Becca gently took Leo’s chin. “Hey. You’re not weird, baby. You’reyou.And that’s perfect.”
He gave a wobbly smile.
I ruffled his hair. “Ava was sticking up for you, huh?”
He nodded proudly. “She hit himhard.Like Mel!”
Mel preened. “I knew I liked that girl.”
“Not the time!” Becca snapped.
Mel raised her hands. “Okay, okay.”
I checked my phone again. Nothing from Eleanor.
A little knot of worry pulled tight under my ribs.
Mel noticed. She always noticed.
“Still no word from your girl?” she asked quietly.
I glared. “She’s not?—”
“Please,” Mel said. “You’re glowing like a teenager with his first crush.”
“I am not glowing.”
Becca and Mel exchanged identical looks that saidyes, he is.
Becca elbowed Mel gently.
“Come on. I’ll take Leo to school today. You two can talk,” Mel said as she slipped her shoes on.
Leo grabbed his backpack and gave me a quick hug before running out the door with Mel, who was muttering something about “educational violence” that Becca ignored.
The house quieted as the door clicked shut.
After Mel whisked Leo away to school, the house finally fell quiet. Becca poured more coffee, slid a mug in front of me, and gave me that look, the one that saidspill it.
“Okay,” she said, folding her hands. “Something’s going on with you.”
I blew out a breath. “It’s . . . Eleanor.”
Her eyebrows rose slightly, but her voice stayed gentle. “Yeah? How’s she doing?”
I rubbed my thumb against my mug. “She texted earlier. Ava had a rough day yesterday. And I think she’s overwhelmed. Just . . . everything with the move. And losing her husband. And raising Ava on her own.” I swallowed. “She’s carrying so much.”
Becca nodded. “And you care about her.”
God. Understatement of the year.
“I do,” I admitted quietly. “I really do. I . . . like her. A lot more than I expected to.”
Becca’s expression softened. “Of course you do. She’s wonderful.”
“Yeah,” I said, half-laughing, half-sighing. “She is. But I don’t want to overwhelm her. She hasn’t dated since her husband died. She’s still grieving. And she’s scared.”
“Of you?”
