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Wait a minute...
“Mike?” She grabbed his arm. “What have you done?”
At the front of the room, Marty was trying to formally adjourn the meeting, but no one was listening.
Mike slid his arms around her again. “This one is all your godmother’s work, along with her matchmaking cronies.”
“Mom!” Hazel was practically bouncing. “Vickie says Pop-pop’s sculptures will be on display in the garden, right in town. And guest artists will displaytheirsculptures, too. And the whole thing will be named after him.”
Zoey looked at Mike, who nodded. “The Robert Hartford Memorial Sculpture Garden. It will be right near the festival grounds.”
Dad would never believe it. His artwork on permanent display in an actual park named after him. She ended up in another circle hug with Mike and Hazel. She met his gaze over her daughter’s head. He nodded at the top of Hazel’s head, his smile wide, but his voice low enough not to be heard by the crowd.
“Look—she’s between us again.”
Zoey laughed, but Hazel was solemn.
“Duh... I’m notbetweenyou. I’mwithyou.”
And just like that, Zoey felt...healed. Whole. And happy. She didn’t have two worlds anymore—no more two Zoey’s, mom vs woman. She hadoneworld. And it was right here in this circle of love. Mike’s eyes were glowing with affection...and a touch of heat.
“She said she’s going to give us a chance, so what do you say—time to take that step forward?”
She went up on her toes to reach over Hazel to kiss him. “It’s long past time, I think. I love you both so much it hurts.”
“Okay,” Hazel protested, squished between them. “You’re making this a gross Hazel sandwich.”
Mike loosened his grip on the two of them, but just enough to give Hazel some breathing room. He tipped his head down to look right at her. “Are you okay with this, kid?”
Hazel rolled her eyes. “Are you going to keep your end of the deal?”
He laughed again, the sound ringing through Zoey’s heart like Christmas bells. “Keep the doors locked? I promise.”
Mary ran up to them just then, holding her phone up. Zoey noticed others in the room were looking at their phones, then laughing and pointing toward her and Mike and Hazel. Mary threw her arms around the threesome quickly for a hug.
“Congratulations, you guys. That was quite a win,andthe sculpture garden will be incredible. I’m donating a website for that, by the way.” Mary ran her hand through Hazel’s hair, tousling it and making Hazel squeal. “Andyou, you little rascal! How thehell...I mean...heck...did you get my brother to dance like that?”
Bridget and Finn walked over, and Finn couldn’t stop laughing. “Well, I guess instead ofboytoywe’ll have to call youtwinkletoes, eh?”
“What is everyone laughing about?” Zoey grabbed at Mary’s phone. Oh, God. Hazel had a new video up. Zoey gave her a warning look before opening it.
It was Hazel, and it looked like she was in Vickie’s backyard. The lake was bright blue behind her. She was dressed in a costume of some sort, in a green leotard and a tall striped hat. Was it anime? A cartoon? Some TikTok trend? She’d never been able to keep up with them all. She clicked the Play button, and Hazel was dancing to some song with a catchy, funny beat to it. And then Mike appeared behind Hazel, crossing over in the opposite direction as her, but doing the same skipping steps. And he wasalso wearinga giant green top hat, although he’d been spared the leotard—instead he wore green sweatpants and a green T-shirt.
Zoey’s hand went over her mouth. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her daughter and her—she glanced up at his blushing face—herboyfriendwere doing a dance challenge together. And it was hysterically funny.
“What...what am I watching?” she asked, to no one in particular. She couldn’t stop laughing at the silliness of it. Mike moved behind her, sliding his arms around her waist. She glanced up to find Hazel watching them. Her daughter was smiling. Zoey relaxed back against Mike’s solid chest, hope and joy dancing circles around her heart.
“Read the caption,” he said, his breath moving the hair by her ear. His chin rested on her shoulder.
She’d been so busy laughing at her two beloved clowns dancing that she’d missed the small scrolling caption, similar to the one on that first embarrassing video Hazel had done. She held the phone closer and read it out loud.
When your mom’s attorney boytoy. Turns out to be what the olds call cool. I’m dead that he did this! OG all the way.
It was followed by a string of laughing crying emojis. She looked at Hazel, who now was laughing with everyone else.
“So,” Zoey wiped her eyes. “This is teenspeak for ‘my mom’s boyfriend is now acceptable to me because he allowed me to humiliate him in a dance challenge’?”
Hazel rolled her eyes. “He’d have been acceptable before that if you’dtoldme about him.” Zoey winced, knowing she’d screwed up. But then Hazel looked at Mike and broke out in another torrent of giggles. “But humiliating himwaspretty fun.”
