“Is it because you don’t want to tell me about the guy you were with?” Ivy gave her a side glance.
Olivia was stunned at Ivy’s statement. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She tried lying, which was a foolish thing to do.
Ivy turned her head to fully look at her. “Mom, I’m not stupid. I saw you with him.”
“I was working the kissing booth. There were many men.” She tried again.
Ivy raised a skeptical brow, reminding her too much of Chad for comfort. “The giant guy you were going through the booths with.”
“He’s not a giant, and how did you see all that. You were on the other side of the carnival.”
“Ah, ha,” Ivy sat back, pointing a finger at her in triumph. “So, you finally admit it.”
Olivia just realized she got played by an eleven-year-old. That was sad. “Yes, after my shift at the kissing booth I walked with Heath.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Ivy asked with hurt in her eyes.
“Oh, honey,” Olivia pulled Ivy to her side to hug her, her guilt wrenching up another notch. “There’s nothing to tell.”
“There is, otherwise, you wouldn’t be lying about it.” Ivy accused, throwing her fork down on her plate with a half-eaten pie.
Olivia herself lost her appetite, as she pushed her plate away, knowing she needed to have a serious conversation with her daughter. “Ivy, you want the truth, so here it is. Heath has been coming to the diner for the past month. He expressed an interest in me, and I said no, and yet, he still pursued. He came to the carnival today just to see me. I relented and spent some time with him and left. That’s all.”
“Mom, I don’t trust him.”Ivysaid after a moment.
This was why Olivia hadn’t wanted to tell Ivy about Heath. One day Ivy would see men were not all evil like Royce.
“You don’t even know him. Heath is not like Royce. He would never hurt you.” She assured her. Olivia didn’t know Heath well, but she felt safe with him, even if he only wanted one thing from her.
“But you’ve been seeing him, and even trusting him. Just like you did Royce.”Ivyspat at her angerly.
Olivia was tolerant of many things, given what Ivy had been through, but she wouldn’t be yelled at by her own child. “Ivy, I haven’t been seeing him. He’s come to the diner and asked me out a few times, but I always said no. Today, was the first time I’ve seen him outside of the diner. I just told you that. Not every man is like Royce. Your father, for example, was the kindest, most gentle man in the world, God rest his soul. I may not be the greatest judge of character, but I know Heath would never hurt us.”
“You like him.” It was said as a fact. “Like more than just a friend like him.”
“I do,” Olivia admitted. There was no point in denying it. “He’s kind like your father was. He made me laugh and feel safe. Yes, Ivy, I do like him.” God help her, she did. Olivia took both of Ivy’s hands in hers. “But I walked away from him today, because of you. Your happiness and safety mean more to me than anything.” She expectedIvyto argue, to say anything, but she didn’t. The past few months hadn’t been easy for either of them, and Olivia admitting she liked a man had to be hard onIvy. She hadn’t had the best male role model in her life. Chad would have loved her unconditionally. Maybe one day, Ivy would find a man like that. To teach her to trust again. Olivia could only hope.
“Mom,” Ivy said, placing her hand over hers. It was strange the daughter comforting the mother. “I’m tired of running, and I know you are, too. It’s been three months, and there hasn’t been any sign of Royce. Can we finally stop running? I really like it here. I like hanging out with Susan. I want to go to school again. I’m tired of avoiding people and being stuck in a house all day. I want to live a normal life again.”
Olivia would love nothing more than to settle down for good and start a new life. Was Royce even looking for them? She had been fearful for so long that she didn’t know anymore, but she owed it to her daughter to give her some normalcy. “I’d like that too, but it doesn’t change the fact that he could be looking for us, or waiting for us to make a mistake.”
Ivy clenched her hand tighter with hers. “We have to stop living in fear. I don’t want to be in my sixties and still running every few months.”
Every word out of her daughter’s mouth, struck through her heart. She had taken so much from her daughter. Olivia couldn’t do that to her daughter. It wouldn’t be fair. “When did you get so smart?” Olivia smiled, trying to hide her tears.
“I learned it from you.”
“My brave girl.” Olivia pulled Ivy close, kissing the top of her head and just held her close.
“And, Mom.”
“Yeah?” Olivia asked still holding Ivy to her chest; never wanting to let go, but Ivy pushed up, so they could look at each other eye-to-eye.
“If you want to be with Heath, it’s okay. I’ll support you. I want to see you happy again, and you said he makes you happy.” Ivy smiled. Her words lifted Olivia’s spirit. It meant a lot to her to have her daughters support, if she decided to date again.
“Thank you, sweetheart.” Olivia pulled Ivy back to her. How had she raised such an incredible kid, despite their circumstances. She blamed most of that on Chad. He had always been the smarter one. The logical one.
“You’re welcome, Mom.”
