Chapter 36: Vera's Demons

Chapter 36: Vera's Demons
MERA

Frowning, I answered the call, looking at the stranger’s face, who looked to be in his late forties, asking myself how he had gotten my number. 

The man introduced himself as Fern's uncle and said Fern had informed him of my concerns. He said he was happy for Noa and me to stay for as long as we needed.

I thanked him and sighed with relief before closing my laptop. What a nice man. I knew I had to call Fern and thank him, but first I needed to call the office and let them know I would not be coming in because I still needed to arrange for a sitter for Noa.

I liked Zara; she adored Noa, and he adored her, but I could no longer afford her. Camila had been paying for her services. So I needed to find someone within my budget.

I called the office to inform them, but my phone rang again shortly after ending the call. I picked it up, my heart racing as I saw the caller ID. It was Camila. 

Could she have found out I had not lied? My heart stuttered as I responded, but the next words from her lips stilled me in place. She fired me. 

What was I to do without a job?

"How will Noa and I live?" 

My legs gave way beneath me, and I sank to the floor defeated. 
•••••
A MONTH LATER

“Thank you.” I thanked the server as he placed my tea in front of me, a sad smile spreading across my face as I reflected on how my love of tea began. 

I was always a coffee drinker before I met Camila. She was the tea addict. She even had a collection of different brands that she imported from all over the world.

It had been a month since I had tried unsuccessfully to find work, and I was beginning to worry about my baby and me. 

I had saved up a bit of money since I didn’t need to use much while staying at the house, but it wouldn’t last forever. I needed to come up with a plan before it ran out. And I had been racking my brain to figure out what I was going to do to no avail. 

Only one option kept coming up: my inheritance. When my father passed away, I lost a part of myself, and what remained of me was frail and broken. 

I felt alone for the majority of my life, and all of a sudden, that became my reality. This was the reason I couldn't go back to using my real name despite Camila and Camilo having found out that Mera was just a made up name. 

Mera made me feel strong; she instilled hope in me, whereas Vera was haunted by painful memories. She made me think of everything I'd lost.

I wanted to be a good mother to my son, which required strength--something Vera lacked after losing everything. So, I vowed to myself that I would never look back at her. I vowed that I'd fully embrace Mera. 

But everything that happened with Camila forced me to confront my past and Vera's demons. I contacted my father's attorney, who was shocked to hear from me and informed me that I had been presumed dead. 

But what really caught me off guard was learning that Logan searched for me to the point of contacting him. Mr. Stein said Logan sent him an email a week after my father died, claiming to be a concerned family friend and urging him to notify him if I should make contact. 

I told him I didn't know who Logan was and asked him to keep our conversation private. I left my father in the hands of that evil hag and her vile son, in part due to Logan. If he had helped me, spoken with my father, or even taken me and our son in for real, not to take our son away from me. I would have remained in France, and my father would still be alive.

Mr. Stein also told me my father had created a trust for Noa and deeply regretted asking me to give him up. He hoped I would come home so he could apologize and meet his grandson.

Hearing that broke me. I couldn’t continue the conversation and ended up telling him I would call him back.

Ava, on the other hand, had been checking in on me since I left the house, but I kept declining her lunch invitations until hearing about my father's regrets.

She called right after I spoke with Mr. Stein, and I couldn't turn her down. I needed to talk to someone, especially about my next steps.

The sound of someone dropping something next to me snapped me out of my thoughts. And right at that moment, Ava walked inside the restaurant. I got up and we hugged. 

“I’m so happy to see you, Mera. I’ve missed you so much,” she said, and I admitted that I missed her too as we drew back.

She walked over to Noa, who was now sleeping in his stroller, and kissed his forehead, mumbling that she had missed him, too.

"So, how are you two doing?" She asked as she sat across from me, and I told her that we had been good, which was obviously untrue, before asking her the same question.

“I’m good. I miss you and Noa. The house is not the same without you guys." There was sadness in her eyes as she said that, and I responded with my own sad smile, unsure how to respond.

“I miss you guys a lot, too, but it is what it is.”

She reached across the table and gently squeezed my hand. “Listen... as much as I want to know what happened so I can force you and Camila to make up," she smiled, her tone softening in the end.

“I respect your decision not to discuss it, and I will not ask you. I want you to know that I love you and am still your friend. Whatever you need, I've got you," she said, still holding my hand, and tears welled up in my eyes as my heart tightened at her words.

“Thank you, Ava. I love you too, and I appreciate you." She let go of my hand just as the server approached our table to take her order.

What happened between me and Camila had me thinking a lot about what Camilo and I did. It brought back all the guilt, which was one of the reasons I had been avoiding Ava.

I had considered telling her the truth once and for all, but I remembered that the secret was not mine alone. So the consequences of that truth would affect not only me but also Camilo and Camila.
They loved each other, and I didn’t want to ruin their relationship.

“Oh, I almost forgot. I have good news." Ava snapped me out of my thoughts with a big smile. And my heart stuttered as I whispered. 

“You do?“