Shelly jumped at the chance and hadn’t regretted it for a single second. Cassidy changed her life for the better and she felt forever grateful toward the woman.
“Cass, hi,” Shelly said with a smile as she answered the call.
“Hey, I just wanted to check in and see how the packing was going,” her friend replied.
“Good, just about finished up. The movers will be here at six tomorrow morning.”
“Good. I can’t wait for you to get here. We have so much to talk about.”
That much was true. Cassidy had officially moved her headquarters from New York City to Carson, North Carolina. The small town where Cassidy had grown up was quaint and Shelly had immediately fallen in love with the area the first time she visited. Cassidy had been pushing her to move for the last couple of years, but Shelly had been hesitant. New York was the only place she had ever lived, though since working for Cassidy, Shelly had traveled the world and appreciated the different lands and cultures. But New York was a culture into itself and Shelly had been born into it.
But with DeShaun’s recent jail stint, Shelly had finally made the decision to move. She hadn’t spoken to her ex since the night she met Cassidy when he had made a call to blame her for his being in jail. There was no reason for Shelly to stay in New York.
At least for the most part. Because of her precious baby boy, Shelly would always find herself tied to the man that had fallen neck-deep into drugs and weapon trafficking.
Thinking about her past, Shelly sighed into the phone, alarming her friend.
“Shel, are you okay?”
“What? Oh, yeah, definitely. Just going over my mental list of to-dos,” she lied.
“Okay, if you’re sure. I still can’t believe you finally decided to move here. You never did tell me what changed your mind, and on such short notice too.”
It was absolutely a spur of the moment decision, not that Cassidy hadn’t been bugging her about it for years, but Shelly finally took a good look at her life and the life she wanted for her son and knew that Carson was a better choice than New York. Small town living wasn’t for everyone, but she knew they would thrive. They always had.
Of course, Shelly probably could have spilled the beans last week when she hired the movers and had the boxes delivered. No, she waited until yesterday to tell her best friend of their plans. She hadn’t even figured out where they were going to live, not that Cassidy and her family didn’t have room to spare, and the bed and breakfast was always an option until she could find something more permanent.
“Do you think you could ask around if anyone has a place I can rent?”
“Of course, but you know that you’re more than welcome to stay with Harlan and me.”
“I know, but I don’t want to intrude.”
“I’ll ask around in the morning. Text me when you leave.”
“Will do. See you tomorrow, Cass,” Shelly said as she ended the call.
The pizza wasn’t the best that New York had to offer, but it was close by and a block away from the park. Shelly watched her son play with a few other kids before she wrangled him up and they went home.
Her son was excited about the move, loving the horses and open fields from his last visit. He had chattered on and on about it for weeks. As she opened the door to the now barren apartment, Shelly felt awash with sadness. She had worked tirelessly to give them a good life, a safe life, but nothing was guaranteed.
Shelly knew things could change in a snap. She had gone from living in a roach-infested apartment to dating one of the world’s most sought-after male models. She knew how to roll with the punches, but it was also why she kept herself guarded. Allowing a man to control her life again was a fear Shelly couldn’t seem to shake free of. Nightmares of the way DeShaun had treated her and how the police initially thought she had been a part of the dealings was enough to keep her up at night. Thank goodness for the few good people who had stood up for her and made sure no charges were pressed after the arrest.
“Let’s get you settled for the night, then I can put on a movie,” she exclaimed, quickly followed by cheers from her son. Abel had been on a superhero kick and as she followed him toward his room so found him slipping on a pair of Spider-man pajamas.
“I’m ready, momma.”
“Alright, you can pick out the movie while I heat up some popcorn.”
“Yes!” he shouted triumphantly.
It wasn’t long before the two of them were cuddled up on the couch that she was leaving in the apartment, mainly because she didn’t want to pay the fee to have it moved. It also allowed them to start fresh in a new place.
Shelly had worries, lots of them. Uprooting their lives wasn’t the best choice for herself or for her son, but in this case, she knew the grass was greener on the other side. It had to be.
Leaning toward Abel, Shelly kissed the top of his head. Even though he had been growing like a weed, he was still her precious baby boy. The boy she would give her life for and would protect until her last breath, and she almost had.
Yes, this move would be good for them; it was going to give them the life Shelly had promised her mother that she would work hard for. Maybe it would even mean that she could slow down a bit and enjoy watching Abel grow up instead of working tirelessly.