“But come on, waiting tables?”
“What else am I going to do on the weekends?”
“Go out with the hot neighbor,” Gracie teased. “Seriously, don’t rush into any side hustle just yet. Give yourself a minute to breathe. You know your mother is practically doingcartwheels over having you with her. So let her enjoy your company.”
“Some company I am,” Zona grumbled. “Anyway, I’m definitely not going to go after her hot new neighbor. Being in a relationship is like trying to win a three-legged race. I’ve already been tied to two men who just ended up dragging me down.” Zona sighed. “I’m running alone from now on. At least I know on my own I’ll be able to finish the race.”
“Sometimes you can fall running on your own. That’s when it’s nice to have someone to help you get back up.”
“I’ve got plenty of people helping me up,” Zona said. “Thanks for being there for me, bestie.”
“Always,” said Gracie. “And I’m going to start thinking of ways you can make some extra money without trashing your veins.”
Zona chuckled. “Go for it.”
Louise wasn’t any more impressed with Zona’s side hustle idea than Gracie had been. “Why kill yourself?” she argued when Zona shared her idea over dinner. “You’ll already be saving the equivalent of a house payment every month living here. That should help.”
“It will more than help, but, honestly, Mom, it doesn’t feel right sponging off you.”
“Since when is keeping me company sponging?” her mother retorted.
“You might want your house to yourself at some point.”
“Like if I meet a stud on my cruise and bring him home with me? If that happens, you’ll be in the downstairs bedroom instead of upstairs,” Louise said with a wink and a grin.
The cruise. Louise’s floating gold mine of potential Mr. Louises. When it came to men for her mother, Zona had been thinking more along the lines of her nice neighbor, Martin. She could understand Louise’s loneliness after losing her husband. Zona’s dad had been as good-natured as he was good-looking,and he’d adored Louise. They’d been a shining testimonial for happily-ever-after, and his death nearly six years ago had left a big hole in her life. In all of theirs. But the ways Louise was trying to fill hers lately made Zona nervous.
“You be careful on that cruise,” she said. “I don’t want you falling for some loser with a gambling habit. Or a drinking problem. Or any other kind of problem,” she added, covering her bases.
“I know a good man when I see one,” said Louise. Her smile faded. “I probably shouldn’t be taking this cruise. It’s more money I could give you for Bree’s school when she starts.”
“You’re already helping us enough. And it’s time you had some fun. Have you decided what clothes you’re taking?”
“Almost. Come upstairs and help me make my final decision.”
Louise’s large suitcase and carry-on wouldn’t hold half of the mountain of clothes on her bed. A pile of shoes formed the foothills below.
“Mom, seriously? The cruise is sixteen days, not sixteen months.”
“I want to look nice,” Louise said.
“You always look nice. And, honestly, you can mix and match and nobody will notice.”
“Someone might,” Louise insisted. “I haven’t traveled in years. I want to do this right.”
Less would be doing it right. “It’s Hawaii. You probably don’t need that many shoes,” Zona said.
Louise looked at the five pairs on the floor. “I guess I don’t have to take all of these.”
“You’re probably good to go with the sandals and the Skechers.”
“No, I’ll need something for formal night.”
“So, three pairs?” Zona suggested.
Louise began pointing to her footwear. “Eeny-meeny-miny-moe, one of you has got to go.”
More than one. “How about the tennis shoes for starters?”
