Her eyebrows lifted. “Really? That’s so exciting.”
“It is. And it’s in South Carolina.”
“Wow, that’s a big move. Tell me about the job.”
“It’s an amazing opportunity—offensive coordinator at the University of South Carolina. They have a great program, and the chance to coach at that level is huge for me.”
Her smile was real, as was the hint of sadness she was trying to hide. “I’m really happy for you.”
“Thanks. I know it’s a long way away, and I took that really seriously. I don’t love the idea of relocating, but this is such a great opportunity. I think taking it is the right thing to do.”
“Good,” she said, her tone emphatic. “Then you should take it.”
“That’s what Dad said.”
Taking a deep breath, she reached across the table and took my hands. “Of course I’m going to be sad to see you go. But I’m so proud of you. You’ve come such a long way.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
She let go and took a sip of her drink. “When do you leave?”
“I’ll finish the school year here and move down there next summer.”
“I’m glad you have plenty of time. Have you thought about what you’re going to do with your house?”
“I might keep it as a rental. I recently ended up with a roommate—a friend from work. She just went through a breakup and needed a place to live. If she wants to stay, I could rent it to her. And if not, I’ll figure it out.”
“You could talk to Josiah about it. He’d probably be able to manage it for you.”
My brother Josiah had partnered with my dad, and the two of them had become small-town real estate moguls. They bought old houses and fixed them up. They sold some, but they kept a lot of them as rental properties.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Sorry, I don’t mean to jump in and start problem-solving. It’s a mom thing. I can’t help it.”
“That’s okay. I appreciate it. There are a lot of details I’ll need to figure out. But like you said, I have time.”
“And you have a roommate now? That’s big news. Who is she?”
“Her name’s Penelope Fallbrook. She’s the art teacher. We’ve been friends for a while, and, like I said, she just got out of a relationship. Didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
“It’s good of you to be there for her.”
“Yeah, what are friends for?” I cracked a smile.
She nodded slowly, and the way her eyes lingered on me made me wonder what she was thinking. Hopefully she wasn’t getting the wrong idea about me and Pen.
“Can I make one request?” she asked after a pause.
“Sure.”
“Come home once a year. I know it seems like that isn’t a lot, but it’s amazing how quickly time goes by. And how easy it is to lose touch with the people you love.”
“I’ll come homeat leastonce a year. How about that?”
She smiled. “I appreciate that. And I know Annika and your brothers will, too.”
I let out a long breath. “Speaking of Annika and my brothers…I need to tell everybody.”
