When Love Finds Its Way Back (Cassienne and Dreston) novel Chapter 51

Fly One Stay Away from Man

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Chapter Fifty–One: Stay Away From Me.

This was not how Cassienne planned things to go at all.

She had come here with only one hope–to see her mother, to reassure her, and to return quietly. She was never expecting the doctor to talk about discharge. She was never expecting her mother to talk about coming home. And she was never prepared for the heavy truth that now sat on her chest.

How was she supposed to explain her divorce?

Or rather… how was she supposed to explain that there was no marriage anymore?

Yes, she was happy. Truly happy. Her mother getting better was the one prayer that never left her lips. It was the wish she whispered every night before sleep. It was the reason she stayed strong for so long.

But why did it have to come with this complication?

Why did her mother want to spend a whole month in their house?

Cassienne felt like she was standing at the edge of a cliff, smiling on the outside while panic slowly ate her up

inside.

As Dreston continued to engage Emily in warm conversation, laughing lightly and responding to her stories with patience, Cassienne gradually loosened her tense shoulders.

She watched them quietly.

Dreston was good at this. He actually cared.

He spoke calmly, and listened to her. He smiled at the right time. Nothing was faked. Anyone watching would believe they were a loving couple who cared deeply for her mother.

Cassienne sighed inwardly.

There is always a way out of every ugly situation, she told herself. There has to be a way out of this too.

She stepped closer to the bed and forced a reassuring smile onto her face.

“Mother,” Cassienne said softly, “you will do well. I trust you will.”

Emily looked up at her daughter, her eyes shining with emotion.

Cassienne and Dreston stood beside the bed together, looking down at her. For a moment, Emily simply studied them. They looked good together–too good. It filled her heart with warmth and comfort.

Then a thought crossed her mind.

“Tell me,” Emily said suddenly, her voice curious, “how come you don’t have kids yet?”

The question landed like a bomb.

Cassienne froze.

Dreston also stiffened.

They both looked at each other briefly, shock written clearly on their faces.

Cassienne opened her mouth to speak, but before she could find the right words, Dreston spoke.

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Chack inty One Stay Away from Me

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“I’m sure that now, with your blessing, we will start working on it,” he said calmly. “Cassienne has been very busy with work, and I’ve been busy too. We hardly have time, you know.” 2

Emily stared at them for a second.

Then she laughed.

Cassienne felt the weight of Dreston’s lie press heavily on her chest, and it hurt.

It hurt because she was lying to her mother. It hurt because she had wanted to say something gentler, something more thoughtful. It hurt because Dreston had answered so easily, as if none of this mattered.

She lowered her eyes, guilt burning inside her.

After a few more hours of conversation, the doctor returned and gently told them that it was time for Emily to rest.

Cassienne leaned down and hugged her mother carefully, wiping her tears with her thumb.

“Take care of yourself, Mom,” she whispered. “I will keep in touch.”

“Oh, you will,” Emily replied with a smile. “You have to.”

Dreston hugged Emily next and kissed the top of her head.

“I’ll be back next week to see the progress you’re making,” he promised.

For the first time since Cassienne and Dreston had visited, this is the first time Emily did not fall into another episode.

That alone was a miracle.

On their way back to Southvale, Cassienne shut everyone out.

She sat quietly in the jet, staring ahead, her thoughts drowning her.

Her mind drifted back to the years of loneliness in her family’s big house.

She had lived there alone, surrounded by walls that echoed her sadness. Yes, she had a nanny. Yes, there were maids. But none of them filled the emptiness inside her.

She was so young then. Still in her junior year of high school.

There were days when her mother was normal again, days when she smiled and remembered everything. Those days gave Cassienne hope. They made her believe things could be better.

But those days didn’t last long.

Over time, the episodes became worse. Her mother grew aggressive. She forgot more things. She forgot faces. She even forgot names of the people around her.

She completely forgot Cassienne, her daughter. That was the hardest part.

Eventually, the doctors had no choice but to admit her mother into the hospital. And Cassienne was left alone.

She was completely alone.

Sometimes, she would visit her mother, and her mother would look at her like a stranger.

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“Who are you?” she would ask.

Every time, Cassienne felt like something inside her shattered.

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At the same time, she was dealing with problems at school. Losing the love and attention she used to get from her male friends, the Isolation–The pain she never spoke about. Slowly, she changed. Her laughter disappeared. Her playfulness faded.

She became quiet and guarded. She was broken.

A sob escaped her lips.

Cassienne hugged herself tightly as tears began to fall freely.

Dreston noticed, and saw how broken she was. His chest tightened painfully at the sight.

Without thinking, he unfastened his seatbelt and moved to sit beside her. He wrapped his arms around her gently and pulled her close.

Cassienne didn’t resist.

Her mind was foggy. Her heart was heavy. She was too tired to fight.

For a moment, she allowed herself to breathe in the warmth of his body. It felt safe. Like a shield. Like someone was finally there.

Normally, Cassienne would never allow this.

But right now, she needed comfort.

And Dreston knew it.

He held her close, her head resting against his chest, her tears soaking his shirt.

He didn’t care, for his heart ached for her.

Was this how she felt all those years? he wondered. Did she cry like this while she was still married to me… and I never knew?

The thought filled him with guilt.

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