Page 111 of A Love Like Candle Light

“A hypocrite?” He draws back and stares at me with red-rimmed eyes, narrowed in confusion.

“Yeah. You always tell me to stop apologizing.” I lay my hands on his cheeks and wipe his tears away with my thumbs. “This is the part where you eat your words.”

“I guess I am.” He chuckles and softly shakes his head. “Can’t recommend it.”

Abby sits next to us, head tilted, clearly confused by Erik not properly greeting her.

“How about we make dinner, and while we eat, you tell me every detail? From the moment you set foot in her store to the moment the door closed behind you.” It's less of a question and more of a demand, because I’ve been sitting on hot coals all afternoon wondering how it went.

“It sounds like the perfect way to spend the evening.”

“Good.” I climb off his lap, only to immediately be replaced by Abby, finally demanding her pets.

“Hey!” He tries to dodge her tongue semi-successfully. “Go ahead, Kylie. I'll be right there.” No. He won’t be.

For a moment, I watch the two of them. Abby is clearly infatuated with Erik, which I'm taking as a good sign. Same, girl. And he’s just as infatuated, cuddling with her and talking in a hushed voice. I shake my head at them and trudge over to my kitchen. It’s ridiculous how well they get along.

My fridge reveals, pasta with tomato sauce is on the menu tonight. And I need to make a trip to the grocery store.

I'm about to chop one of the onions when my phone starts buzzing on the counter. It's probably Gabriella trying to find out how things are going. But alas.

As soon as I turn my phone around to look at the screen, my mood takes a nosedive. My mother has the worst timing. Nonetheless, I answer. I still have a bone to pick with her about giving Zach my new address.

“Hi, Mom.”

“There you are!” she exclaims, immediately accusatory, “What does it take to get you on the phone nowadays?”

“If this conversation is going to consist of you scolding me, I'm hanging up.” I’m already pulling the phone away from my ear.

“Wait.” I put it back to my cheek. “Why do you always have to be so confrontational?”

I don't dignify her question with an answer.

“I'm calling to see how things went with Zach.”

I lean my free hand on the counter and let my head drop. Take a deep breath, Kylie. She means well. She means well. I repeat it in my head like a mantra, but even after ten times, I can’t find it in myself to believe it.

“Things are not going anywhere, Mother.” My voice is ice and my shoulders tense with anger.

“But why not? He got fired. Now he has all the time for you. You should be happy.”

“Let me make sure I get this right. I should be happy he was fired?”

Now, working in marketing and having to make sure no message can be misinterpreted, you get somewhat used to finding hidden, obscure meanings in words. But her little guilt trip kills me.

“I mean, why aren't you? First you complain about him not spending any time with you, and now that he has time, you're not happy either.”

“We are divorced, mother.”

Erik trails into the kitchen and shoots me a confused look. I softly shake my head and point at my phone. He nudges me aside and takes note of the ingredients on the counter. Without a word, he starts chopping the onion and motions for me to go into the living room.

“You can still find your way back to each other! Annul the divorce and go back to your marriage like you promised before God.”

“I have a boyfriend, Mother,” I hiss into the phone once I'm on my couch, watching Erik cook. “I have zero interest in getting back together with Zach.”

“You have what?” she shrieks so loudly I have to pull the phone away from my ear.

“A boyfriend,” I shout into the phone just as loudly. Wow. That was aggressive, but the truth nonetheless.