“We’re not worried,” Mom said, setting the bowl down and brushing hair from her eyes. “We’re trying to help you breathe. That’s all.”
“Also,” Violet added, “we can’t keep pretending you don’t disappear emotionally whenever you have a crush.”
I choked on my coffee. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” she said, waving her knife for emphasis. “You get a crush, and then you freeze like you’re standing on a cliff alone in a snowstorm.”
Mom nodded brightly. “You do get very struck.”
“I do not get struck.”
“And then if it doesn’t go well, you run. You’ve been running for decades.”
“Decades? I’m in my thirties, not ninety.”
“Fine,” she said. “One decade. A prime decade. And you’ve spent it being allergic to long-term feelings.”
“That is not true,” I protested.
Mom gave me a level look. “Sweetheart, the last time you flirted successfully, we got a selfie of you and a moose.”
I covered my face with both hands. “Why are you like this?”
“Because we love you,” Violet said cheerfully. “And because this new guide is exactly your type.”
“I do not have a type.”
“Tall,” Violet counted on her fingers. “Quiet. Stoic. Outdoorsy. Looks like he could fight a bear. Possibly has fought a bear.”
I stared at her. “I have never said those words.”
“You do not have to,” she replied. “Your face said everything the moment he walked in.”
Mom leaned onto her elbows, studying me closely. “And there’s nothing wrong with being interested, honey. You’re allowed to want things.”
“Want things?” I echoed.
“Yes,” she said. “Like romance. Or companionship. Or someone to share a tent with.”
Violet gasped in delight. “A tent. Yes. You and Carson alone in the woods with a single sleeping bag.”
“Stop,” I groaned. “Please stop.”
“Or maybe a cozy night around a fire,” Violet went on. “Or getting stuck in a cave together. You know, classic romance tropes.”
I snorted despite myself. “I would not get stuck in a cave with him.”
Violet smirked. “But if fate forced you, would you complain?”
I hesitated.
Which was exactly the wrong move.
Mom’s eyes lit up. Violet slapped the counter with glee.
“Oh my gosh,” she said. “You wouldn’t mind it. You totally wouldn’t mind being trapped in a cave with him.”
“I didn’t say that.”
