motorcycle makes and limited editions that just sounds like Greek to Elyse.
“So what’s going on?” Joyce hooks her arm through Elyse’s, forcing her to hang back from the men a touch so that they can have some privacy.
“With what?” Elyse frowns at her mother, her alcohol fuzzed brain taking her a few extra moments to catch up.
“With you two. I may be your mother, but I’m not stupid.” Joyce takes hold of Elyse’s shoulders, making her focus. “He seems like a great guy, and he clearly cares about you. So, what’s got you all bent out of shape?”
“It’s…it’s complicated, Mom.” Elyse shakes off her mother’s concern.
“It’s a relationship, of course it’s complicated, Elyse!” Joyce looks up at the sky for strength. “Nothing about being with another person is simple. That’s just how this works. But if you care about him as much as he clearly cares about you, then it doesn’t matter how complicated it is. You decide that you’re going to be with each other in spite of all the reasons your little brain is telling you not to.”
“How do you know what my brain is telling me?” Elyse gives her mother a sarcastic look.
“Because I too was twenty-two once.” Joyce gives her daughter a withering look. “So, how serious are you two?”
Elyse rolls her eyes at her mother. “Well, I think we’re a little way off from picking out china—if that’s what you mean. What about you and Nick?”
“I really like him!” Joyce gives off the megawatt smile that’s been a permanent fixture on her face since the start of dinner.
Elyse laughs at how much like a teenager her mother sounds. “He seems really nice.”
“So, does that mean that you approve?” Joyce bites her lip in an expression that Elyse recognizes as something she must have inherited.
Elyse blinks at her mother. “Are you asking me what I think you’re asking me?”
It’s Joyce’s turn to roll her eyes this time. “Well, we haven’t been seeing each other for very long, so I don’t want to jump the gun, but…he’s dropped a few hints.”
Elyse opens her mouth in shock, not for the first time that night. “Mom, it’s only been a couple of months, isn’t it a little, I don’t know, soon to be talking about churches and white dresses?”
Joyce gives her daughter an indulgent look, one that Elyse would probably have found frustrating under other circumstances. “It could be a couple of years, a couple of months, or a couple of hours. It doesn’t matter, Lysey. When you know that you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you just know.” Her mother gives her a wink, and Elyse can’t help but laugh. They embrace warmly as they hit the cold air outside. “Ah, boys with their toys.” Joyce looks over Elyse’s shoulder, as her daughter twists around to see what she’s talking about.
Nick is crouched next to Dane’s motorbike, making appreciative noises. Elyse overhears something about ‘horsepower’ and ‘polished chrome’ before she fades out of the conversation.
“I think it’s time we left these two bright young things to the rest of their evening, don’t you?” Joyce places her hand on Nick’s shoulder, and he looks up at her with so much love in his eyes that you’d have to be blind not to see it.
“I guess so.” He takes her hand and reaches the other out towards Dane to shake. “Pleasure to meet you, Dane.”
Dane smiles back, returning the shake. “Same to you, Nick. And if you want some company on a ride one of these days, let me know.” Nick nods in agreement.
Dane reaches his hand out to shake Joyce’s hand, but she looks down at it, frowning. Elyse watches as Dane’s shoulders tense up, as if he’s expecting her to embarrass him. Always expecting the worst , Elyse thinks. It’s probably a pretty tough
“So what’s going on?” Joyce hooks her arm through Elyse’s, forcing her to hang back from the men a touch so that they can have some privacy.
“With what?” Elyse frowns at her mother, her alcohol fuzzed brain taking her a few extra moments to catch up.
“With you two. I may be your mother, but I’m not stupid.” Joyce takes hold of Elyse’s shoulders, making her focus. “He seems like a great guy, and he clearly cares about you. So, what’s got you all bent out of shape?”
“It’s…it’s complicated, Mom.” Elyse shakes off her mother’s concern.
“It’s a relationship, of course it’s complicated, Elyse!” Joyce looks up at the sky for strength. “Nothing about being with another person is simple. That’s just how this works. But if you care about him as much as he clearly cares about you, then it doesn’t matter how complicated it is. You decide that you’re going to be with each other in spite of all the reasons your little brain is telling you not to.”
“How do you know what my brain is telling me?” Elyse gives her mother a sarcastic look.
“Because I too was twenty-two once.” Joyce gives her daughter a withering look. “So, how serious are you two?”
Elyse rolls her eyes at her mother. “Well, I think we’re a little way off from picking out china—if that’s what you mean. What about you and Nick?”
“I really like him!” Joyce gives off the megawatt smile that’s been a permanent fixture on her face since the start of dinner.
Elyse laughs at how much like a teenager her mother sounds. “He seems really nice.”
“So, does that mean that you approve?” Joyce bites her lip in an expression that Elyse recognizes as something she must have inherited.
Elyse blinks at her mother. “Are you asking me what I think you’re asking me?”
It’s Joyce’s turn to roll her eyes this time. “Well, we haven’t been seeing each other for very long, so I don’t want to jump the gun, but…he’s dropped a few hints.”
Elyse opens her mouth in shock, not for the first time that night. “Mom, it’s only been a couple of months, isn’t it a little, I don’t know, soon to be talking about churches and white dresses?”
Joyce gives her daughter an indulgent look, one that Elyse would probably have found frustrating under other circumstances. “It could be a couple of years, a couple of months, or a couple of hours. It doesn’t matter, Lysey. When you know that you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you just know.” Her mother gives her a wink, and Elyse can’t help but laugh. They embrace warmly as they hit the cold air outside. “Ah, boys with their toys.” Joyce looks over Elyse’s shoulder, as her daughter twists around to see what she’s talking about.
Nick is crouched next to Dane’s motorbike, making appreciative noises. Elyse overhears something about ‘horsepower’ and ‘polished chrome’ before she fades out of the conversation.
“I think it’s time we left these two bright young things to the rest of their evening, don’t you?” Joyce places her hand on Nick’s shoulder, and he looks up at her with so much love in his eyes that you’d have to be blind not to see it.
“I guess so.” He takes her hand and reaches the other out towards Dane to shake. “Pleasure to meet you, Dane.”
Dane smiles back, returning the shake. “Same to you, Nick. And if you want some company on a ride one of these days, let me know.” Nick nods in agreement.
Dane reaches his hand out to shake Joyce’s hand, but she looks down at it, frowning. Elyse watches as Dane’s shoulders tense up, as if he’s expecting her to embarrass him. Always expecting the worst , Elyse thinks. It’s probably a pretty tough
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