“Nothing new,” I say. “Working hard, having a good season. Life is good.”
“You sound like your brother. How’s your dating life? Have you met anyone special?”
I should have anticipated this question—it’s her favorite one to ask—but for some reason, tonight it catches me off guard. I clear my throat. “Maybe,” I say, and Theo’s eyes dart to mine.
Maybe?Why did I just saymaybe?
Based on Theo’s expression, he’s wondering the same thing.
“What does ‘maybe’ mean?” Mom asks.
“Um, only that I’m not really talking about it yet, so…” I let my words trail off becausewhatam I even doing?
I’m thinking about Sarah, but that doesn’t make any sense because I’m notdatingSarah, and if Miles has his way, she might wind up married to someone else in the very near future.
Unless she’s married to you.
The voice inside my head sounds an awful lot like my hockey captain, and I force it away.
“Oh, come on,” Mom says. “You aren’t going to tell me anything?”
“I promise you’ll be the first person I call when I have more to say,” I tell her.
“Wait, we aren’t talking about Veronica, are we?” Mom asks, and Theo chuckles.
“No, Mom. I’m not back together with Veronica.”
I haven’t seen or talked to my ex-girlfriend in almost eighteen months, but my mother seems to have an abiding fear that I am always about to get back together with her. Maybe that’s on me. I never have anyone else to tell her about.
Veronica wasn’t a bad girlfriend. She was super into hockey, at every game, cheering me on. But that was part of the problem. She wassointo hockey, I could never quite tell if she was truly into me or just liked having access to the team.
Theo never trusted her, and eventually, I grew weary of her constantly asking to “go out with the guys” or “hang with the team.” It made me feel like hanging out withjustme wasn’t good enough.
“Well, good,” Mom says. “You know I never trusted her.”
“I know, Mom,” I say because we’ve had this conversation at least twenty times.
I can tell she’s hesitant to let the subject go, but I also know she won’t push. She’s good like that, which I appreciate, since the minute this phone call is over, Theo is going to push me until I tell him everything.
“Okay,” Mom finally says. “Just remember my only wish is for you to be happy. That’s the only reason I ask.”
“I know,” I say. “And I don’t mind you asking.”
We chat for a few more minutes about things going on in her life. Her gardening club, her book club, the recent training she completed to be a precinct worker in the upcoming primary election.
We finally end the call when we reach our apartment building, mostly because as soon as Theo pulls into the garage, we’ll lose signal and the call will drop.
Theo doesn’t say anything until we’ve reached his parking spot. When he pulls in, I notice my truck parked in the space beside his, washed, waxed, and looking good as new. I didn’t expect the shop to deliver it until tomorrow, so it’s nice to see it’s back a day early.
Theo cuts the engine on his SUV and lets his hands fall from the steering wheel, but he doesn’t get out. “Dude, what was that?” he says, and I breathe out a sigh.
I lean back into my seat and look over at him. “I don’t even know what I was saying. After my conversation with Miles, I just…I don’t know. My brain is all messed up.”
“Are you saying there’s a connection between your conversation with Miles and you telling Mom you’ve met someone? Am I making the right leap here?”
I lift my hands in a gesture of surrender, and Theo’s eyebrows lift. “Maybe start at the beginning?”
I huff out a laugh. “You won’t believe me if I do.”
