“You say that. Wait until you have children of your own someday; then you’ll understand.”
I’m not sure I even want children, I think but don’t say. It’s not something I’ve ever given a ton of thought to. In truth, whenever I thought about the future, there were only two things I could ever see. Dance... and Penn.
I gave up one in search for the other, only to lose the one and find my way back to the other again. Funny how life seems to always bring us back to where we truly belong.
I smile at the thought. Of Penn. Of the last few days. Of how I feel happier than I have in a very, very long time.
He makes me feel... alive. Alive in a way I didn’t know I could feel outside of a stage.
“I’m sorry,” I say instead of arguing with my mom. She’s right. I should have texted her at the very least.
“Can I expect you home today or is Josie going to require further nights of your company?” Something about the way she says this gives me pause. “And by Josie, I mean Penn.”
“What... I...”
“Your father saw you arrive at the docks yesterday in Penn’s truck after he noted my car in the parking lot earlier that morning and yet you never showed for work. We put two and two together. Though why you felt the need to lie...”
“I’m sorry.” I apologize a second time. “I just...”
“Didn’t want to overcomplicate an already complicated situation.” She finishes my thought as if she reached inside my head and pulled the words out herself.
“Exactly.” I blow out a breath.
“You know that you can tell me anything, right?”
“I know.” Guilt swarms my chest.
My mom used to be the person I told everything to. Even as a teenager. She knew about me and Penn’s first kiss the night it happened. The first time we made love, though I gave very little detail because some things are meant to be kept to yourself. I’d confide in her when things were perfect and when they weren’t. But things haven’t been the same between us since I left for New York. There’s been this invisible rift, something we both feel but neither has addressed.
“I didn’t really know what to say,” I admit. “We haven’t exactly talked about what we’re doing here.”
“I didn’t even know you two were talking again. Last you told me, he was being quite curt with you.”
“He was. It... Well, it all sort of happened kind of fast.”
“And how are you feeling about this?”
“Happy,” I say without hesitation.
“Well, then I’m happy too.” I can hear the smile in her voice.
“Thank you.”
“But that doesn’t mean you should be missing work. It’s easy to let the lines between professional and personal blur, but while you’re still working for Penn, you can’t let it.”
“I know.” I blow out a breath. “Wait, how did you...” I start to ask but then quickly answer my own question. “Dad.”
“Dad,” she confirms.
“Mom, I’m...” I start to apologize again, when I hear what sounds like knocking. “Hang on.” I pause, listening more closely. The knocking resumes, this time a little louder.
Standing, I slip on the first thing I find—one of Penn’s T-shirts before padding across the bedroom floor to peek out the window—stomach dropping when I see a little red car sitting in his driveway.
“Shoot,” I mutter. “Mom, I gotta go.”
“Everything okay?”
“Cat’s here.”
