Page 138 of What Started In Deception

She nodded. “Okay.”

He grabbed the phone off the table and winced again. “It’s my mom.”

“Go ahead and answer it.”

He shook his head. “I’ll call her back tomorrow.”

“Talk to your mom, Ty.”

He sighed as he swiped his thumb right and put the phone up to his ear. “Hey, Mom.” He smiled as he winked across the table. “Yeah, I’m with Lydia.” Then he frowned. “Hello?”

Lydia frowned now. “What’s wrong?”

“She hung up.”

“Oh.”

His phone started to ring again, but this time they heard the unmistakable ringtone of a FaceTime call.

Lydia laughed as he swore.

He answered, holding up the phone. “Hey, Mom.”

“Hi, honey. Where’s Lydia?”

Lydia got up and moved to the other side of the table, grinning at Ty’s beautiful mom. “Hi, Bina.”

Bina grinned back. “Hi, honey. Don’t you two look so gorgeous together.”

“We’re on a date,” Ty said.

Bina beamed again. “That’s wonderful. Where are you?”

“We’re up in Massachusetts, vacationing for a couple of weeks.”

Bina’s eyes grew wide as her hand moved to her heart. “You’re—you’re taking a vacation?”

Ty nodded. “I am.”

“You never take vacations.”

He shrugged. “I guess I’m a changed man.”

“Oh, honey, I’m so thrilled that you’re allowing yourself to have a little fun. Lydia, whatever it is that you’re saying or doing, you keep it up. I like this version of my son. I can see the happiness in his eyes.”

“We’re having a great time playing tourist,” Lydia added, knowing that poor Bina didn’t understand that Ty was just doing his job.

“Well, you two get back to your date. I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing.”

“We’re doing really well,” Lydia said.

“Thanks for calling, Mom.”

“I love you, Tyler.”

“I love you, too.”

And then Bina was gone.