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“That sounds dangerous...for Genna, I mean.” Zoey ruffed her fingers through Hazel’s hair playfully. “Has she seen your Insta account? Does she know how expensive your tastes are?”
“She has, and she does, sothere.” Hazel pushed Zoey’s hand away with a grin before growing serious again. “Don’t be mad, but she’s into fashion and stuff.”
It was no secret that Zoey was mystified by whatever people thought “fashion” was from one week to the next. Meanwhile, Hazel kept up with every new trend in clothing, hair and makeup. She not only followed dozens of so-called social mediainfluencers, she also had herownaccounts. Zoey monitored it all carefully to be sure her daughter’s posts were age appropriate. Any creepy dudes who tried to follow her were promptly blocked. Even after viewing all those videos and reels and lives and whatever they were called, Zoey didn’t get it.
Clothing was a practical necessity in her life, but nothing more. She didn’t wantto look like a slob or anything, but as long as her clothes were clean and hole-free, she was happy. Her trademark jeans and T-shirts were her own unique fashion statement. Hazel said more than once that sort of trademark only worked with a style that was cutting edge and unique, but Zoey had shrugged her off. From the time she was a teenager, she’d heard other people’s opinions—and laughter—about her clothes and hair and house. She was very good at ignoring them.
But now Hazel was going to have a stepmother who loved pop culture and style as much as Hazel did. Zoey felt a flutter of insecurity in her chest. Sure, she’d been good at ignoring opinions...or at least appearing to. But those barbs had still wiggled their way into her self-esteem, both as a young girl and all these years later.
“Mom? It’s okay that you’re not into it. You know that, right?” Hazel leaned forward. “I just meant Genna likes it like I do. That doesn’t reflect on you...”
Zoey couldn’t help laughing. “That’s what I told you about you being more into glitter and glam than me.” She took a deep breath, reminding herself that she was the Mom. “I’m glad Genna likes the things you like. I’m glad you likeher. I won’t lie—it’s going to take me some time to get used to her being in the family. But that’s my issue, not yours. It’s totally normal after—”having your life upended“—getting a divorce.”
“What...being weird?” Hazel’s smile was mischievous. Her playful little girl was back.
“Oh, ha ha. And...yes. Weird probablyisnormal for me. Does that work for you?”
Hazel nodded, her eyes twinkling with humor. “I’m used to it.”
“Good. Because I’m too old to change. Why don’t you go unpack and I’ll find something for dinner.”
“Um...” Hazel blushed. “There isn’t anything to unpack. I left most of what I took at Dad’s place. Like you suggested.”
Divorce had been the only option when she’d discovered Chris was cheating. So she didn’t regret the divorce, despite the pain of a failed marriage. But this journey through the monthsafterthe divorce was harder than she’d ever anticipated. Like...advising Hazel to make herself more at home at Chris’s place, then feeling a stab of pain when Hazel actuallydidit.
“That’sterrific, honey!” She took a breath and lowered her voice to a more normal level. “Good for you. But I still need to figure out what we’ll have for dinner. Gimme half an hour.”
She left Hazel to inspect the living room more closely, then went right through the kitchen and out to the back porch. Dinner was lasagna from the freezer. All she had to do was warm it up. Zoey didn’t mind cooking, but sometimes she was just too tired. Or, like tonight, too annoyed. She dialed her ex-husband’s number. Chris sounded surprised when he answered, but she talked right over his question if Hazel was okay.
“She’s fine. And so very full of surprising news.” She leaned against the wall of the house, trying to avoid the chilly breeze that was shaking the new leaves on the lilac trees.
“Are you upset about the wedding or the baby?”
“I’m upset that I learned aboutbothof those things from our daughter. Our thirteen-year-old daughter. You could have given me a heads-up, Chris. Pick up the phone. Text me, for Christ’s sake. This isnotthe coparenting we agreed to. No blindsides, remember? Parent as ateam?” She tapped her toe angrily. “Ring any bells?”
There was a moment of silence on the line. She was expecting a long string of angry, defensive arguments to deflect the blame, but he surprised her.
“You’re right. Sorry.”
“Uh...what?”
He gave a small laugh. “I mean it. I’m sorry. We agreed to no blindsides, and I broke that agreement. Genna was excited and she just blurted it out over breakfast this morning. Honestly, I’m feeling a little blindsided myself.” He paused. “A baby.” He registered Zoey’s silence and jumped in to undig that hole. “It’s not about us and how we tried...”
“Stop, Chris.” Her head fell back and thunked against the house. “You have every right to be happy.” After breaking her heart. “But you need to remember this is a lot for Hazel to take in. It’s only been a year since we split, and with the move and puberty and now becoming a big sister... I would have liked to have been prepared for the conversation she and I just had.”
“She seemed happy when we told her...”
“Of course she acted happy—she knew that’s what you expected.” An edge had crept into her voice, and she took a calming breath. She’d just scolded Chris about parenting as a team, so she couldn’t let her personal feelings take over now. “Hazel’s fine with it. A little stunned, but she’s okay.” Another breath. “She seems to like Genna.”
“Genna will never try to take your place, Zoey.”
The fact that Chris thought he had to say that stung at first, but then she realized sheneededto hear it. Her body tension eased.
“I guess I should get to know her, huh?”
“Sure.” He didn’t sound all that enthusiastic. “I guess we could start with coffee together or something.”
“Decaf, of course.”
