The drive doesn’t take too long. The two towns are only about twenty minutes apart, and there’s minimal traffic with it being the weekend. Parking in my mom’s driveway behind her Kia, I turn off the car and climb out. Her husband’s truck isn’t here, so he must still be at work. The front door opens, and my mom, all five-foot-one of her, stands on the porch, a blue-and-white apron wrapped around her waist as a flash of golden lightening zips past her into the yard. Nova’s butt’s wagging so fast, I’m surprised it doesn’t fall off.
I kneel at her level, as she collides into me, knocking me onto my ass.
“Nova girl! Daddy missed you!”
Her big pink tongue licks every surface of my face in response, her tail whipping back and forth. Giggles from my mom sound from the porch, where she waits, watching us.
“Did you miss me, baby girl? Hmm? You happy to see me?” Her long, shiny coat is silky smooth under my touch, as I run my hand up and down her back, stopping to scratch at the spot behind her ear she loves so much. “Got a new house to show you, you know that? A nice, big place for just you and me, Nova girl.”
Eventually, she calms down, lying on my lap right there in the middle of the lawn while I pretend the grass isn’t damp beneath me.
“Come on inside, dear,” my mom requests, her voice soft and welcoming. “Made some cookies. They’re nice and warm.”
Stepping into this house feels like stepping back into my teenage years. It looks almost the exact same as it did back then. Pictures of Charlotte and I line the walls, spanning from our early years until college. Pillows are everywhere—on the couch, on all the beds, the rocking chair, even on the floor by the couch. Candles are always burning, blankets drape over the furniture, knick-knacks decorate the space above the fireplace.
Cozy.That’s how I would describe the feel of this house.
“So, how are you doing, honey?” she asks, gesturing with her hand for me to take a seat at the table.
“Not too bad.” Not completely a lie. Today I really amnot that bad.
Setting a plate of still-warm chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk down, she takes a seat across from me, folding her hands in front of her. She’s wearing her signatureworried momlook, and I know she isn't going to let me off that easily.
That’s confirmed when she sighs and says, “Honey, what happened with you and Nathaniel?”
There it is. I knew it was coming sooner or later. I can only brush her off for so long before she demands answers.
“Mom…” Raking my fingers through my hair, I go over in my head how best to say this to get her off my back. This isn’t something I want to deep dive into, especially with her. “We just… We’re in two different places, him and I. It never would’ve worked.”
The wrinkles on her forehead deepen, her lips turned downward into a frown.
“It seems a little out of left field,” she murmurs carefully. “You were about to propose, and then suddenly, you’re moving out. What caused the switch?”
Moments like this, I wish Charlotte was the type of sister who’s a blabbermouth. It seems like it’d almost be easier to have had my mom already hear this news from her, instead of me having to tell her. It’s humiliating, and I don’t even know why. It’s humiliating to admit that I was so far off at gauging my relationship, that I was about to propose, and he was out cheating on me. How can someone misread a situationthatbadly?
Heaving a sigh, I mutter, “Mom, I don’t really want to do this right now, okay?”
She watches me with that disappointed parent, pinched lip expression but, thankfully, lets it go. She easily transitions the conversation into one about her new hobby. She’s picked up knitting, and apparently a couple of her friends from around town do it too. She shows me a hat she started working on last week, and it’s actually coming along quite well.
Nova plays in the backyard with her dog while she makes us some lunch. We take it out on the back patio, enjoying the little bit of sunshine that’s out today. It’s still cold as shit, but she has space heaters out there which make it manageable.
Eventually, after we finish eating and I help her with the dishes, I pack up Nova’s stuff, and we take off back to our new house. I have to go back to work tomorrow, and I’m nowhere near finished unpacking.. Not to mention, I’m nervous I’m going to run intoMateoagain.
I still can’t believe he’s my next door fucking neighbor. The universe must really enjoy messing with me lately. I’m living proof of Murphy’s Law right now—anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Story of my fucking life.
10
MATEO
“Hey, fucker. Brought you some coffee.”
Glancing up from the computer, where I’m ordering some parts, Miguel steps up to the counter, a drink tray with three iced coffees in hand. He sets them down, handing me mine.
“Thanks,” I say, immediately taking a long sip off of it.
“Where’s Benny?”
Before I can answer, footsteps sound from behind me. “I’m right here. You brought us coffee? What a good little errand boy you are.”
