Marley snorted. “That’s just because I got better at hiding it. Make no mistake: Beneath the layers, there’s still a lot of anxiety.”
Emma squeezed Marley’s shoulders. “I think you’re great just the way you are.”
“Maybe you could tell my last few dates that,” Marley joked with a quick look over her back. “I think I’m setting a new streak, even for me.”
“It’s their loss.”
“I love Christmas in Rockport,” Jules announced, materializing out of nowhere and startling both Emma and Marley. She gave them both a bright smile before sinking onto the bench next to her mom. “I hope it’s okay that I’m interrupting. I just couldn’t resist when it’s so cheerful and wholesome.”
“That’s Rockport.” Emma tilted her cup in Jules’s direction, and a fluttering sensation grew in her chest. “I’m glad you’re having fun though.”
Especially with their departure date looming.
In a few days, Emma would have to decide whether she would get on the plane back to Boston, to a life that glittered and shimmered on the outside but felt empty beneath the surface. While a part of her craved the familiar hustle and bustle of the city, which kept her from dwelling too much on how she’dwound up here, another part of her knew she couldn’t run away forever.
No matter how badly she wanted to.
She couldn’t keep using the city and her work as an excuse to hide from her past—not if she ever wanted things to change.
With a sigh, Emma only half-listened to Marley and Jules debate the merits and drawbacks of Christmas desserts and what ingredients needed to be used. They were halfway through a heated debate about Christmas movie classics when Emma spotted her mother standing by a vendor, admiring the snow globes on display.
She was on her feet before she could talk herself out of it.
Marie didn’t look surprised when Emma came up to her. “You look like you’re feeling better.”
“I am.” Emma held her cup with both hands and cleared her throat. “Where’s Dad?”
Marie made a vague hand gesture and threw her colorful scarf over her shoulder. “He’s off with that group of his somewhere, looking up at the stars or something.”
Emma frowned. “How come he’s not here with you? He loves seeing Rockport come alive with decorations.”
Marie studied the snow globe in her hand. “A lot has changed since you’ve been gone, Emma. Not everything stays the same.”
Emma stiffened and stood up straighter. “I know that. I’m not a child anymore, Mom. You can tell me things.”
Marie reached into her purse to pull out a few bills. She gave the vendor a smile and offered Emma a sideways look. “Let’s not do this here, hmm?”
Marie’s response shouldn’t have surprised her.
It shouldn’t even have rubbed her the wrong way.
It was, after all, on par with what she’d come to expect from her mother, and after all these years, she should’ve known better.
Except she didn’t feel like biting her tongue or tucking her tail between her legs, not this time.
Emma’s chest was tight with anger as she crossed the street, trailing behind her. “It’s never a good time, but we need to talk about things eventually. I know a lot has happened since I last visited, but isn’t it time we address the problems?”
She wanted to believe it wasn’t too late.
Emma desperately wanted to cling to the hope that laying all their cards on the table was the way to move forward.
It had to be.
What other choice did they have?
Keeping each other at bay and pretending like nothing had changed wasn’t doing anyone any good, least of all her.
Marie stopped a few feet from her daughter and swiveled to face her, eyes blazing with emotion and her mouth twisted in anger. “You can’t just show up out of the blue and expect things to go how you want. Life doesn’t work like that, Emma.”
