“I’m optimistic.” He shrugs. “What’s the condition?”
My gaze drops to the ground for a moment before I gather myself. “You take my mom drone flying.” When he doesn’t respond right away, I lift my chin and meet his eyes.
“Like… around the field?”
“Maybe along one of the trails through the woods. And the lake views would be really nice too.”
He tilts his head. “Is she a drone enthusiast?”
A soft snort escapes me. “No. She’s a nature enthusiast. Or she used to be.” My voice quiets. “She loves hiking. Being outside. But the last few years… it’s harder. Her MS makes her tire out easily.”
Miles doesn’t interrupt. Doesn’t rush to fill the silence with sympathy or platitudes. He just watches me, his whiskey-brown eyes steady and attentive.
“I thought,” I continue, “if she could be outside. Smell the trees. Feel the wind. Hear the lake. To be immersed in the outdoors without having to do all the walking, she could be free again. At least for a little while.”
For a moment, he doesn’t say anything. Then he nods. “Yeah, I’d love to do that for her.”
The tension in my shoulders fades away, and my jaw finally unclenches. I force a hint of casualness back into my tone. “Maybe next weekend?”
He smiles. “Sounds good.”
The deal is made. Another fake date in exchange for a drone flight. I’m doing this for Mom.
I repeat the thought to myself like a mantra.
Nine
Heart Palpitations
Nora
The next day, I slide through the yoga studio doors just as the class is unrolling their mats. I tiptoe past the line of bodies to the back corner where Mom is already situated.
“You’re late,” she whispers.
“I prefer to think of it as on-time adjacent.” I barely get my mat unrolled before the instructor cues the first pose. I fold forward, lungs still catching up to my ambition. “Besides, I had a good reason. OneDate got featured in a dating and relationship blog. It was a small mention, but it feels like the start of something.”
Mom glances over at me from the corner of her eye. “That’s wonderful, sweetheart. I’m proud of you. How was yesterday?”
“Actually…” I say, still a little breathless, “…kind of fun. I hung out with Miles.”
“The guy you didn’t want on your app?”
“Yeah. He needed help with something so I’m kind of doing him a favor.” I wince as the instructor says, “open your heart space.” Rude. I dismiss her words. “Which… brings me to my next question. What are you doing next Saturday? I have a surprise.”
Her eyes narrow, but she’s smiling. “What kind of surprise?”
“It’s a fun one.” I grin. “And I think you’ll… really like it.”
She studies my face before she nods. “Okay. I trust you.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up.”
Saturday arrives, and the second I pull into the lot, based on her frown, her skepticism radiates through the car.
“You brought me to a park?” she asks, side-eyeing the wide stretch of grass and tiny planes buzzing in the distance.
“It’s not just any park. It’s an RC park.”
