Page 77 of The Daddy’s Girl

I’m clasping one of my hoops in place as I nod toward the empty bag in the corner. “Sure. Where are you going?”

“Your dad wants to check on the plumbing at the London house. You don’t mind if I go with him, do you?”

“Again? You were just there last weekend.”

She responds with a shrug, and I get the feeling that she’s up to something.

The thought of being alone in the house creates a gnawing unease in my gut. I hate being alone, but I don’t let it show. I’m too old for this, right? Plus, it’s not fair that my parents feel the need to be at home with me. I’m a grown adult.

So I force a smile and nod. “Of course you can take it. Have fun.”

“Thanks, sweetie,” she says with a coy smile as she crosses the room to get the bag on the floor. Then she notices my outfit. “Very cute. Where are you going?”

Matis and I are doing something that is actually wholesome and innocent, so I don’t feel bad telling her the truth.

“Matis invited me to go see his mom with him.”

My mom pauses for a moment, deliberating as I fix my unruly bangs. Judging by the way she’s scrutinizing me, I’m starting to wonder if even wholesome and innocent activities with my godfather raise red flags.

“What?” I ask.

“Nothing,” she mumbles, looking away. “That’s sweet of you to go with him.”

“Yeah. We’ve been hanging out a lot lately with me helping him on the dating apps. That’s all.”

Can’t say I love feeling as if I have to defend myself.

“And how’s that going?” she asks with a tone of suspicion.

“Good,” I reply with a casual shrug. “Still no luck, though. I don’t like any of these women he’s getting matched with.”

She nods, clearly biting her tongue. Finally, she steps toward me with a heavy sigh.

“Just…be careful.”

My fingers freeze around my earring. “Why?”

“I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

The air in the room starts to boil as I avert my gaze from my mother’s watchful eyes. “What are you talking about? What a weird thing to say, Mom.”

“I know what I’m talking about, Mel.”

“No, you don’t,” I argue. “Matis would never hurt me.”

“I know he wouldn’t,” she replies softly. “But I don’t want to see you get attached. He’s a very easy person to fall for.”

My brow furrows as I fight the burning anxiety starting to creep under my skin. The snappy anger and need to defend myself grow like a blazing fire. Because she’s wrong.

“I’m not falling for him,” I snap. “It’s not like that.”

“Okay, okay,” she murmurs to calm my nerves. I can tell she wants to place her hands on my arms but doesn’t. My mom knows me better than anyone, but instead of loving that…sometimes it feels like an invasion. “I only want you to be happy. That’s all I ever want.”

Glancing down at my sandals, I nod. “I know.”

Inside my head, I imagine myself telling her the truth. I picture a world where I could voice to my mother all the excitement and love blossoming inside me because it truly is a big deal. But I can’t.

And maybe she picks up on that too.