"I can't quite put my finger on what's changed. You seem more settled or maybe more content?" She placed the phone on the table. "You've been alone a long time, Mom."
Her words landed hard, a glaring indictment of my life since the divorce.
"I haven't been lonely," I said.
"I didn't say lonely. I said alone."
The silence stretched between us, thick but not uncomfortable.
"Is it safe to say you're seeing someone now—someone you like a lot?" she asked.
"Yes." I didn't see the point in lying, and if she point-blank asked me about Jamison, I would tell the truth. I wasn't ashamed of our relationship. We had just decided to keep it under wraps a little bit longer.
Blossom inhaled, as if she had made a decision. "You're seeing Mr. Harris, aren't you?"
There it was.
Before I answered the question, I had to know what specifically gave me away. "Why do you think I'm seeing Jamison?"
"Because he helped you with the presentation, and the whole yoga thing was weird. The two of you were super close at the bakery, and I also remember the day I came by the store forfood and he was there. I knew something was off, but I was too preoccupied with looking for work to pay close attention. Also, you don't roll your eyes or look annoyed when his name comes up anymore."
I was impressed by her deductive reasoning. "Yes, Jamison and I are seeing each other."
I braced myself, unsure how she would react. I expected at least a gasp, maybe a horrified expression. Possibly a"Mom, he's my future father-in-law."None of that happened.
She nodded slowly, as if everything made sense now. "I figured."
I pushed away from the counter and sat at the table across from her. "We didn't plan to get involved, and I know it's complicated, and whatever you feel?—"
"Mom," she said, gently interrupting, "I'm not upset. I think it's great. Now I don't have to worry about you."
I sat up straight. "What do you mean?"
"Like I said, I'll be moving in with Manuel pretty soon. When I was in college, I came home on weekends and holidays, but now you'll be all alone—permanently. I know you'll be fine, but even if you weren't, you would pretend you were. I didn't want that for you."
My throat tightened.
"I love Dad, but I know he wasn't always nice to you. I heard the comments he made, and I figured that's why you've been careful since the divorce."
Was that what I had been? Careful? I hadn't sat down and really examined how I had been living since my divorce from Karl. But if I had to define my romantic life post-marriage, careful was a fair assessment.
Blossom reached for my hand and squeezed. "Look, I don't need details because... ew, but I like the idea of you and Mr.Harris together. You'll be good for each other. You'll loosen him up, and he'll keep you grounded."
Emotion swelled in my chest, and I patted my thigh. "Come here."
Blossom stood and sat on my lap. This might well be the last time she ever did.
She wrapped her arms around me, and I hugged her, breathing in her unique scent and remembering when she used to fit under my chin instead of looking down at me like she did as an adult.
"Satisfy my curiosity. The night you came in late and locked the door, had you been with Mr. Harris then too?"
"Yes. It was our first time...together."
She gasped. "So you've been keeping your relationship a secret all this time?"
"It wasn't really a relationship then, but I would say we have been keeping it a secret the past couple of weeks as we've been trying to make a go of it."
"Do you love him?"
