Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress

Chapter 436: Mother-in-law

"So, how have you been?" Candace asked softly after she and Dawn settled into their seats at the restaurant.

The restaurant sat just a few minutes away from I-Global. Candace had explained earlier that she already had a brunch meeting there with a client and thought it would be easier for Dawn to join her afterward and leave for her therapy session from there.

"I’m fine," Dawn said gently.

Candace relaxed in her seat and studied Dawn’s face for a moment.

"You know, I’ve been wanting to see you like this," she said. "Just the two of us."

Dawn gave a small smile but said nothing.

"First of all, I wanted to check on you," Candace continued. "And... apologize for the other night."

Dawn shook her head quickly. "You don’t have to apologize. Really."

Candace sighed softly. "Still, it wasn’t how I wanted things to go. And I can only imagine how awkward it must have been for you."

She stopped talking when the waiter approached their table.

They both placed their orders quietly.

When the waiter left, a small silence settled between them.

Dawn picked up her glass of water and took a small sip.

She kept wondering why Candace truly wanted to see her alone. She didn’t entirely believe it was just to apologize for what happened the other night.

Candace seemed calm, but there was something thoughtful in her eyes. After a while, she let out a slow breath.

"Dawn," she said softly.

Dawn looked up immediately.

"I want to be honest with you."

Dawn nodded slowly.

Candace smiled faintly. "I’m not very sure about becoming your mother-in-law."

Dawn stiffened slightly at that.

Did she not approve of her for Jamal?

Candace noticed immediately and laughed softly. "Relax," she said gently. "That’s not what I mean."

Dawn blinked.

Candace leaned back slightly in her chair.

"What I mean is..." she paused, shaking her head, "I’m still trying to come to terms with the fact that my Jamal is a man now and has a woman in his life and a little boy too."

That made Dawn relax slightly, and a small smile touched her lips.

"It still feels strange to me," Candace admitted. "Like I blinked and my son became a man. I’m just wondering where all that time went."

Dawn listened quietly, wondering if she was thinking in this direction because of what Mila had said about her being absent.

Candace looked at her again.

"I don’t know if I have what it takes to be anybody’s mother-in-law," she said. "Heck, I don’t even have what it takes to be a mother," she added with a self-deprecating laugh. "So I’d rather you see me as a friend."

Dawn smiled softly. "That’s very kind of you. But I don’t think it takes anything more than what you have right now to be my mother-in-law. You’re Jamal’s mother, and that’s more than enough proof that you have what it takes to be both a mother and a mother-in-law."

Candace nodded with a small laugh. "I suppose you have a point. Let’s just say I don’t want to feel so old yet. So let’s stick to being friends. You can refer to me as your mother-in-law in, say, twenty years."

That pulled a soft laugh from Dawn too. "Does Josh have to wait that long to call you Grandma too? Because being called Grandma would make you feel older than being called a mother-in-law. And Lucy seems really happy with him calling her Grandma. I think there should be pride in having a grandson while still looking so young and beautiful."

Candace laughed. "Again, you have a point," she said, then sighed again.

"I was embarrassed that you saw what happened that night," she admitted quietly.

They were back to the subject, Dawn thought with a smile.

She really was an overthinker. Jamal clearly knew his mother very well.

Dawn shook her head gently. "You don’t have to be."

Candace smiled sadly. "I wish it were that easy."

The waiter returned briefly with their drinks before leaving again.

Candace stared down at the table for a moment.

"I never realized how difficult parenting was," she admitted quietly. "Or how little I actually did for Jamal until the other night. Jamal made parenting seem so easy. He hardly ever complained. He was always such a sweet boy."

Dawn stayed silent and listened carefully.

Candace rubbed lightly at her fingers. "But I guess, at the end of the day, all kids can’t be the same."

After a moment, Dawn spoke quietly. "Tom once told me something about balance," she said.

Candace looked up.

"He said work shouldn’t cost you your family," Dawn continued softly. "And family shouldn’t cost you your life either."

Candace smiled faintly.

"I’ve always tried to balance both," she admitted. "But somehow it still feels like it was never enough."

"Maybe you can talk to Tom? He’s very wise and gives good advice," Dawn said.

Candace laughed. "Yeah. He is."

After a moment, she added, "But you know, it’s easier to find balance when you and your partner are on the same playing field. Take, for instance, Tom and Lucy. They’re together at home. They both go to their various offices and come back home to their kids. The same applies to Harry and Jade. Like Matt, Bryan travels a lot because of his job, but Sonia is a writer, so she’s always home. And then there’s Andy and Alex. Alex is usually home while she travels. It’s not the same for Matt and me."

Dawn tilted her head slightly. "Maybe you should ask them what they want from you. I mean Mila and Presley."

Candace shook her head immediately. "They want me to spend more time with them at home. That’s basically asking me to stop working. I can’t do that."

"Why not?"

"They’re teenagers, not babies. I waited until they were five before kickstarting my career. That’s as much sacrifice as I can make. I have my own life to live," Candace said simply. "And they have theirs. Maybe they don’t understand now, but someday they will."

Dawn’s expression grew thoughtful.

"Becoming a lawyer was my dream," Candace continued. "I worked very hard to get where I am." Her eyes met Dawn’s as she added quietly, "And if I completely gave that up for my children, I would eventually resent them. Especially when they grow older and leave to chase their own dreams."

Silence settled between them for a few seconds.

"You must think I’m a selfish and terrible mother, right?"

Dawn looked at her quietly for a moment. Then she shook her head gently.

"No," she said softly. "I don’t."

Candace looked slightly surprised by the quick answer.

Dawn leaned back a little in her chair. "I believe that if there were an emergency or a critical situation, you’d set your job aside immediately to tend to your kids. And no one said only mothers have to make such sacrifices. They have their father too. If you gave up five years of your life to raise them, then it’s his turn to sacrifice."

Candace smiled. "My husband offered to reduce his workload and focus more on the children so I can focus on my career."

Dawn blinked slightly at that. "He did?"

Candace laughed softly afterward. "I honestly don’t know why I’m telling you all this."

Dawn grinned. "Maybe because you already think of me as your daughter-in-law and we are having a bonding moment."

Candace giggled. "We are going to get along just fine," she said. Then her expression softened as she reached for Dawn’s hand.

"I want you to be good to Jamal," she said quietly. "Because I know he’ll be good to you. Jamal is a wonderful young man. Please take care of his heart."

Dawn’s chest tightened slightly at that. "I will," she promised.

Candace’s eyes grew wet.

"I didn’t realize how absent I was in Jamal’s life," she admitted quietly. "Not truly. Not until Mila and Presley started complaining about my absence in theirs. I felt very sorry," Candace whispered. "Since then, I’ve been thinking about him. I haven’t called him yet. I want to visit him and have a proper conversation with him and apologize."

Dawn swallowed softly and shook her head gently. "You don’t have to feel guilty," she said softly. "Jamal loves you very much. And he’s proud of you."

Candace’s lips parted slightly, and her eyes filled immediately.

"That’s exactly why I feel sorry," she admitted quietly. "Jamal matured too early."

Dawn patted her hand silently, not knowing what to say.