However, due to the aforementioned boyfriend, I was too happy to care about anything but him.

Twenty

Although I had encouraged Caro’s venturing out to rent her own place, I missed her when she left. It didn’t help that her departure happened so abruptly. We all took time out of work the next day to see the house in Beadnell, and Caro and I fell in love with the place as soon as we walked in.

The kitchen was big enough for her to bake from home, and the views were spectacular.

After Roane asked a bunch of questions about utility bills, council tax, heating costs, maintenance charges, and all the boring but necessary stuff, he gave Caro his blessing.

As long as he got to install a security system.

She agreed.

Two days later she’d moved into her new home. Furthermore, Caro had talked with Tony, and although she didn’t want to work for him, they came to an agreement that he could sell a selection of her baked goods two days a week at his bakery, but it would cost him. This snowballed into Caro having business cards designed and asking Roane to hand them out to local businesspeople, some of whom had already tasted Caro’s baking over the years. She got bookings within a day.

She’d started to see a therapist, and I could see the positive affects her sessions were having on her. Every day she seemed to grow more confident in her choices. This was helped by the news from Roane that Helena hadn’t exactly been destitute—just greedy and spiteful. Caro seemed to relax knowing that she hadn’t left Helena in desperate straits. Roane made it clear that Helena wouldn’t be coming after Caro for money or to cause her upset. She was too afraid Roane would make good on his promise.

By the end of the first week Roane and I had spent as a couple, Caro was transformed. I’d barely seen her because she was rushed off her feet. I was proud of her, but I was also worried she was trying to do too much too soon to get her business off the ground. Still, I wasn’t her mom. She had to be free to do things her way.

Also, I was a little preoccupied myself.