She did, slowly, soaking in every moment in this dreamdress.
“Do you loveit?”
Maia pulled her arms to her chest. “Almost as much as London.” Her face immediately reddened. She shouldn’t say things like that to his mom. She and London hadn’t even said the L-word to each other. She got the impression that he was waiting until the ball, which was super sweet and totally romantic and sort of maddening because she was dying to hear him say those three perfectwords.
There were several occasions when she barely stopped herself from telling him first. It wasn’t that she was trying to push him into loving her or even saying that he did—it was that she was bursting with her love for him and had the hardest time holding it in. Which was part of the reason she loved the dress so much—she knew London would love it,too.
Karen smiled fondly. “I am so happy he found you,Maia.”
Just when Maia thought her heart was too full of love for London to hold any more, his mom had to go and say something so nice it broke right through the fullness issue and made more room. She threw her arms around Karen’s neck andsqueezed.
Karen was startled and frigid in Maia’sembrace.
“Thank you for saying that.” Maia moved to release her, feeling dumb for letting herself get caught up in the emotions and the moment. It must have been the dress, because she was usually timid aroundadults.
Just as her hold loosened, Karen wrapped her arms around Maia’s middle and hugged her back. “Thank you for making London sohappy.”
Maia smiled and blushed as she stepped back. She and London were new-ish as an official couple, and this whole girlfriend role was new to her. So was having a mom around whocared.
“Why don’t you slip out of that dress and I will check the price. I thought I saw one like it on the salesrack.”
“Really?” Hope surged anew, and Maia hopped into the changing room. “That would be unbelievable. I emptied out my savings. I hope it’s enough.” She bit her tongue. Stop talking. Karen was great, but she didn’t need to know how tight things were at the Espositohouse.
“Come out when you’re done,sweetheart.”
Maia leaned her head against the door, soaking in the term of endearment. She’d only ever had one guy call her anything but Maia—and he’d been after more than a movie and popcorn. She’d kissed him because he’d called her “sugar.” She’d thought that meant he liked her more than he actually did. Coming from Karen,sweetheartsounded motherly and tender and it filled a gaping hole in Maia’schildhood.
“Someone brokein and smashed pots, uprooted flowers and trees, and destroyed our display tables,” said Karen on-screen. Her hair was pulled back into a loose braid, and her face was makeupfree.
“She has the skin of a thirty-year-old,” saidKristi.
Maia smiled. Her own mother’s face was leathery and full of age spots. Karen looked young and vibrant despite the worry lines framing her mouth. They didn’t make moms like Karen anymore—at least not in Maia’s experience. Her own mother was happily set up in a condo in Vegas living off an allowance. They didn’t even spend Christmas togetheranymore.
“Do you know who might have done this?” prodded thereporter.
“The police have a few leads, but I’m not at liberty to discuss that at thistime.”
“Good answer,” mutteredMaia.
The image switched to inside the fence, where the damage was vicious and cruel. “I spoke to the officer in charge of the investigation, and he said they aren’t ruling out the possibility that this was a group of teenagers, though the evidence suggests there was only one man responsible.” As the camera panned, London could be seen sweeping up black dirt, his back hunched and his headdown.
Maia’s heart cried out at the sight of him beaten down and discouraged. “Where is this?” she asked the poor tech guy she’d scared into his cubicle. He opened a browser and did a Googlesearch.
I could have done that. She berated herself for saying too much. Now everyone within hearing distance knew she was headed over there. “I’d like to send them some flowers … wait.” She flipped around to talk to Kristi and found about fifteen people clustered behind her. “That is a flower shop, so … noflowers.”
Everyone began calling outideas.
“Doughnuts.”
“Cupcakes.”
“Coffee.”
“A giantsub.”
“Afountain.”
“A fountain?” She turned towards Bob. “Really?”
