“This weekend.” Do I want to tell her my plans? She has a way of being too nosy for her own good and might try to take matters into her own hands. Screw it. She may actually have some advice for me on how to navigate these murky waters with her. “I’m taking her to the fair in Asheville. Then maybe dinner. It depends on what she wants to do.”
“That sounds fun.” She takes a few moments to eat some fries before she asks me more questions. I can see the wheels spinning in her head. Maybe I should have lied and not said anything at all. “Tell me about her. What’s she like? How did you meet her?”
The TV in the living room gets louder, and I know my brother is trying to drown out our conversation. He just wants to make sure we aren’t talking about him. He’s only nosy up to a point. It’s something both of us get from our mom. It’s good, though. I don’t need him trying to orchestrate anything either. Huh, now that I think about it. I’m exactly the same way. Look at how much I pushed my friends at the bar to go after their relationships. Maybe I’m more like my mom than I thought.
Now where to start. “She’s older than me.”
“How much older?”
“I don’t know exactly. She has two teenage kids around Cameron’s age.”
My mom’s mouth drops. Maybe I should have started off with the fact we work together. To my shock she doesn’t actually say anything horrible. “Oh, well. Dating a single mom comes with its own hurdles. Different circumstances that can make things tricky.”
“Yeah, that’s something I’m starting to realize. She works at the bar with me on the weekends. I know she does it for extra money for her kids playing sports.”
“I know that struggle.” She’s contemplated getting a second job so many times. Things are more expensive than they were when I was in school, and Cameron’s sports are no exception. “I already admire her for that.”
“I just don’t know how to handle this. She ate a late dinner with me last weekend after we got off work, but didn’t get to finish because her son texted her asking her where she was. She left right after the text.”
Mom rests her hand on my arm, pulling my attention away from my food. “I’m going to tell you now. It’ll be hard. Her kids will always come first. At least until she knows if the two of you are going to be serious.” She takes a deep breath, “she has to guard her heart and make the right choice when it comes to dating. But it’s not just her heart she has to protect. She has two others that will be impacted. That’s not an easy thing to decide. Why do you think you never met anyone I dated?”
Wait, what. “I didn’t know you even dated anyone.”
“I’m just like every other human on the planet. I get lonely, too,” she sighs, “it just never worked out with anyone because they didn’t want my baggage.”
It’s kind of gross the men she dated referred to us as that. I think it may also be an area where I have some expertise because my mom did raise us alone. “I’m glad you never brought those douchebags to meet us then.”
“And that is why you have to be patient with her.”
She has a point I’ve never considered before. Like, I knew things with me and Joan wouldn’t move as quickly as it has with girls prior to her. But I didn’t realize her feelings would be on such a deeper level.
“I’ll do my best to be patient.” I take a bite of my food and think for a moment. “So, I shouldn’t push to meet her kids.”
Mom slaps my arm and I flinch. “Not if you know what’s good for you. Let her lead that discussion and be prepared for it not to happen.”
“Well, that doesn’t bode well for me,” I grunt.
“That’s why you don’t need to go falling head over heels for this woman just yet. Put your guard up until you know it’s the real deal.”
It may be too late for that. The protectiveness I feel for her is the same as it is for those I love, and we haven’t even gone on one date. I’m falling for her as the person she is. Honestly, that’s enough for me.
“I’ll do my best.”
“Good. Now let’s get your brother in here.”
He takes his time coming to the table after she calls him. Her phone and calendar, that’s usually on the wall, placed in front of her. It’s like she pulled it out of nowhere. I guess it’s time to do what I came over here for, figuring out Cameron’s schedule and how we are getting him to all the places.
“Do we have to do this right now?” He groans as he plops into the seat.
“Yes,” Mom scolds him. “School will start before you know it, and we have to get this worked out. In case you haven’t noticed your brother and I work. We have to shift our schedules and it’s best to get our boss’s adequate notice.”
“I guess.” He rolls his eyes and slouches over the table.
Mom and him are arguing back and forth. It’s like watching a ping pong match. I tune them out and count down the days until I can see Joan. Our date on Sunday needs to go off without a hitch.
I wish Joan could spend the weekend in Asheville, even if it’s not with me. Work tonight was busy, but we didn’t have the drama of last weekend. That guy hasn’t made an appearance since then, and it’s been a relief. Well, I say he hasn’t. There’s no way of knowing since he wouldn’t make it past the stand and I barely see that depending on what area of the bar I’m working.
“Wanna grab a late dinner?” My steps coincide with Joan’s as we approach her car. Everyone else has already left. Aside from Patrick. He’s leaning against his car while checking his phone. I can’t help but wonder what exactly he’s avoiding. It’s not like he lives with anyone.
