“More than anything, I just want you to be happy and, honey, I haven’t seen you so happy as I have this last week, in…” Her eyes meet the ceiling, lips pursed in thought. “Years.”
“I hear what you’re saying, Ma, I do, but I made a promise to Dad?—”
“Nonsense.”
“What? He said to me?—”
“Iknowwhat he said to you, Luke. I just didn’t think you’d take it so damn literally.” Ma raises and drops her hands. “Just because your father said you needed to help take care of us didn’t mean you were supposed to be stuck here for life.”
“I’m not stuck. I can’t leave you all here to keep this place running while I go chase some girl. I don’t even like the city! I’m hap?—”
She holds up a finger, stopping me in my tracks. “You are stuck, son. So stuck, you let the woman who lights you up from the inside out walk right out of this house. For goodness’ sake, you didn’t even fight for her to stay because you thought she wouldn’t, and thought you couldn’t follow her. Your dad didn’t mean you had tostay here, he just wanted you to remember thatwewere here. Check in on us from time to time, come visit, that sort of thing. And as far as hating the city, I think we both know you’d find a way to love it if it meant you were with the person you’re supposed to be with.”
Ma slides her tea aside and grabs my hand, cupping it between hers.
I shake my head, peering out the window, unable to meet her knowing stare. She’s right, and we both know it. I almost said it, almost asked if she’d consider any possibility of finding a way for us to explore what we started. But the words never left my mouth, out of fear that Liv might reject me, reject Maple Cove, and the life I have here. The same way Samantha did.
“When your soul finds what your soul needs…” Ma begins.
“Then you grab hold, and you never let it go,” I finish, recitingthe words she’s shared with me time and time again since I was a boy.
“Luke.” She pats my knee. “This will be okay. Do you hear me? We will be just fine.”
“What about the review?”
“I don’t know. I’m more worried about you than some silly girl’s words on our review page. Anybody with eyes can see that’s the only one like it, so it’s not my concern just yet. Right now, your happiness is my primary concern.” She pulls me in for a hug only a mother can give, full of love, reassurance, and steady strength.
“I love you, Ma.”
“Mmm hmm. I love you, too. I think it’s time you figure out how to get your girl back.”
“Did you see?” Josh says, striding into the house with his cellphone screen pointing toward me. I glance at him and then resume pacing in my mother’s living room.
“Yeah, at this point it seems like everyone saw it.” I rub my eyes.
“So, what do we do?” He shoves his hands into his gray chino shorts.
“I’m not sure. Some kind of damage control has to happen though.”
Josh nods and waits, as if sensing I have more to say.
“Ma knows… or has always known about Liv and me.”
“Yikes. What’d she say? Was she mad?”
“I don’t know if mad is the right word. She seemed… disappointed? But not for the reason we’d expect.” I stop pacing and rest my hip against the back of the couch. “Ma thinks I should have asked Liv to stay, or fought harder for her.”I didn’t fight at all. I just let her go.
“Hell yeah you should have. You’re an idiot for not at least asking.”
“Don’t be a dick.”
“I’m not trying to be. I think you’re an idiot for not asking Liv if she’d be willing to makesomethingwork. You clearly have feelings for her—big enough to walk around here like a grumpy-ass troll all week because you miss her and don’t want to admit it. She isnotSamantha. For one, she’s cool as hell, and Samantha sucked.”
I roll my eyes, turning my back to him.
“I think Liv really loved it here. I bet she could envision a life here and maybe even with you if you had just said something about it to her. But nope, you?—”
“Alright, alright. I get it.” I turn back, holding my hands up in surrender.
