The Unwavering Heart That Broke (Nathalie and Lance) novel Chapter 249

When her daughter was little, she used to cling to Adelaide all the time, never wanting to let go. For the first ten years, they were so close it was almost comical. Then, as the years ticked by, something started to shift. The hugs got fewer, the words got shorter. Adelaide told herself it was only teenage rebellion. Kids push away when they grow up, right? She didn't think much of it.

But then Camilla married and moved to another city, and it really hit Adelaide. This wasn’t just a phase. Her daughter was putting distance between them on purpose. They barely spoke on the phone. Her daughter rarely visited. Adelaide tried not to dwell on it, but inside, she wondered what she’d done wrong.

So when Camilla called her up out of nowhere and actually sounded warm, Adelaide couldn’t help but feel a spark of hope. For a moment, she flashed back to Camilla as a child, clinging to her skirt, begging for one more bedtime story. But as soon as Adelaide walked into Camilla’s house, she felt it—the coolness, that polite but distant air. The spark faded right away.

Adelaide realized Camilla must want something. That was the only reason she’d reach out. She suddenly had no energy left for fake affection or playing along with the act of a devoted daughter.

“Mom, how could you say that?” Camilla’s eyebrows pulled together, frustration in her voice. “I’m being totally honest.”

Adelaide’s smile dimmed. “All right, I’ll stay for lunch.”

Camilla felt a twinge of discomfort but relaxed a little once her mother agreed. At least she wasn’t leaving right away. She tried to smooth things over. “Mom, is there anything you’d like to eat? I’ll tell the kitchen to make it.”

But then she caught Nathalie watching her, an odd expression on her face. It dawned on Camilla how weird it was that she didn’t even know her own mother’s favorite foods. She was her daughter, after all.

Adelaide gently replied, “Anything’s fine. I’m not picky.”

That at least took some of the pressure off, and Camilla managed to breathe more easily, the awkwardness fading just a bit.

Nathalie couldn’t help but notice how stiff everything felt. Watching her grandma and her mom together, it was like watching strangers trying to be polite. It wasn’t at all like the easy, natural way Nathalie interacted with her grandma. She wondered why it had to be this way.

Lunchtime rolled around, and Daniel came home. Unlike Camilla, he was all warmth, practically bubbling as he chatted with Adelaide about the old days and all the changes in their lives. With him around, the mood finally lightened up.

“Mom, you’re getting older. Those earrings aren’t any use to you. Why not let me have them? I really like them.”

Nathalie’s eyes went wide with shock. Seriously? She was still after those earrings? Unbelievable.

Nathalie pushed open the door and stepped inside, her gaze icy as she stared at Camilla. “Don’t you think you’re going too far?”

Caught off guard, Camilla’s face froze, then turned dark. “Nathalie, how dare you sneak up and listen to us? That’s incredibly rude.”

Nathalie just scoffed. “If I hadn’t come in, I would never have known how you really act. I worked so hard to find those earrings for Grandma. What gives you the right to just take them?”

Camilla’s expression turned stormy. “What did I do? I’m just asking my own mother for something. How is that wrong?”