“Can we watch the newPaw Patrol?” she turns and asks my mom.
“Whatever you want, baby girl.”
“Yes!”
Lydia charges out of my room as Mom slumps back against the bed. “If I never watch that movie again, it’ll be too soon.”
I snort a laugh. “It’s sweet. The small pup being able to save the world.”
“I’ve seen it a hundred times with her.” She stands, grabbing my purse from the dresser and handing it to me. “Now, I don’t want to see you any earlier than eleven.”
“Only eleven?”
She concentrates for a minute, screwing her face up. “You’re right. Better make it one.”
I roll my eyes as I head into the small living room.
Mom’s house isn’t big by any means. We had to convert the office into my room, which gave Lydia the bigger bedroom of the two of us.
It’s not ideal, but it works for us.
Paintings from Lydia cover most of the wall space, and toys litter the floor.
“You be good for Gram, okay?”
Lydia nods, not giving me a second glance.
“Call me if you need anything.”
“Get out of here.”
I smooth a nervous hand over my yellow dress. “Are you sure this looks okay?”
Mom rolls her eyes at me. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you so worked up over a guy before. Not even Danny.”
“Can you not bring up my ex-husband when I’m getting ready to go out on a date with a new guy?”
“What? I’m just saying he was a dick because he never made you feel like this.”
“That was ages ago, Mom. We met in high school.”
I don’t think I even remember how I felt when I first met him. He’s the only guy I’ve ever been with.
“You’re allowed to have a life, Sutton.”
Mom pulls me from my thoughts before they can stray too far.
“Lydia is my life.”
Mom cups my cheeks. “And she’ll still love you even if you take a night away to have dinner with a sexy man.”
“Mom!”
“What? You deserve someone like Derek. Do something for yourself and have fun. Don’t mess it up.”
With that, she drops my keys in my hand and shoves me out the door.
Her words do nothing to quell my nerves on the drive to the restaurant. I want this to work. I loved seeing the way Derek was with Lydia—the way he chose to interact with her, which is more than Lydia’s own dad does.
