“Of course. I’m happy to. Thanks for the four weeks of therapy you did for me.”
“It didn’t help you,” I said.
“But you tried and that’s what matters. Plus, you got a new toy out of it.” She wiggled her brows at me.
I let out a single loud laugh, then sucked in my lips.
“What’s so funny?” Mom asked from the other room.
“We’re just talking about Sutton’s new boy toy,” Tara called.
“He’s not younger than me,” I said.
“Doesboy toyonly work if the person is younger?” she asked.
“I think that’s what the saying means.”
“Well, I’ve decided it could also work if the person is more fun,” she said. “Younger at heart.”
“Thanks a lot,” I said.
“Oh, come on, you know you’re an old woman living in a twenty-eight-year-old’s body.” She lifted up the charts I had painstakingly made for her and Lucy.
“I guess I do know that.”
“Who’s her new boy toy?” Mom asked.
“Elijah,” Tara said. “You’ve met him.”
“Oh, yes. I don’t like that boy.”
“He’s fun, Andrea.”
My mom grumbled something that resembledfun, my ass.
“Your mom still doesn’t like him?” she asked me quietly.
“Apparently, he reminds her of my dad. But honestly, I think everyone reminds her of my dad.”
Tara considered this for a moment. “I guess I could see why he does.”
“You remember my dad?”
“I do! He was outgoing and friendly.”
“Elijah is not my dad,” I said. Maybe Dad was outgoing and friendly, but he was also private and sneaky.
“No,” Tara backtracked. “Of course not, I just meant I can see why your mom might find a few tiny commonalities.”
“Everyone has a few tiny commonalities.”
“Probably true.”
“Are we okay?” I suddenly asked.
“What?” she said in confusion. “Of course.”
“Just, when I sang karaoke the other night…”
