“Good,” she finally said. “Now let’s get to the end of this hike and get a well-deserved drink. Because if you don’t loosen the hell up on your own, I’m going to do it for you.”
I nodded and that seemed to appease her. Instead of stalking away again, she put her hands on her hips and gazed out at the water.
I pulled out my phone to check the time. “Hey, mind if I do something real quick?”
Lila narrowed her eyes and a skeptical glint appeared in them. But she ultimately shrugged and said, “Sure.”
I pressed the green call button and let it ring a few times before the call was picked up and my mom’s smile came across the screen. She held the phone so close to her face that I couldn’t even see anything behind her. Despite being a relatively young mother, she was completely inept with technology.
“Harrison. Is that you?”
“It’s me, Ma.”
“It’s not too expensive to call from Greece, is it? How are you doing? Is it safe there? What’s it like?”
I chanced a glance at Lila, who was staring openly at me. When I made eye contact, however, she immediately looked away and suddenly became fascinated by the view.
“You’d love it here. I just wanted to show you something.” I pressed the button to flip the camera so she could see the incredible view in front of me.
“Oh Harrison, that’s stunning. I can’t believe that’s real. You’re really there? Gabe, come look at this.” She called my dad over, and soon both of their faces were pressed close to the camera.
“Why the hell are you holding the phone so close to your face?” he complained before taking it from her and setting it farther back.
“Wow, Harrison, that’s just amazing,” my mother continued. “I hope you’re enjoying every second of that. I’d never think my son would be all the way over in Greece. What day is it there?”
The corner of my lip tugged up. “Same day as it is there, Ma. Just later.”
“Wow, you feel a world away. You’ll have to come visit when you get home and show me all the pictures.”
“I’ll plan on it.”
“Are you by yourself?” My dad asked. “I thought you said in your text that a friend was with you.”
I cringed at the word ‘friend’ and glanced up again at Lila, who was still looking enthralled by the view.
“Lila is here too, but?—”
“Let me say hi,” my mom insisted. Before I could even object, Lila was at my side, grinning into the camera.
“Hello, Harrison’s parents,” she said brightly, because of course she would be the type of girl who loved meeting parents.
“Hi sweetie. Nice to meet you. I hope you’re taking care of my son.”
“Ma,” I scolded, but they both ignored me.
“I’m trying my best to get him to let loose and have a little fun.”
My dad snorted. “Good luck with that. He’s always been like this.”
“We gotta go,” I said flatly.
“Wait,” Mom said. “I wanted to tell you that you sent way too much money for my birthday last week. I’m sending some back.”
I squeezed my eyes shut in frustration. The two of them were too proud for their own good.
“I wanted you to have it. Do something fun. Get yourself something you’ve been wanting.”
Lila side-stepped away from me and the conversation.
