we had found a small private place in the corner to eat together.

She told me everything about her job. Her projects. The celebrities she’d met. All of it. I soaked it all up, enjoying seeing her so happy and realizing I had been inadvertently stifling her. That trying to be supportive actually meant pushing her into a career she didn't want.

I’d never wanted to pressure her like my mother had done to me growing up.

I was never about hovering over her shoulder and making sure she got all A’s or dictating how she dressed and who she talked to. And I definitely did not want to even imply that she could only be a stay-at-home mom and raise babies.

All I wanted was for her to shoot for the moon. And even if I messed up along the way, she still did.

But she was also showing me she was still my baby. Still the same girl who went on frozen yogurt dates with me. Who gossiped about things happening at school. And who now blushed when I asked her if she was seeing someone and muttered something under her breath that I couldn't quite make out.

“What about you?” she deflected. “Have you been on any dates?

I choked on what was left of my matcha. Dates. That was definitely not what I would call fucking her best friend. Guilt felt like a hot brand on my back.

She reached out and patted my back until I got it under control.

“Claire, I just got divorced from your father⁠—”

“Oh come on, Mom.” She gave me a knowing look. “First of all, it's been more than two years. I know you tried to keep it from me, but I knew you weren’t happy.”