“Um, I—” Struggling to come up with an excuse, I sigh and decide it’s time to tell the truth. “I don’t want to wake up my boss’s kid.”
Her silence is eerie. “I’m sorry, did you just say your boss’skid?”
“Yeah…”
“Elodie Anne Olsen, you’d better fill me in on what you mean by that right now.”
Sighing, I lean back further into the couch cushions. “I’m not in L.A., Mom. I’m in Blossom Peak. I’m nannying for this guy and…”
“Does this mean you’re done trying to make it as a singer?” The tone of her voice is more optimistic than concerned. A supportiveparent would wonder why I’m giving up—even though that’s not what I’m doing—but still. Sometimes I wish my parents would just support me because that’s what they’re supposed to do, regardless of whether they understand what I want for my life or not.
“No, I’m just taking a break.”
It’s her turn to sigh. “Elodie, let’s call this what it is—you are finally realizing that music is not a stable career and…”
“I didn’t realize that. My lease was up on the house I was renting, and I wanted a break.”
“So why not come home?”
“Jeez, Mom. Why do you think? So you can stand right in front of me and look me in the eyes while you tell me that my dreams are stupid?”
Henley walks down the hall, his brows drawn together as he takes in only my side of this conversation.
“Does this mean you’ll be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas?” my mom asks, ignoring what I just said.
“I—I don’t know yet.” Henley takes a seat on the couch next to me. “Look, this has been a great talk, but I’ve got to go.”
“Elodie, I just want you to have a secure future, honey. You could open a daycare like I did. The money is nice and you love kids. You said you’re a nanny now? I could totally see you being happy doing that.”
The truth is, I am happy taking care of Remy, but that’s the last thing I want to say to her right now.
I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. “I know, Mom. I just—I haven’t made any concrete decisions yet, okay? And I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner, but…”
“I understand, honey, even though I don’t.”Wow, way to make sense, Mom. “But Blossom Peak,huh?”
“Yeah, our trips here as a kid were always my favorite, so I was hoping that being back here would help me get clarity.”
“Well, I hope you find what you’re looking for there, Elodie. But you know that home is just a short drive from there if you need to regroup.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Let me know about the holidays, okay?”
“I will.” When I end the call, I look up to find Henley watching me. “My mom…”
“I gathered that.” The crease in his brow is still there. “What did she say?”
“Well, since I hadn’t told her I’ve been in Blossom Peak for the past two months…”
“Your mom didn’t know you were here?”
“No, Henley. What part of my parents aren’t supportive of my music career did you not understand?”
He holds a hand up. “Hey, I’m just trying to understand what’s going on…”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I’m sorry. You don’t deserve me snapping at you, I just—” A heavy sigh escapes me. “Every time I talk to her, there’s always this voice in the back of my mind that wonders if she and my dad are right—that I need to just throw in the towel and get a regular job.”
He pulls me into his arms and situates me so I’m straddling him, a position that I haven’t been in since the night I dry humped him. And all this position is doing is making me think about that night, not the conversation with my mom.
