Chapter 11 Mummy Sad
The question Catherine asks is simple.
Basic, even.
The kind of thing anyone should be able to answer without thinking.
But my mind goes completely blank. Not just blank, empty. Like someone reached into my skull and scooped out every thought and every memory I've ever had.
Tell her about myself.
Which self does she want to hear about?
The real one? The Lia Sterling who's sitting here terrified that her mother is dying in a hospital bed across town? The one who signed a marriage contract hours ago in exchange for two million dollars? The one who met Leo exactly two days ago in the pouring rain?
Or the self I'm supposed to be? The devoted wife who's been married for weeks. The ready-made mother who's been bonding with Leo for months. The woman who has her life together and knows exactly what she's doing.
"I..." I start, then stop. "I grew up in Connecticut. My father passed away when I was twelve. Car accident. My mother raised me after that. Just the two of us."
Catherine nods, writing something down. "And your mother? Is she still in Connecticut?"
My throat tightens.
"No. She's here. In the city now."
"That must be nice," Catherine says warmly. "Having her close by. I'm sure she's thrilled about Leo. Does she get to see him often? Spend time with her new grandson?"
"Not yet," I manage to say. "She's been... unwell. But she's very excited to meet him. To be a grandmother figure in his life."
The words sound hollow even as I say them.
Catherine makes another note in her book.
I watch her pen move across the page and wonder what she's writing. What conclusions she's drawing.
Caius returns with the water. He hands it to Catherine, then sits beside me on the couch. He sits really close, his thigh pressing against mine.
"So... How did you two meet?" Catherine asks, taking a sip of water.
"At work," I say. "I was his executive assistant," I correct quickly. "I mean I am. I still am."
Fuck.
Catherine's eyebrow arches slightly.
"Was?" she repeats. "Or am?"
Shit, shit, shit.
I said was. Past tense. Like I'm not his assistant anymore.
"Is," I correct quickly. "I am his assistant. I'm just taking some time off right now to help with Leo. To make sure he's settling in okay."
Catherine makes a note in her book.
A long note.
Longer than the others.
My palms start to sweat.
"I see," she says, still writing. "And when did your relationship become romantic? When did it shift from professional to personal?"
Caius answers before I can.
"About three months ago," he says. "We'd been working together for a while. Spending a lot of time together. It just... developed naturally."
"Naturally," Catherine repeats, making another note. "Must be difficult," she continues, her eyes on me now. "Working together and living together. Being boss and employee and husband and wife all at the same time. How do you separate professional from personal? How do you maintain boundaries?"
My mind goes blank.
I don't know how to answer that. Don't know what the right response is.
Because we don't separate professional from personal. Because this entire thing is fake. A contract. An arrangement.
There is no personal.
"It was an adjustment at first," I manage to say. "But honestly, it makes things easier. We already knew each other so well. Already spent so much time together. It felt like a natural progression."
Natural. There's that word again.
Catherine writes something else down.
"And what about Leo?" she asks. "Tell me about your relationship with him, Lia. How much time have you spent together? What's your dynamic like?"
My throat tightens.
Not much. Almost none. I met him two days ago in the rain.
But I can't say that.
"I've been getting to know him over the past few weeks," I say carefully. "Since Caius took him in. He's a sweet boy. Quiet, but sweet."
"Has he spoken to you?"
This is it. The moment that matters.
"Yes," I say softly. "He has."
Catherine looks up from her notes. "Recently?"
"The first time was a few days ago," I say. "He called me..." I hesitate. "He called me Mummy."
Catherine stares at me, gobsmacked. Then at Caius. Then back at me.
"Leonard spoke to you," she says slowly, obviously skeptical. "Called you Mummy. After seven months of selective mutism."
"Yes."
Catherine sets down her pen.
"That's quite remarkable and... unusual. His previous caregivers, and there have been several all reported no verbal communication whatsoever. Not a single word. Not even attempts at speech. The child psychologist who evaluated him documented severe trauma-induced selective mutism with no progress in seven months."
"I know," Caius says. "That's why..." He stops and looks at me. "That's part of why I knew Lia was the right person. Not just for me. But for Leo. He needs someone who can reach him. Someone he trusts instinctively. Someone who makes him feel safe enough to speak again."
The way he says it sounds so real that for a moment, I almost believe it myself.
Catherine picks up her pen again. "I'd like to see where Leonard sleeps," she says, looking up at us. "And your bedroom as well, if that's acceptable. I need to verify the living arrangements. Make sure the home environment is appropriate."
My stomach drops.
Our bedroom.
Where we supposedly sleep together every night.
Except we don't.
"Of course," Caius says smoothly, standing. "Right this way."
He offers me his hand and I take it.
We lead Catherine down the hall. Past my guest room to a bedroom that I've never seen before.
Caius opens the door.
The room is beautiful. Decorated in soft blues and creams. There's a king-size bed with rumpled sheets. Two nightstands, each with personal items. His cologne on one side. A book and reading glasses on the other.
My book.
On the nightstand on what's apparently my side of the bed.
"Lovely room," Catherine says, looking around. Her eyes take in everything. The rumpled sheets. The two different phone chargers plugged into opposite sides of the bed.
Catherine makes another note and keeps making more.
We show her Leo's room next. It's down the hall, decorated with gentle colors. There are toys organized on shelves. Books stacked neatly. A small bed with dinosaur sheets.
And sitting on the carpet, playing with toy cars, is Leo.
He looks up when we enter.
His eyes find me immediately.
"Hi Leo," I say softly, crouching down to his level.
He doesn't say anything. Just looks at me with those big dark eyes. "We have a visitor," I continue gently. "This is Ms. Gerald. She came to see our home. To meet you."
My heart sinks when he doesn't say anything.
He's not going to speak. Not in front of Catherine. This whole thing is going to fall apart right here, right now. She'll think I lied about him speaking. She'll investigate further. She'll dig deeper. God, no.
This can't happen.
"Leo," Caius says gently from behind me. "Can you say hello to Ms. Gerald?"
Leo's eyes move to Catherine.
He studies her for a long moment.
Then his gaze comes back to me.
And he says very quietly.
"Mummy sad?"
The room goes completely silent.
I feel tears prick my eyes.
He noticed. This little four-year-old boy noticed that something is wrong with me. But most importantly, he spoke. He spoke.
"I'm okay, sweetheart," I whisper, moving closer. "Just a little tired."
He sets down his toy car, stands up and walks over to me.
And wraps his small arms around my neck.
I close my eyes. Let myself hold him.
Behind me, I hear Catherine's pen scratching across her book.
"Alright," Catherine says after a moment. Her voice is softer now. "I think I've seen enough of Leonard's room."
I give Leo one more squeeze, press a kiss to the top of his head, then gently pull away.
"I'll be right back," I whisper to him. "Okay?"
He nods but doesn't let go of my hand.
I have to carefully untangle his fingers from mine.
We walk back to the living room, all three of us.
Catherine settles back into her chair, her notebook open on her lap.
"That was remarkable," she notes. "He spoke to you. That's significant progress."
"It is," Caius responds.
My mind flashes back to the hospital. How long have I been here? How much time has passed?
I need to leave. Need to get to the hospital.
But Catherine is still talking.
"Tell me about your daily routine with Leonard," she says. "What does a typical day look like for your family?"
A typical day.
We've been 'married' for less than twelve hours.
I've lived in this penthouse for exactly one night.
I have no idea what a typical day with Leo looks like.
"Well," I start slowly, buying time..
Think, Lia. Think.
"We usually wake up around seven," I say. "Have breakfast together. The three of us as a family. Leo likes..."
I pause.
What does Leo like? I don't know. I don't know anything about him.
Pancakes? Cereal? Eggs? Toast?
"Pancakes," I finish, hoping I guessed right. "He really likes pancakes. With syrup. And sometimes we put strawberries on top."
"Then we play," I continue, making it up as I go. "He has his toys. His cars. We read sometimes"
She nods and writes something else in her book.
Catherine stays for another twenty minutes.
Twenty minutes that feel like twenty hours.
Every second, I'm thinking about my mother in that hospital bed.
Every second, I'm dying inside while smiling on the outside.
"Well," Catherine says finally, closing her notebook. "I think I have everything I need for now."
For now.
Which means she'll be back.
I expected that anyway.
"Thank you for your time," Caius says, standing.
Catherine stands as well, tucking her notebook into her briefcase. "I'll be submitting my preliminary report to the court within the week. You should expect a follow-up visit in approximately two weeks."
Two weeks.
I nod and then, we walk her out.
"Leonard seems very comfortable with you," Catherine says to me. "That's encouraging. Children his age are typically quite perceptive about authenticity."
"He's a sweet boy," I manage to say. "He's been through so much. I just want him to feel safe."
Catherine studies my face.
"I'll be in touch," she says. "Have a good day."
Then she walks away.
And the second she does, my knees buckle.
I can't hold it together anymore.
The tears rush in. Choking sobs that I've been holding back for the past forty minutes. My whole body shakes.
"My mother," I gasp out. "I need to... I have to..."
"I know." Caius is already pulling out his phone. "I'm calling the car now. You'll be at the hospital in twenty minutes."
Twenty minutes.
That's still too long.
But at least better than nothing.
I try to pull myself together. Try to stop crying.
But I can't. Everything I've been holding back is pouring out now and I can't make it stop.
"Come on," Caius says gently, guiding me toward the door. "Let's get you out."
"What about Leo?" I ask.
"I'll take care of Leo. You need to go."
We make it to the car pack where a black car is already waiting.
The driver helps to open the door.
I start to get in, then pause.
"Thank you," I whisper. "For... for helping me get through that."
"Go. Be with your mother."
I nod and slide into the car.
The driver pulls away immediately, riding out.
I pull out my phone with shaking hands. Pull up the hospital's number and call back.
"County General Hospital."
"This is Lia Sterling," I say, my voice breaking. "Someone called me about my mother, Margaret Sterling. I'm on my way. Please tell her I'm coming. Please tell her..."
"One moment, please."
There's silence for a few seconds.
Then a different voice comes through. A male one this time.
"Ms. Sterling," the voice says. "This is Dr. Reeves."
My heart stops beating completely.
No. No. No.