“I’m saying that it doesn’t matter what you think you are to us and what failings you think you have. I want you to know that I love you despite them and so does our daughter. You think she knows yet whether you’re at work or not or when you’re gone too long? She’s three years old. She doesn’t. As long as she sees you at all she’s happy. You’re her mother. There is no one like you in the world to her. Don’t you get that?”

Kim thought again about her own mother. Even when she’d broken away and moved on with her own life, she’d still loved Gloria and wanted her love in return.

Gabriel’s latest suspicions aside, she cared about her mother and father despite the things they put her through, and even though they no longer had anything to do with her, if they came back this minute to say they wanted a fresh start, she would’ve given it to them.

Why did she think Lily would be any different?

Her daughter was still young. There was still a chance to fix the wrongs she’d made by being so absent in her child’s life while she focused on her business. She could fix the things her mother never bothered to. She could be the mother she’d always wanted for her own daughter.

“OK,” Kim said. “Thank you. I want to be the parent I need to be. And the woman you need me to be,” she replied. “And I’m going to start from today.”

Gabriel smiled. “You are already the woman I need.”

“No, I’m not. Not quite yet, but I can be. I will be. Just be patient with me.”

He leaned forward and kissed her. “Haven’t I already?”

She smiled. “I really don’t deserve you.”

“That makes two of us,” Gabriel replied as he kissed her again.

Kim was still reeling at the night’s conversation and particularly the accusations of an affair. With Antonio of all people. But at least, she thought, as Gabe took her hand and led her back inside to the bedroom, the mystery of her saboteur looked to have been resolved.

Emilia. She knew there was no malice or reason to the older woman’s actions. She had been her great friend and mentor for all these years after all.

But again, Kim realized sadly, of late, she had let her down, too. She hadn’t visited Emilia in months, afraid to confront the disintegration of the sharpest mind she had ever known.

And she was wrong to do that.

She would remedy it soon, though. She would talk to her at the launch, of course, but once tomorrow night was over, Kim was setting her priorities straight.