“Oh, darling, no. A fate worse than death.”
“Don’t joke.”
Kathleen made a stern face and saluted her daughter. “Roger that. Why did you onlyalmostkiss? Did he chicken out? Didyou?”
“No,” Merritt protested, “Annie interrupted us.”
“Oh, poor thing.”
“Her or me?”
Kathleen considered this. “Mostly her. But you, too, of course.”
Merritt laughed. “I don’t think she saw much. It was just, you know, immediately awkward, and I realized how stupid it was to kiss my brand-new boss.”
“But you didn’t kiss him.”
“Well, no, but—”
“Maybe you should have. He’s very cute.”
“His wife just died.”
Kathleen nodded, then added gently, “Ithasbeen over a year.”
“But he’s still sad, I think. And he has a daughter, and I justknowshe’s still sad. How could she not be?”
“Poor thing,” Kathleen said again, then waited a few beats. “These things do happen, though.”
“That doesn’t mean they’re a good idea.”
“It doesn’t mean they’re no—”
“I still need to work with him, Mom,” Merritt interrupted. “Or maybe I don’t. Maybe I should quit—”
“No,” Kathleen said, shaking her head. “Anyway, he’s the one who needs to work withyou, from everything you’ve told me.”
Merritt smiled at that. She knew her mom was right. Kathleen straightened up. She had always had a knack for knowing when to move on from conversations like this.
“All right, Merritt, you stay here and fret.”
“Mom!”
“Justifiablyfret. I’m going to work in the garden, but...” Kathleen raised her index finger. “You can’t control when things like this happen—no,don’tobject. Listen to me: you don’t get to choose how these things go. They just go, and maybe you go with them. Maybe you don’t, but it’s up to you.”
Merritt smiled, begrudgingly.
“I feel like there’s more.”
Kathleen nodded. “There is: I will not allow you to quit working with him. If he makes you feel weird about last night, you remind him what you’re made of,justin case he somehow forgets. All right?”
“All right, Mom.”
Kathleen stood. “And I’d still welcome your help in the garden, when you regain the vigor required to get up and out of bed.”
“I’m out of bed!”
“You’re very much recumbent, dear,” Kathleen called back, having already left the room.
