“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”
There was a beat. Then a sigh. “Yeah,” she said. “I’m fine.”
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “I’ll talk to her,” I said again, more firmly this time. “Tonight.”
“Okay.”
“Thanks, Ash.”
“Love you, Looney.”
“Love you too.”
The call ended.
I sat in the driveway for a moment, the engine idling.
I wasn’t sure if I was ready for a conversation with my mom.
But Ash was right. And honestly, sometimes you just have to take the bull by the horns.
Or, you know…toss the lobster salad and deal with the fallout.
It was time to remind everyone—including myself—that I wasn’t just picking up the pieces anymore.
I was ready to move forward.
I turned off the ignition and stepped out into the sunlight.
TOO MUCH
The front door creaked as I stepped into the house I’d grown up in, where the air smelled faintly of lemon cleaner and my mom’s perfume.
It felt familiar, but also…like that familiarity was no longer within my reach. This was a place where I no longer fit. Not really home anymore.
And yet…
Mom was in the recliner, her cane leaning nearby.
"You're back," she said, setting aside her book. Her voice was casual, but I caught the quick once-over she gave me, like she was assessing my mood before saying anything else.
"I am."
Talk to her.
I crossed to the kitchen and grabbed her a glass of water, setting it on the table at her side. "Did you take your anti-inflammatory yet?"
She blinked. Did she expect me not to remember?
"Of course,” she said. “Now, how’d your meeting go?”
"Good. Better than good." I offered a smile, enough to reassure her, but not enough to invite questions. She didn’t need the legal breakdown right now.
And honestly, if I stalled any longer, I wasn’t sure I’d ever get this conversation out.
I sat on the edge of the sofa, took a steadying breath. "I talked to Ashley."
