My face pinches. I’m going to have to admit the truth. Imanaged to avoid Arthur the rest of yesterday, but I can’t keep lying to my own family. “First of all, she mentioned her phone was dead.”
“Ohhh. And second of all?”
My tongue presses into my cheek. “Hold on. Ijust got to Mom’s. Let me put you on speaker so I can tell both of you.”
“No,” Mia groans. “Do not tell me there’s already trouble in paradise.”
I find Mom kneeling beside the ferns lining her patio. “Oh, Theo!” She brushes back a few strands of her long gray hair and leaves behind a streak of dirt on her cheek.
“Morning, Mom.”
“You on your run?” She reaches out a hand and I help her up. “I’ve got coffee going. Let me get you some.”
“No, no. You sit down.” I wave toward her patio table. “I’ll get some coffee; you say hi to Mia.” I shift the call to speaker and shove my earbuds in my pocket.
“Oh, hi, baby!” Mom says when I hand her the phone.
The kitchen door squeals as I pull it open and duck inside. Mom bought this house after her divorce was final. It’s small, just big enough for the three of us back then, but she got to turn it into her personal oasis over the years. I’m obviously much older now than I was when she bought it, but I still feel like a kid inside these walls—safe, cozy, and warm. It was exactly what we needed after years of our home feeling unstable.
Mr. Maxwell, mom’s old pit bull mix, groans from his spot on the couch, stretching out his legs, and trying to decide if he should get worked up about whoever has come into the house. Mom rescued him from the shelter about a year ago. He had an awful injury to his eyes, and after a few surgeries to help his pain, he’s doing much better, despite having lost his vision.
“It’s me, Mr. Maxwell,” I assure him, letting him sniff my hand before I pet him. Mom says he prefers his full name, so we’re not allowed to shorten it to Max. His tail thumps against the couch and he rolls over to let me rub his belly. “Not the early morning gardening type, I see.”
After a kiss to his muzzle, I pour coffee into my favorite mug (which has a picture of Mr. Maxwell with sunglasses on the side), pour another mugful for Mom, and step back outside.
Mia’s voice filters through the phone as I sit down. “We’re thinking about coming down for Fable’s birthday. I miss everybody.”
Mom pats my arm. “Do you and Fable have any plans for her birthday?”
Staring at the phone on the table between us, I admit, “Actually, I need to come clean about the whole me-and-Fable thing.”
“What do you mean?” they ask at the same time.
“I sort of lied about it. Well, notsort of. Idid.” I shake my head. “You came into the office, all excited about the photo, then Arthur followed, and there’s all this shit with him selling the practice. And I don’t know, I got carried away, and didn’t correct it. But Fable and I are not together. At all.”
Stark silence. No one moves.
Then Mia croaks, “What the actual fuck, Theo?”
“Language,” Mom scolds, but her eyes stay on me, concern etching her features. “Why did you lie?”
“I’m sorry.” Guilt bleeds into me. “I panicked. Arthur had just told me he wants to sell the practice to Garrett. He’s worried I’m notsettledenough here and that I’m going to leave again. He wants it to go to someone who has roots down in the area and isn’t going anywhere.” Cupping my hands around my mug, I sigh. “And when you told him I was dating Fable, he looked... happy about it. So I didn’t correct him.” I shrug. “Now, as I’m saying it out loud, it sounds ridiculous. But in the moment, I didn’t have much time to think it through.”
“So . . . the photo?” Mia asks.
“She fell. That guy, Philip, collided with her and knocked her into my lap.”
“That fucker,” Mia hisses, and Mom doesn’t scold her this time.
“What did Arthur say when you told him the truth?” Mom asks.
I wince. “I haven’t. Yet.”
Mom swats my shoulder. “Theodore Alexander Nikolaou!”
“I will today!” I add hastily. “But he did say that if I can provethat I’m sticking around here, he’ll consider Garrett and me buying the practice together. I just need to figure out how to do that without Fable.”
Mia hums thoughtfully. “That picture, though. You two have always had this...thingbetween you. Idon’t know what to call it other than tension.”
