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A fine line appears between Mom’s eyebrows, a tiny dent that mirrors the twin set on either side of her mouth. The hurt and apology in her eyes tell me what she’s about to say before she even speaks.
“I’m so sorry, baby.”
I wave the apology away. It’s not her fault. She’s not the reason Sue has a weird tie around Dad or that he’s too weak to stand up to her. It’s not Mom’s fault Sue is the very definition of an evil stepmother.
“It’s fine, honestly. I think I like it better this way.”
Because the alternative is worse. I had to live with her cold shoulder, snide remarks and manipulation for almost four weeks when I originally moved to the city and asked to stay with them in Sue’s swanky upper west side penthouse for a little while. Just until I could find my own place.
My regret in that decision had been immediate.
Sue was a fucking nightmare. The worst kind.
She wouldn’t stop accusing Mom of keeping me away from them. Never mind that I was turned down every time I asked if I could visit over Christmas or the summer. Never mind that I texted Dad a lot more than he’s ever texted me. Never mind that Mom and Oz have offered to have them visit over the summer and stay in the guesthouse.
They were given every opportunity and still, somehow, Mom and Oz are the problems.
I wasn’t allowed a key to the apartment. The doorman — who Dad introduced me to — wouldn’t let me into the building unless Sue granted permission. I wasn’t allowed to go out after six unless she approved of where I was going. She monitored what I wore, how much I ate, and even had the audacity to tell me I talked to Mom too much.
That had been the straw that finally broke my patience. Everything else I can deal with, but limiting my time with Mom is an absolute no.
“How’s work?” Mom asks, shoving a frosty glass of fresh lemonade into my hand.
A droplet of condensation drips off the bottom and hits the naked skin on my thigh a millimeter below the hem of my skirt.
I smooth the moisture away with the pad of my thumb and wipe it on the soft fleece of my hoodie.
“Nothing has changed. Mrs. Goldblum hired one of her friends and the two of them are practically taking over. Simone, the other woman, yelled at me in front of a patient that I stole his prescription.”
“Mr. Cordially?”
I nod. “Thankfully, I was able to point out it was in his glove box like always, but it was so crazy. She threatened to call the cops on me.”
Mom slams her drink down on the glass and wicker table between us with enough force to make me wince. “I beg your pardon? That man has been calling the clinic once a week with the same complaint and she has the nerve to yell at you?” Witnessing Mom lose her temper is always entertaining because it rarely ever happens. “This is harassment. We should have Oz look into it.”
I chuckle. “No, it’s honestly fine because I already planned on leaving once I found something else.”
Mom huffs and drops back against her chair. “It’s terrible.”
It really is. Dr. Goldblum is such a sweet man, and I love working for him, but his wife ... she’s a piece of work.
“You know though...” the deep creases between Mom’s brows soften and she grins a little. “Deloris is retiring in two months.”
I blink. “What? Why?”
Mom laughs. “Because she’s eighty-five. I don’t blame her.”
I can’t believe it. Deloris has been working at Oz’s office since I was a kid. She taught me everything I knew about being a receptionist. I interned with her every summer and helped on weekends since I was fifteen.
“I’m sad, but happy for her.”
Mom nods, picking up her drink again and taking a sip. “But Oz is going to be looking for a new receptionist, someone who knows the ropes.” She bats her eyes at me from over the rim. “You could move back...”
My laugh bursts out of me. “Most parents want their twenty-year-old child to move out, not live with them forever.”
Mom gasps in feigned outrage. “You’re not moving in with me. There’s a whole guesthouse just across the yard.” Her expression grows serious. “With you so far away and Oz at work and Rhys living on his own, this place is just too empty. I tried to get Rhys to move back the few times I’ve seen him in town working—”
“He still works in town?”
