“I see,” she mumbles then mix all the ingredients in a big bowl.
We stay quiet as she applies oil to the cupcake tray and then pours the batter into each hold. Once done, she slips the tray into the oven and sets the timer.
Moving around the island, she sits down beside me. “Do you want me to stay away from her? If that’s what you want, I’ll respect your decision.”
I peer up at her. “I don’t want you to bother her.”
She gapes at me. “I would never do that. She is such a sweet girl. I already like her.”
“I’d appreciate it.”
Mom goes silent for a minute then asks excitedly, “Can I ask you more about her?”
“What do you want to know?”
“How did you meet her?”
“She bumped into me.”
“Really?” She squeals. “That’s how I met your dad.”
I turn in the stool to face her. “What?”
She nods happily. “It was my first day at the new school and I was frantically searching for my first classroom when I bumped into him. He was a bit annoyed but helped me find my classroom. Turns out he had the same class, so we sat together.”
“What happened next?”
“We became friends and fell in love.”
I let out a dry chuckle. The irony isn’t lost on me that the same happened to me. I bumped into Rose and the next thing I know I was crazy about her. I still am.
“How long have you been dating?”
“A week,” I mumble.
“You should invite her over for dinner. I’d love to meet her.”
I quickly shake my head, rejecting the idea. “No.”
Disappointment fills her gaze and she says, “Whenever you feel like it.”
The oven time pings and we both slip off the stools.
“I’ll take those out,” I suggest and grab the mittens off the rack and put it on. Opening the over, I carefully take out the muffin tray and put it on the island.
“They look amazing, don’t you think?” Mom asks.
“Yeah,” I whisper.
“Would you like to eat one?”
“I don’t like sweet things.”
She smirks. “Then, how do you like Hope?”
I crack a smile. “She’s the only exception.”
Mom laughs and the sound of it bounces off the quiet walls of our house in a long time.
