“I said I don’t like the idea of you spending so much time with Mitchell,” she repeats what I already heard.
“Mama, Mitchell has been a godsend since the divorce. He helped me find this house and is even helping me fix it up. Why would I push him away just because he is friends with my ex?”
I place the homemade cookies on the cooling rack and then move on to the cupcakes I made for the boys to take with them to their father’s this weekend.
Before my mother could reply, Cameron, my ten-year-old son, runs into the kitchen. He reaches for a cookie off the cooling rack. I swat his hand away.
“These are for the ladies at book club.” I give him one of the double chocolate cupcakes instead.
He gladly accepts the substitution. “The hole in the bathroom floor ate my shoe again.”
I drop my head forward between my shoulders. Like I said, the house is a fixer-upper, but it was an amazing deal.
“Alright, I’ll put that on the list for Uncle Mitch and I to fix next.”
“Do you think Uncle Mitch will let me and Jacob use the nail gun again?” Jacob is Mitch’s son and Cameron’s best friend.
Rolling my eyes at him, I immediately reply, “No.” The last time they used that thing, Cam nailed Jacob’s pants to the floor. “Go get your other shoes. And don’t forget to pack your asthma pump.”
“I knew I was forgetting something,” Cam shouts as he runs out of the room. The kid never walks anymore.
“See what I mean,” my mother says, as if she had just proved her point. “You’re relying on that man entirely too much.”
Despite my mother’s concerns, I don’t know what I’d do without Mitch. He has been a lifesaver. He never took sides the entire time Andrew and I went through our separation and divorce. I lost a lot of friends. Many of them, I now realize, were friends with me because of my husband. I’ve even had to cut off some family members who thought to take advantage of my misfortune.
“I’m not relying on him.”
“Honey, the man is at your house every day.”
My mouth opens to argue against that, but she’s not wrong.
She lets out a deep breath before speaking again. “I’m not saying Mitchell isn’t helping you. I just don’t want you to rely on him too much. What if he decides to drop you like that no-good ex-husband? What if he’s only being nice to report back to Andrew?”
Admittedly, I’ve thought about that last one before. I mean, they are friends. However, even Andrew says that he and Mitch aren’t close anymore.
“Mitch isn’t like Andrew, Mama,” I say confidently.
“That’s your problem, baby girl. You were always too trusting. The only reason he is coming around like he does is probably to keep tabs on you. I bet he runs back and tells Andrew everything that goes on. They’re probably plotting to keep you single.”
I stop only for a minute to consider this. I guess it could seem that way, but they don’t know Mitch like I do. He isn’t that type. Plus, I’ve known Mitch longer than I’ve known Andrew. He and I had Spanish class together and became friends. In fact, it was Mitch who introduced me to Andrew.
“You’re wrong about Mitch.”
“Mmmhmmm,” she hums. I can tell she isn’t convinced. But like I said, she doesn’t know Mitchell like I do.
Placing all the cupcakes in the travel cupcake tray, I put the lid on it.
“So, you thought any more about what we talked about yesterday?”
I pause and turn and look at the phone screen, even though I know she can’t see me. “I’m not ready for that.”
“Ella Marie Alexander,”
“Scott,” I say correcting her. “You know I still go by my married name.”
“That’s a problem in itself.” She mumbles in that way that tells you she wants you to hear what she’s saying, but she doesn’t want you to know that. “Honey, it’s been almost two years.”
“Only one year, six months, and four days.”
