A long, intentional pause later, she replied. “Hi, sweetheart.”
He leaned back against the truck, staring at the sky. “It’s not like you to call, Mom. Is something wrong?”
“I just wanted to check in,” she said, the softness in her voice edged with something firmer underneath. “You’ve been busy.”
“Yeah. The classes have started up.” He hesitated. “Other things have kept me busy, too.”
“I heard,” she replied quickly. Too quickly. “From Rachel Bright.”
Of course. He rubbed his forehead. “You mean about Demarien?”
Another pause. Longer this time.
“So it’s true.”
“Yes, Mom. It’s true.”
“I see.” A faint exhale crackled through the speaker. “And how long has this been going on?”
“Going on?” He let out a small, humorless laugh. “We’re not some scandal. We’ve been seeing each other for a couple of months.”
“A couple months,” she repeated, like she was testing how it sounded. “And you didn’t think to tell me?”
“Since when have you been interested in who I date?” he asked.
“That’s not fair,” she snapped, the first crack in her composure. “I care about you. I have a right to know about the people you let into your life.”
“I know you care,” he said, quieter now.
Silence reigned for a moment. “Rachel told me all about him.”
He closed his eyes. “Of course she did.”
“I just wanted to understand who he is,” she said defensively. “And I’m concerned.”
“Mom—”
“He’s younger than you.”
“Two or three years isn’t a lot, Mom.”
“He isn’t mature enough,” she insisted. “And his job…”
“What about it?”
“It’s unstable,” she said. “Opening an inn and restaurant in Myrtlewood Bay? That’s risky. It’s not what you need.”
“Need?” he echoed. “What do Ineed, Mom?”
“I want you to be safe,” she shot back. “I want you to have something steady. Someone dependable.”
“He is dependable.”
“I highly doubt that.”
“I know him, Mom. Better than you do. I also know how he treats me.”
Another pause lingered between them. Softer this time, but heavier.
