their new townhouse. Melissa and I checked it out this afternoon, and it’s in a gated community, so when your father does become aware that you moved out on a sneak attack, he will only be upset for a little while.”
I look up at my mom and have to fight back the emotion. Not because she is basically kicking me out—lovingly, of course—but because she is giving me the one thing I have been basically begging for.
“You’re helping me escape?” I whisper.
“I’m not helping you escape, sweetheart. That would imply that we’ve been holding you hostage,” she laughs. “I would keep you home for as long as I could, but I know you need to fly. And if I don’t help make sure it’s at least done in a way that your father can’t argue about when he does find out, then you’re never going to convince him that you aren’t his little toddler just learning how to walk. He was made to protect you, baby. He loves you and it comes from a good place, but even I can admit it’s time.”
“What about Nate?” I ask.
“What about him? That big old baby wouldn’t know what to do without me to wash his clothes and feed him.”
I laugh because she is not wrong.
She turns and walks over to the sink to wash her hands. After drying them off, she walks over to me and gives me a big hug. I soak up the strength of her love and pull back to look into her eyes.
“You’re okay with this? He’s going to be so mad,” I laugh.
“I’m okay with it. And your father mad isn’t a bad thing if you know how to calm him down,” she jokes with a wink.
“God, Mom! That is so gross.”
We both laugh, and I thank my lucky stars that I lucked out with such amazing parents.
“Why don’t you go change out of your gym clothes and those sweats you think fool anyone with. Then you can come down here and tell me what’s going on with you and Cohen.”
I gasp and look at her in shock. “What? How?”
“Oh you silly girl,” she says and tucks a piece of hair that fell from my ponytail behind my ear. “Not only have I been watching this unfold for years, but I watched him all but fly out of here the morning after he stayed with you. Not only that, but the twins are chatty with their mom, and their mom is chatty with me.”
“Oh, God. This is so embarrassing.”
“I don’t see why. Just because I haven’t been screaming it doesn’t mean that I haven’t been your biggest cheerleader when it comes to you ending up with Cohen. Go get changed and come fill your mom in. I think we have about an hour before the men come looking for food.”
I make my way up to my room and think about everything she just said. Obviously, the girls didn’t know or they would have said something today. I can’t believe she and Melissa went through all of this trouble. Especially knowing that Daddy is going to hit the fucking roof when he comes home to find I’ve moved out.
This should be fun. Maybe I can talk the camera crew from work into following me home. You know, for video evidence if he snaps and starts to go all Hulk-raging mad.
“Start from the beginning, Dani. I’m having a hard time following here. Lyn said what now?” Mom asks and hands me the spoon to stir the sauce.
“Okay, so we might have had too much wine, but she had some brilliant idea that all I need to do is work on my confidence when it comes to my . . . sexual side, and then the rest of it will fall into place with Cohen.”
“And she said this because why? Because you’ve been a little shy with him lately?”
“Mom! Yes. It’s been terrible. Ever since he was here with me when I was sick, things have just been weird. It’s like my body is hyperaware of him when he comes around. Then boom, I turn into a mute freak.”
She laughs, stirs the noodles and moves over to work on the salad. “Sweetheart, that—everything you’re feeling—is completely normal. You and Cohen have been traveling two different roads on the way to this point for so long that it only
I look up at my mom and have to fight back the emotion. Not because she is basically kicking me out—lovingly, of course—but because she is giving me the one thing I have been basically begging for.
“You’re helping me escape?” I whisper.
“I’m not helping you escape, sweetheart. That would imply that we’ve been holding you hostage,” she laughs. “I would keep you home for as long as I could, but I know you need to fly. And if I don’t help make sure it’s at least done in a way that your father can’t argue about when he does find out, then you’re never going to convince him that you aren’t his little toddler just learning how to walk. He was made to protect you, baby. He loves you and it comes from a good place, but even I can admit it’s time.”
“What about Nate?” I ask.
“What about him? That big old baby wouldn’t know what to do without me to wash his clothes and feed him.”
I laugh because she is not wrong.
She turns and walks over to the sink to wash her hands. After drying them off, she walks over to me and gives me a big hug. I soak up the strength of her love and pull back to look into her eyes.
“You’re okay with this? He’s going to be so mad,” I laugh.
“I’m okay with it. And your father mad isn’t a bad thing if you know how to calm him down,” she jokes with a wink.
“God, Mom! That is so gross.”
We both laugh, and I thank my lucky stars that I lucked out with such amazing parents.
“Why don’t you go change out of your gym clothes and those sweats you think fool anyone with. Then you can come down here and tell me what’s going on with you and Cohen.”
I gasp and look at her in shock. “What? How?”
“Oh you silly girl,” she says and tucks a piece of hair that fell from my ponytail behind my ear. “Not only have I been watching this unfold for years, but I watched him all but fly out of here the morning after he stayed with you. Not only that, but the twins are chatty with their mom, and their mom is chatty with me.”
“Oh, God. This is so embarrassing.”
“I don’t see why. Just because I haven’t been screaming it doesn’t mean that I haven’t been your biggest cheerleader when it comes to you ending up with Cohen. Go get changed and come fill your mom in. I think we have about an hour before the men come looking for food.”
I make my way up to my room and think about everything she just said. Obviously, the girls didn’t know or they would have said something today. I can’t believe she and Melissa went through all of this trouble. Especially knowing that Daddy is going to hit the fucking roof when he comes home to find I’ve moved out.
This should be fun. Maybe I can talk the camera crew from work into following me home. You know, for video evidence if he snaps and starts to go all Hulk-raging mad.
“Start from the beginning, Dani. I’m having a hard time following here. Lyn said what now?” Mom asks and hands me the spoon to stir the sauce.
“Okay, so we might have had too much wine, but she had some brilliant idea that all I need to do is work on my confidence when it comes to my . . . sexual side, and then the rest of it will fall into place with Cohen.”
“And she said this because why? Because you’ve been a little shy with him lately?”
“Mom! Yes. It’s been terrible. Ever since he was here with me when I was sick, things have just been weird. It’s like my body is hyperaware of him when he comes around. Then boom, I turn into a mute freak.”
She laughs, stirs the noodles and moves over to work on the salad. “Sweetheart, that—everything you’re feeling—is completely normal. You and Cohen have been traveling two different roads on the way to this point for so long that it only
Similar Books
