Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan) novel Chapter 320

My words seemed to put her at ease and she refilled my tea cup with a warm smile.

"You're right," she agreed, "Being away from that mother-in-law of mine is definitely a cause for celebration! Not having a family to answer to does have its perks, less worries and more peace. My family is nothing compared to yours. I’m just grateful that Jerome has been there to stand up for me, or else they would have made my life miserable!”

“They've been giving you trouble?” I asked, surprised.

“Yes. My brother used to come around asking for money all the time. If I refused, my mother would start yelling and throwing fits. But then one time Jerome caught him in the act and gave him a good thrashing. Since then, they’ve been keeping their distance.”

“Seriously?”

She nodded and laughed, “I can't rely on them, and they can't rely on me. It's a good arrangement! The only one I feel bad for is Fidelia. Other children have loving grandparents, but poor Fidelia has neither a doting grandmother nor a caring uncle!”

“Don’t worry about that,” I reassured her, “I’ll be there for her. We may be outsiders to others, but we have to look out for each other.”

Camilla smiled, “Thank you, Aaliyah! You're the only one who's been so good to us. It's comforting to know that we do have someone to rely on.”

“What if Jerome doesn’t approve of our closeness?” I asked tentatively.

It was a practical concern. In the past, Jerome might have discouraged Camilla from getting too close to me.

After a moment of consideration, Camilla assured me, “I don’t think he will mind. Besides, he barely comes home and hardly has any concern for us. He never asks about Fidelia’s school or what she does daily, or if she has any friends.”

“How often does he come home?” I asked, deciding to dive straight into the matter.

“Well, it’s hard to say. Sometimes it's every two weeks, sometimes a few months, and sometimes he doesn't come home for a whole year. I wonder if he even considers this as his home anymore,” Camilla replied with a hint of sadness.