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lunch?”
Actually, Sophie’s stomach had shriveled to the size of a walnut. Whatever hunger pangs she’d had previously were totally gone. “Um... mom? I was thinking... Maybe...”
Her mom squeezed her arm. “Not in the mood for lunch, huh?” Sophie gave her mother a wan smile. That was one of the good things about home. That was why she came here when she was at her lowest. Her parents always knew what she needed even when she couldn’t say it out loud.
“Not really, no.” Her mom patted her hand and began leading her toward the library and her car.
“That’s alright. We’ll take my car back home and have us a girl’s night in. Maybe watch Pretty Woman or something and pop some popcorn. How’s that sound?”
Sophie thought of her night at Wayne and Darren’s and their discussion about Pretty Woman. The hooker and the billionaire. Her and Henry. Her stomach tightened even more. “Um, maybe not Pretty Woman. But the rest sounds nice.” She covered her mom’s hand with her own and squeezed.
“No,” her mom said, shaking her head. “I guess you wouldn’t want to watch that one. Sorry, honey, I didn’t think.”
They had made it as far as the Bait & Tackle when her mother spoke. Sophie stiffened beside an outdoor display of fly wheels. “What do you mean?”
Her mother sighed. “Oh, Sophie. I saw the news. I know we’re backwoods out here, but we have the internet. And, unfortunately, the tabloids.”
“It’s... I’m not...” Her throat clogged with tears. She blinked away the sting in her eyes. Rennie reached up and touched her cheek.
“Of course you’re not. I never thought it for a single second. Those papers always turn something into nothing.” She tugged Sophie’s arm, getting her walking again. “Not that I wouldn’t love you, even if you were, of course.”
“Mom!” Sophie gasped. Her mother snorted. Sophie bit her lip. “Does... does Dad know?” She’d thought neither of her parents had any idea what was going on in the City. After all, it’s not like they cared who some real estate mogul they’d never met was sleeping with, or what all five boroughs thought of her.
“Your father doesn’t read any of those trashy papers. And anyone who tried to be mean-spirited and tell him about it... well, I just strangled them and threw out back of the woodshed.”
“Mom!” She knew her mother wasn’t serious, but she was still shocked to hear her say it.
“Oh, hush. I’m just messing with you. I did think about it though, when Delia Maple tried to bring it up while your dad was buying his lotto tickets. ‘Oh, Jim, I hope you win. Then that daughter of yours wouldn’t have to worry about money, huh?’” Her mother’s nasal impression of the bleach blonde old biddy who ran the beauty parlor in town was pretty spot on.
Sophie actually felt her lips twitch. “Well, in that case, I’ll go get the shovel.”
“That’s my girl.” Her mother squeezed her arm in a sort of hug as they maneuvered around a mother pushing a stroller and trailing a toddler. “So, am I allowed to ask what’s going on with this Medina boy? I take it he has something to do with why you’re here.”
“Medina boy,” her mother said. Just like she’d said “that Riley boy” when Sophie was fourteen and had fallen head over heels for a boy in her class. Her mother had never referred to him by his first name, even though Sophie had nursed her crush for years. Come to think of it, her mother had rarely referred to Christian by name either. Christian didn’t even get a last name. It was always just “Where is he?” or “Are you bringing him along?” Maybe she should have taken that as a sign.
“There’s nothing going on, mom. I was giving him private lessons. We... had a bit of a fling. It’s over now. That’s all.” Her cheeks burned as she admitted her relationship with Henry. She and her mother had never really talked about boys. Sophie had always been so focused on her dance, it hadn’t really been an issue. Even David, aka “that Riley boy”, had been a crush she’d never acted on.
They’d had the whole birds and bees talk when Sophie got her first period, and then the whole self-respect, don’t do anything you’re not comfortable doing talk when Sophie went on her first date years later. And that was about it. Her mother studied her face with shrewd eyes.
“You don’t look like that’s all, sweetheart. Forgive your old mom for being blunt, but you look like this young man has put your heart through the ringer.”
Tears pricked Sophie’s eyes. This was the downside to coming home too. She cleared her throat and shook her head. “No. Not really. It was just a silly fling. He spun my head a little with all the fancy clothes and cars and stuff, but it’s no big deal. I’m just... readjusting. Getting my head facing forward again.” She forced her lips to curve upward.
If only it was that simple. A turned head. It should be. Henry hadn’t had enough time to really get under her skin and into her heart. It was a matter of weeks since they’d first met. And yet... Sophie cut the thought off at the root.
Her mother stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and turned to face Sophie. She took Sophie’s hands between her cheeks. “Honey, it’s important to see a thing for what it is, and to let it be that. There are always going to be a lot of outside influences... people, society, whatever... all trying to add their two cents. But you have to decide what’s really what with your own mind and heart. Okay?” She let go of Sophie’s face, tucked her arm back through Sophie’s and began walking again.
“If this thing with that Medina boy was just a fling, well... then let it be that. Don’t try and make it something it’s not. I think a lot of grief in the world gets caused because we have a tendency to forget how our lives and experiences color our perception, and correct for whatever distortion that causes.” She shook her head.
Sophie frowned. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean, Mom.” Rennie smiled as they turned the corner into the library parking lot. The smell of sausage wafted from the delicatessen next door.
“Well, like your rear view mirror. You know how it has the little ‘objects may be closer than they appear’ warning? It’s because when you look in it, it’s not giving you a 100% accurate view of the world as it is, right? Those things that look far away? They’re really not.” Her mother raised her brows.
“So, you’re saying I’m making a big deal out of something I shouldn’t? Her voice trembled.
Her mother snorted, fishing in her pocket for her keys. “No, sweetheart. I’m saying...” She sighed. “I’m saying make sure you’re not looking through the rearview mirror and mistaking how close the oncoming car is.”
“I have no idea what that means.” She giggled. It bubbled out of her with surprising suddenness. And then she was laughing. She wasn’t even sure why, and for sure there was an edge of the hysterical in it, but it was the first real laughter she’d felt since she’d walked up outside Henry’s building yesterday.
