Page 23 of A Match Made In Fall

I don’t want to read into the message. Asking about my injury is one thing, but why ask if we can catch up?

“I’m confused for you,” my mom admits after a moment.

I glance up at her.

“Dexter was very clear about what he wanted when the two of you split up,” she continues. “And if I’m being honest, I never thought he handled your dance career very well. He was very threatened by it, all the attention and the success.”

I stare at her in surprise.

My parents were supportive after the breakup, but they never shared their opinions. They stayed neutral through all of it, only offering advice when I asked for it. And at the time that’s exactly what I needed.

“I don’t know if that’s true,” I reply. “He never said anything about it bothering him.”

She gives me a look. “Does that surprise you?”

I open my mouth to say something but then close it quickly.

Actually it doesn’t surprise me because Dexter wasn’t the kind of person who would intentionally try to hurt me. He knew how much I love dancing, so if there were issues, he probably wouldn’t voice them.

“I guess not,” I admit quietly.

My mom continues talking. “I think he probably believed the grass would be greener on the other side. And now maybe he’s realizing that’s not the case and he gave up on a good thing.”

I stare at the mess around me while I process what she’s saying.

“Your injury gave him an excuse to contact you,” she continues. “It was only a matter of time.”

I don’t say anything. I never realized she had such strong opinions about Dexter, or about our relationship. Part of me wishes she had said something, even though I wouldn’t have listened.

“Well, even if we did catch up, our relationship is long over,” I say. “I’ve moved on with my life. I’m even going out with someone this weekend. It’s a group thing, but at least I’m getting out of the house.”

Her face lights up. “Since when? Who is it?”

I wasn’t planning on saying anything about going out with Austin just yet, but here we go.

“Austin Reed, from the Carolina Bears.”

Her mouth drops open, and then a grin spreads across her face. “The hockey player, of course.”

I laugh. “You make it sounds like you knew it would happen.”

She shrugs. “I had my suspicions. It was obvious Austin was interested from the second he saw you after that game.”

“Let’s not go overboard,” I tell her. “A little bit of flirting doesn’t automatically mean someone is interested.”

“Sure it does.”

I know better than to argue with her. We both like being right too much. It’s another Martin family trait.

“Anyway, I’m looking forward to it. I’m tired of sitting around feeling sorry for myself.”

My mom moves over to me and puts her arms around me. “I know how difficult this has been for you,” she says softly, rubbing my back. “But I have a feeling things are finally starting to look up.”

I lean into her embrace. “Thanks, Mom. I think so too.”

Right now, a hug from my mother is exactly what I need. It’s funny how this still helps even as an adult.

She pulls back just enough to look at me. “Now send Dexter a message and tell him you’re dating Austin Reed, your new boyfriend.”