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He sees me and winks over the glass.
I dare the universe to make me like him more.
On top of that, Mama’s laughing at something he said.
“Hailey’s text yesterday said you were charming, but she underpromised and over-delivered,” Mama says as I sidle up to the kitchen island.
Torben pulls me close to his side.
I wince internally, but not because I don’t want Torben touching me. Lordy, I would like him to paw me day and night, thank you very much.
No, I’m waiting for Mama to say something about PDA, but she only tilts her head at Torben and sips her tea.
“I guess you two have already taken care of introductions,” I say.
Torben gives my shoulder a light squeeze. “Susan emerged while you were outside with Todd,” he says.
I arc an eyebrow. “Todd?”
The prince shrugs. “Susan caught me pacing the floor but did her best to reassure me that you and your brother have always fought like cats and dogs.”
“Not always,” I say in mock defensiveness.
Torben’s lips twitch ever so slightly. “She showed me a photo of the two of you on Santa’s lap. Your brother had a bite mark on his cheek,” Torben says.
I groan. “Mama, you had to dive right for my wild child phase, didn’t you?”
She laughs. “I needed to show the boy what he’s getting himself into.”
I shake my head, yet I like this ease between Mama and Torben. I wonder how much he’s told her about us? About why he’s here in the U.S.? About what his intentions are?
One thing Toad said rings true. What will happen to Mama if I leave?
I remind myself that the prince does not have to announce his fiancee until the end of the month. There’s plenty of time for things to change. Things might not work out between Torben and me.
But if they do work out, what then? Will I move away? Will I take Mama with me? Toad can’t look after her day and night.
Mama has been different since Daddy left. She’s a fragile little hermit. At least, that’s how we’ve been treating her. She needs help with the house and help feeling motivated to get out of bed. She needs help taking care of her animals. She just needs…help.
And now, watching her interact with a man I just met who is also the only man I’ve ever entertained the thought of marrying? It’s so sweet that a grain of sadness forms in my stomach.
I mean, what the actual fuck is happening? This is all crazy fast and out of nowhere.
Mama will miss parts of my life that I don’t want my mother to miss. She’s had such a difficult time and deserves some bright spots.
Of course, she’ll come to the wedding if a wedding happens. If his family is anything like Torben, I’m sure his family will expect my mom and all my kin to attend.
But life is not only weddings and celebrations.
Heck, I don’t know how I’ll survive in a foreign country without Memaw, Papaw, and Toad, either, if I’m honest. Or the dogs, the goats, even the smelly chickens.
Torben and Mama continue to be adorable together as she thumbs through page after page of the photo album. This morning, the prince was doing unspeakable things to me in a hotel room, and now he’s being shown my baby photos, my spelling bee awards and various gap-toothed school portraits taken before my adult teeth grew in.
I fully cringe when she arrives at my awkward middle school phase, showing my hair parted all wrong, the beginnings of acne, and secondhand clothes.
“Mama, please, can we skip over seventh grade? I wasn’t ready for prime time at age twelve.”
Mama clucks at me and shakes her head. Turning to Torben, she points at my seventh-grade photo. “Look at her. Have you ever seen a more perfect little girl? She was a scrapper. That scrape under her eye? She got that after tackling the Cooper boy to the ground for snapping her bra strap.”
