I turned my gaze to Dr. Zott. “Let’s do it.”
“How doyou feel after your first therapy session?” my mom asked once the server took our breakfast orders at Biscuit Love after my appointment. Katie said she was feeling a lot better and insisted I take the day off. She’d driven back to Nashville early that morning so she could be at the restaurant, leaving Dallas with Luca.
“A little drained,” I answered. “I feel like I could sleep for a week.”
She nodded. “That’s understandable. These past couple of days have been hard.”
“I wish I’d realized sooner how much I still needed help,” I admitted, taking a sip of my water. “But I can’t go back and change it, and I’m trying this new thing where I don’t let myself worry about things that are out of my control.”
She raised her brows, a mixture of surprise and amusement on her face.
I laughed. “Don’t look at me like that. I said it’s anewthing.”
“No, I think that’s great,” she assured me. “It sounds like this therapist might be a good fit. I’m proud of you for taking that first step. I know it wasn’t easy.”
“Thanks,” I said, “but I can’t take all the credit. I don’t know if I would’ve gone had it not been for you and Kia giving me the push I needed.”
“It doesn’t matter how you got there. What matters is that you did it.” She glanced down, scanning her menu. “Have you gotten any updates on Luca?”
I took in a breath. “Actually, he texted me as I was walking into my appointment.” It was the first time I’d heard from him since Saturday night.
“What did he say?”
I recited the message I already knew by heart.I’m sorry. For everything. Can I see you?
“Katie told me earlier that Luca saw his therapist yesterday,” I said, clearing my throat. “She said he and Dallas were heading back to Nashville later this afternoon.”
“Did you text him back?”
“Not yet.”
“You think he’s going back to the hobbit house?” she asked.
I shook my head. “I doubt it. He’ll probably go back to Dallas and Katie’s. I mean, he left his key, so I’m taking it that chapter is over.”
She lifted her gaze to me. “I think it would be good for you to see him. Clear the air.”
“I want to,” I said, running a hand along my arm, my leg bouncing beneath the table with such force that I caused it to vibrate.
Her forehead creased. “I feel like there’s abutcoming.”
“I love Luca,” I said with a sigh. “But I guess I don’t know where we stand.”
“Do you still want to be with him?”
“I do,” I answered quickly. “It’s just that I’m also feeling a little…gun-shy. Even if I understandwhyhe left, it doesn’t change the fact that he did so without a single word. How can I be sure he won’t run again?”
“I don’t think youcanbe,” she said. “I know you want a guarantee it won’t happen again, but there’s no way to know for certain. You just need to have faith and hope for the best.”
“Maybe you haven’t noticed this about me, Mom, but I’m not exactly a risk-taking faith-haver.”
She chuckled. “Some things are worth the risk, though. Some people are too.”
“So, you’re saying you think we should stay together.” It was a statement, not a question.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’tnotsay that.”
