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“But you just turned twenty-eight…” Mom added.
My smile tumbled from my face. “What’s your point?”
Her sigh sounded as if she was gathering her patience. “Charlotte, my sweet, sweet baby girl…”
I braced myself because I knew what came after the saccharine endearments. She was about to low-key insult me. However, I knew she never meant to be offensive.
“You’re not getting any younger. It’s time you stopped taking off to unknown parts of the world to seek thrills.”
And here we go… This topic wasn’t anything new. Mom lectured me about my lifestyle at least once a month. “I’m not just seeking thrills, I’m working.”
“Okay, but… Hawaii? A sports instructor? You have a masters in education, Charlotte. I think it's time for you to consider coming home and getting a normal job. You should settle down, get married, and start a family like your sister. Victoria is six months along with her second child, you know.”
I rolled my eyes so hard that I was surprised they didn’t pop out of their sockets and float away into the sea. There it was. The real issue that Mom had. I wasn’t married with two-point-five kids and a dog while living the domestic dream behind a white picket fence. She was so old-fashioned and assumed that every woman should be in a certain domestic setup by the time they reached twenty-five.
“Of course, I know how far along Vicky is,” I said. I talked to my sister more than I did with Mom because Vicky didn’t give me shit about what I chose to do with my life. “Have you ever considered that getting married and having kids isn’t the source of every woman’s happiness?”
Silence ensued, and I let out a soft sigh. Knowing Mom, at any moment, she could burst into tears and rant about me throwing my life away. In order to prevent the dramatics, I mentioned something I knew she’d love to hear.
“You need to relax and not worry so much about the trajectory of my life, Mom. I have great news.”
“Oh?”
“Guess who reached out to me a few weeks ago?”
“Please don’t tell me it’s some longtime friend who has another adventurous job opportunity.” Mom heaved a sigh.
I understood the mix of skepticism and frustration in her tone. That was how I’d landed most of my jobs, like this one in Hawaii.
“It’s a longtime friend but nothing about another job. It was Lincoln.”
Her choked gasp resonated with excitement. I didn’t even have to mention a last name for her to remember who I spoke of. Lincoln Ford, my ex-boyfriend. We broke up about six years ago, and it shattered Mom’s heart more than it did mine or Lincoln’s. She adored him. I always thought her weird mom crush on him was insane.
“Lincoln! That’s wonderful, Charlotte. Does this mean you two are…? You know…”
Getting back together and getting married within the next six months to start popping out babies by next year… I knew my mother. That was exactly what was going through her overly romantic and crazy mind. I considered bursting her fantasy bubble. It wasn’t likely that was the reason for my ex reaching out. He probably just stumbled upon my name on his social media and wanted to say hi. I told him about Pacific Paradise, and he mentioned coming to check it out this week. We also chatted over the phone a few times and the conversations were always light and friendly. There was nothing more to Lincoln reaching out to me.
Sure, we’d been good together. Lincoln and I had just clicked. Hell, we felt more like besties than romantic partners, in my opinion. However, why disappoint Mom so soon? The longer she thought I was getting back with my ex, the longer she’d stay off my ass about my job and settling down. Sweet reprieve for at least a few weeks…
“You never know…” I replied vaguely.
Mom squealed with sheer delight. “Tell Lincoln that this old girl would love to see him again.”
“Sure thing, Mom.” I felt bad about giving her false hope, but honestly, she was driving me nuts with her constant lectures about what I did with my life. “I have to get to work soon.”
“Right. It was good to hear from you. Please don’t let me wait too long for a call, Charlotte. You know I worry about you.”
My heart softened and the indignation I felt about her wanting me to follow a path she thought was better lessened. When she gave me a hard time, it was coming from a good place. “I know. I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too.”
I hung up before she either started crying or before she launched into another lecture. Staring at my phone screen, I shook my head and let out a laugh. One thing was for sure: Mom could lecture me all she wanted. Ultimately, I did whatever the hell I wanted. Dad always said I was stubborn.
As I slid my phone into my pocket and lifted my face to the sky to take in a little more of the tropical morning before heading inside, a thought struck me. If Lincoln was interested in getting back together, would that be something I’d want?
My eyes popped open as I considered this. I wasn’t hit with any spark of interest or enthusiasm about the possibility so that must mean it wasn’t something I’d want. Right…? My nose wrinkled. Why was I even thinking about it? That was not why Lincoln was visiting the resort. The man probably just thought it sounded like a nice place to unwind. He could afford the luxurious vacation spot, after all. Since we parted on amicable terms, I was happy to see him again. As I walked back to the tiny apartments, I forgot all about getting back together with my ex-boyfriend.
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