“Instead of babbling like an idiot?”
Nate laughs, a warm sound that’s just as amazing as his smile. “Don’t worry, they’ll edit it out. Unless it’s funny,” he adds with a one-shoulder shrug.
“Awesome,” I say dryly. I am starting to feel better the more we talk. He seems to have a calming effect on me, despite his hotness.
There’s a sound of knuckles rapping on the end table—one ofThea’s ways to indicate she wants in. We both look at her.
“Sheneedsto date,”Thea signs with a pointed look.The interpreter speaks the words faithfully, including the emphasis, though that was pretty clear from her expression.
Nate laughs again. “Do you mind if I ask the girls questions?”
“Go right ahead. You’ll probably get better answers from them.”
“So,Thea,” he starts, but Rosie cuts him off, bouncing in her seat and whappingThea in the face with a wing.
“Ask me a question!” she says.
I’m impressed she managed to sit quiet and calm for this long, but I still shake my head. “Wait your turn, Rosie, okay?”
She pouts, but only for a couple seconds. Rosie tends toward one of two moods—hyper-happy and melt-down miserable.There is very little in between. I’m just hoping we stick with the first, at least for the duration of this interview.
“Thea,” Nate continues, as Kristin signs. “Why do you think your mom needs to date?”
“Because she should get to be happy,” she says.
I put on a mock-wounded expression. “Hey, Iamhappy!” I’m happier now, just me and my girls, than I was at any point in my marriage. Or my life in general.
Thea rolls her eyes. “Yeah, but you’reMomhappy. You should get to smile and laugh, not just with us. And not at jokes you told yourself.”
I groan. “Oh my god,” I say. “Yep. Better answers, for sure.”
He grins. “Kids are great for that. So what kind of man should your mom be dating?”
Thea straightens. Clearly she has all the answers for this interview locked and loaded. “He should be funny and nice and should treat her like she deserves to be treated. Like a princess.” She has a sarcastic expression on that last part—a sarcasm directed at the show theme, not me. I’m guessing the editors will love her saying it, though. I’ve seen this show before, and apparently there can never be too many references to the fairy tale theme.
I’m prepared to die before I let them maneuver me into saying that tired line about having kissed a lot of frogs.
But the earnest wayThea said the rest of it melts me. As does this next part: “He should be someone who supports her dreams.”
God, wouldn’t that be nice. I reach over to squeeze her knee, but she pretends she doesn’t see it. Got it.There’s only so much mushiness she’s willing to publicly accept.
Something flickers in Nate’s dark eyes, and I can tell we’ll be returning to that. But he wisely decides to give the now-squirming Rosie a turn first. “So what kind of man do you think your mom should be dating, Rosie?”
“He has to be a prince,” she says. “Is he a real prince? Is that a lie?”
Nate wobbles his head. “Well, it’s like your mom telling you that you’re a princess.”
“But that’s a lie!”
“Hey,” I say, with another mock-wounded look. Lie or not, she sure doesn’t mind when I say it.
“Okay,” Nate says. “But sometimes people say that about people who have prince or princess-like qualities. It’s more about the kind of person you are.”
He’s good at this.Talking to them at their level, but not being condescending. I wonder if he has kids. He doesn’t have a wedding ring. Not that I’m checking.
Rosie considers his answer. “Does he have prince clothes?”
“Yes,” Nate says.
