“Was he a jerk to you?”Mom pushed.
I shook my head.“No, no.When I first tried to see him, I wound up meeting someone.”
“Okay,” Mom drawled, not hiding her skepticism.“Is this person the same age as your biological dad?”
“No, but he works with Lark and he’s a member of the club.”
“Ivy, I don’t know about this.”
“Mom.Please keep an open mind.I wanted to tell you these things in person, but—”
“Then why didn’t you?Come over for dinner after you get off work.”
I pressed my lips together, this conversation was getting out of control.“I can’t.Not tonight.”
“Why?Is this new man in your life being uber controlling?I don’t have to remind you of how Austin was—”
“He’snothinglike Austin,” I said, harsher than I’d intended.
“Ivy F.Brummis, watch it, young woman.”
I closed my eyes and almost smiled.Only my mom would inadvertently give me a name that sounded like the very procedure that got her pregnant.
“I’m sorry, Mom.There’s so much more to this story, it’s not funny.”
“Lay it on me anyway.”
“You might want a glass of wine first.”
Mom paused, then blew out a breath.“You know, I think you’re right.Let me go uncork a bottle of white.”
“While you do that, how are things with you?”
“From the sound of it, not nearly as fascinating as your life right now.On Saturday, there’s a knitting group meeting at the library and I’m going to check it out.If you still have that purple yarn, you should join me.”
In the background, I heard the glug of the wine pouring from the bottle.
I gave her another minute because I couldn’t share this with her standing up.
Finally she let out a long exhale.“Okay, I’m back on the couch.Give me the whole story.”
“I’m gonna tear off the Band-Aid here, Mom.We’re fine.Everything is fine, but on Monday, Ryan and I were abducted at gunpoint.”
“What?”Mom splutter-yelled, and I suspected she really did do a spit-take.
“It’s fine, Mom.”
“And you’reinvolvedwith this man!”
“Hedidn’t abduct me.”
“You need to get checked out for Stockholm Syndrome.”
I swallowed down a sigh.“That’s when someone has feelings for the person who abducted them.Ryan didn’t abduct me.”
“Well, he’s obviously a bad sort.”
“Don’t be so quick to judge before you’ve even met him.Chad loves him already.”
