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Chapter 11
IT FEELS A LOT LIKE . . . LIKE
LIBBY
“Mom, we’re here!” I shout as I walk into my parents’ house. Miss Ina, who came with me for dinner, gives me an unhappy look. “What?”
“It’s rude for a young woman to shout.”
“I’m in the kitchen!” Mom shouts.
I grin at Miss Ina, who rolls her eyes. I drop my purse on top of the small table near the front door, then take off my coat and hang it in the coat closet.
I start to help Miss Ina with her coat, but I have to back away from her when she starts to slap at my hands. “Stop fussing over me all the darn time,” she says crankily.
“I was just trying to help you out,” I say, hiding my smile when she glares at me. I don’t know what it is, but I really like annoying the woman. It’s becoming my favorite pastime.
“Was there a lot of traffic?” Mom asks as we walk into the kitchen. It’s where she likes to spend most of her time. She’s always puttering around the kitchen making something, sitting at the island writing out lists, or chatting online with her friends on her laptop.
“Yes,” Miss Ina answers.
Simultaneously, I answer, “No.”
“I see.” Mom smiles, looking between the two of us. “Now tell me again why you couldn’t invite your boyfriend to come along with you?”
“He’s working the next two days,” I say, reminding her of exactly what I told her on the phone that very afternoon, when she asked me to come out to Long Island to have dinner with her and my dad.
“How are things going between you two?”
I shrug my shoulders.
“She didn’t come home last night. I’d say they’re going okay,” Miss Ina informs my mom.
I look down at her and narrow my eyes. “Will you stop spying on me?” I snap at her.
She smirks.
“You didn’t sleep at home last night?” Mom whispers.
I grit my teeth. “I stayed at Antonio’s place.”
“Was it PG?” Miss Ina questions.
I don’t look at her again. “Yes. Very, very PG,” I lie outright.
What we did before we watched a movie was not very PG at all, and what we did when he woke me up this morning was a whole lot less PG than that. It was also amazing. Still, even with how amazing the orgasms were, going to sleep in his arms and waking up with him was the best part of the whole night.
“You look like you’re in love. Are you in love?” Mom asks hopefully.
My stomach drops.
Am I in love? I don’t think so, but I’ve never been in love before so I don’t know what it feels like. “Ugh,” I answer lamely.
“I think it’s love,” Miss Ina contributes, going around the island to stand next to Mom, across from where I’ve taken a seat on one of the three barstools at the counter.
“I think right now that I’m in like with him.”
“In like with him?” Mom frowns, looking confused.
“It feels a lot like . . . like,” I say, nodding my head.
Mom looks at Miss Ina. “Do you know what being ‘in like’ means?”
“I don’t think it means spending the night together,” she says.
I sigh. “Can we not talk about that right now?”
“You’re starting to be as closed up as your sisters are about their relationships,” Mom says, sounding disappointed.
“When there is something for you to know, you will be the first person I tell, Mom. But as of right now, Antonio and I are just seeing each other. I don’t know what will happen between us, and I’m trying not to think too much about it. I like him and I think he likes me—right now that’s all I know.”
“I guess,” she grumbles, turning to stir whatever she’s cooking on the stove.
“Mom . . . ,” I groan. She looks at me. “You have a new son-in-law and a grandbaby coming. You should be happy with that.”
“I am happy, but I want all my girls happy and settled.”
“I’m happy, Mom. Really happy,” I say gently.
Her face softens. “Okay,” she whispers.
“Okay,” I whisper back.
“Now tell me about Pool,” she says.
I smile. This morning Antonio went with me to the vet, who said Pool is in perfect health for a stray. When we left the vet, he took me to the pet store to get all the things I would need, like a litter box, food, a collar, and some toys. I told Mom about Pool when she called to invite me to dinner. Okay, she didn’t actually invite me . . . she told me I’d better be there and that I needed to bring Miss Ina to get her out of her apartment.
“He’s adorable. I wanted to bring him with me, but I figured it would be better to leave him to get used to his new place.”
