Take My Breath Away

Keith hung up as he mumbled those words. Cecelia put the receiver down too.

She stared blankly at the half-eaten apple. Baldwin was at work. Bored, she decided to find herself some company.

Then, she had a flash of inspiration. She wasted no time in booking a flight to Y City. It had been too long, and she wanted to see her boys.

Now that Niles had a "girlfriend," as the future "mother-in-law," Cecelia wanted to make sure they were a happy couple. Indeed, she thought it was her duty. So she was going to head over there to do all the motherly things that she was supposed to do.

Blair was kind of embarrassed, taking over Niles' apartment. It was his space, after all. She pondered whether she should move into the accommodations her company provided

Her company was generous. She was paid just over $10, 000 a month, and benefits included a living space and meals. The company also provided unemployment, sick leave, and even a housing fund in case the company apartment wasn't to their liking.

She wanted to let Wesley know before she moved out, but for some reason, she couldn't reach him. Wesley had to come there sometime, so Blair decided to wait until he did.

However, before she saw Wesley, she had an unexpected guest.

That day, she came home late. She didn't have to worry about coming home to anyone, so she had opted for two hours of overtime. When she opened the door, the lights were on.

Someone sat leisurely on the couch in the living room. Blair was surprised to see who it was. "Aunt Cecelia?"

Cecelia was happy to hear her voice. She stood up and said, "Hey, you're back. Did you just get off work? You work too hard. Come and eat. Dinner's ready."

Cecelia never cooked. Instead, she found a chef to prepare the meal.

Blair followed her into the dining room to find that it was a big dinner, with several courses.

Her stomach was already growling, so the smell almost made her drool. "When did you get here?" she asked Cecelia, trying to hold in her saliva. "Did you cook all this? Just for the two of us?"

"I got here this afternoon. And you know me—I don't cook. There seems to be too much food, so I invited Wesley over. He has a healthy appetite. Niles is out of town, so there will just be three of us."

To Cecelia, Blair was now like a daughter-in-law. She escorted Blair to a chair and had her sit down. "Wesley is too uptight, but his bark is worse than his bite. Just ignore him. We do," she prattled on.

"Oh, okay," Blair replied with a nod. Cecelia's enthusiasm made her feel a little flustered.

On the other hand, deep down, the tiniest part of her longed for the day that Wesley would notice her and decide she was the one for him; there was still a chance they could be together. So she thought that she should build a good relationship with Cecelia.

Remembering neither of them had washed their hands, Cecelia followed her to the bathroom so they could do just that.

When they got back to the table, Cecelia busied herself with ladling soup for herself and Blair. Blair took the bowl from her and said, "Wesley isn't here yet. Should we wait?"

"Nah. He won't care. Let's eat. There will be plenty left for him. He can heat it up when he gets back."

Blair couldn't believe her ears. 'Do they always treat him like this?'

Cecelia noticed the stunned look on her face. She reflected on what she had said and then explained, "He's been in the army for a long time. He's not picky. We can leave a portion of each dish for him."

Blair nodded and ladled a bowl of soup for Cecelia. "Here, Aunt Cecelia, have some soup. You go ahead and eat. I want to wait for him."

"Oh honey, you've been working all day. You must be hungry. You eat. I'll call him." Cecelia placed the bowl of soup in front of Blair.

Seeing this, Blair tried to stand up and ladle another bowl of soup for her. But Cecelia put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "I don't need any. Be right back. I'll call Wesley.

Blair said nothing more. 'Wesley is nothing like his mother. Niles is, though. They're both outgoing.'

Blair ate the soup absent-mindedly. Cecelia apparently got her son on the line. "Wes, are you on your way?"

oh, okay. Hurry up. Your Sister-in-law is already here."

"Kof, kof, kof." Blair choked on her soup when she heart that. "Blair, what's wrong? Down the wrong pipe?" Cecelia asked. "Wes, your sister-in-law is choking. I need to go."

Wesley's eyes narrowed. 'Sister-in-law? Since when are Blair and Niles a couple?'

Blair felt an explanation was in order. "Aunt Cecelia, Niles and I..."

Cecelia put down her phone and went to get her some water. "Don't try to talk right now. I'll get you a glass of water. You did this at the restaurant too. You should be more careful. Here. Drink some water."

Blair took the glass of water and drank.

Feeling better, she took a breath to try to explain again. Right then, the door to the apartment was opened. Wesley walked in. "Mon," he called.

Blair looked at him. He nooded in greeting.

Cecelia walked over to him and held his hand. "We've been waiting for you. Niles is out of the country. You and I should take care of Blair for him."

Blair's face was burning from embarrassment. "Why do you keep calling her my sister-in-law?" Wesley asked in confusion. 'Is she going out with Niles now?'

Cecelia nooded. "Because she is. Didn't you know? It's okay. You'll get used to it soon enough. Go wash your hands."

Blair shook her head vigorously towards Wesley. "Your mom doesn't get it."

She felt helpless.

Her reaction drew Cecelia's attention. She was going to get her phone. When she heard what Blair said, she paused. She glanced at Blair's red cheek and seemed to understand. "Blair, don't be shy. We're all family here. I like you. You and Niles are good together. I'll call him right now and tell him what we're doing."

Wesley averted his eyes from Blair and walked into the bathroom.

Blair was desperate for a way to make Cecelia understand. "Aunt Cecelia, I'm not being shy. You don't get it. I live here, but I'm not Nile's girlfriend. We're just friends."

Cecelia patted Blair's hand. 'Shh, I'm video chatting with Niles."

"Aunt Cecelia..."