Page 94 of The Write Stuff

“Yes, she came to fix your life,” I said. “She caught Huxley and me eating doughnuts in front of the building.”

“Uh-oh.” Lucy looked like a deer caught in headlights. “Did you yell?” she asked Mom. “You didn’t pull his hair or anything, did you?” She looked around. “Where is he? Please tell me you didn’t force them to break up. They’re really good together. He absolutely adores Wylie. It’s not fair to take him away from her.”

Mom made an exasperated face. “I’m not an ogre, Lucy. I have no problem with your sister’s relationship with Huxley. From what I saw, they’re very cute. Almost gag-worthy, they’re so cute, actually.”

“Oh, they’re gross,” Lucy agreed. “They’re so happy, though. I don’t want anything to come between them.”

I gave her a fresh look. “Since when? You’ve been poking him since the minute you saw him again.”

“That’s just because I like irritating people.” She looked rueful. “I don’t have a problem with him. In fact, I like him.”

That was news to me. “Huh.”

“It seems you’ve been assuming things about both your sister and me,” Mom said pointedly. “You know what they say about people who assume things, don’t you?”

“Yes, Mother,” I muttered, hanging my head.

“Good, because we’re going to have a long conversation about all of this.” Her tone was pointed. “Then I want to hear every little detail about how this happened.”

She sounded as if she was smiling, and when I jerked up my head, I found she had a huge grin splitting her face. Hope welled inside of me. My mother was going to be an ally, not an enemy, in this process. I had never been more relieved in my life.

“First things first, though,” Mom said. “Lucy, you mentioned on our last phone call that you were considering college. I’ve been waiting for this moment for years. We’re going to find the right college and track for you.”

“Today?” Lucy asked, horror washing across her face.

“Well, within the next few days,” Mom clarified. “I don’t want you picking the wrong field just because you’re feeling pressure. We’re going to figure it out, though.”

She took a deep breath. “Then I want to meet your girlfriend, Lucy. If she’s the sort who is going to derail you, I’m going to be mad.”

“She’s not,” I interjected. “She’s an author. Hayley Clifton. She’s extremely career-oriented, and she doesn’t put up with Lucy’s crap.”

“She doesn’t let me get away with anything,” Lucy agreed on a sullen scowl. “She’s so mean.”

“She sounds like an absolute delight,” Mom countered. “I can’t wait to meet her. We’re having dinner with Huxley tonight. Perhaps you can bring her.”

I liked the idea of taking some of the pressure off Huxley.

“Wait, so you’re not mad that she’s with Huxley?” Lucy pressed. “I thought for sure there was going to be a meltdown about that.”

She wasn’t the only one. “Me, too,” I admitted.

“Yes, well, I have nothing to melt down about.” Mom took a deep breath. “I think it’s time the two of you hear the story about how Mick and I ended up together. It’s bound to come up, especially when Eleanor hits town, which is inevitable.”

My stomach constricted. “You don’t think she’s coming now, do you?”

“I have no idea. We don’t exactly run in the same circles any longer.”

“Because you stole Mick from her,” Lucy said. “I’ve heard the story.”

“Not all of it,” Mom countered.

“I know the whole story,” I volunteered. “It’s a little different from what we’ve been told over the years.”

“You don’t know the whole story either,” Mom replied. She heaved out a sigh. “It’s time you do. Once Eleanor reenters our lives — and it will happen — a lot of things are going to be said. I want you to know the truth.”

Guilt reared up. “I’m sorry you have to go through this again,” I offered. “Because of me, I mean.”

“It’s not your fight, Wylie,” Mom insisted. “You deserve to be happy. I will deal with Eleanor.”