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“How?”
“She was just… I don’t know. Not herself. I couldn’t really put my finger on it. Just my motherly intuition, I guess, or maybe I’m reading into it too much. She just seemed more withdrawnthan usual. Maybe, I was imagining things.” Sarah finished her coffee. “Will you see if you notice anything? At the party anyway, assuming you don’t see her before then.”
“Yeah, sure. But I haven’t seen her since she left for California, so I don’t really know how much I’ll be able to notice.”
Sarah’s eyes narrowed. “You haven’t seen her in nine years? How is that possible?”
“No. I’m not at your house for Thanksgiving or Christmas when she’s normally back.”
“She really hasn’t been home much. Well, either way, maybe just see if you can figure out what’s going on with her. She always liked you.”
Rebecca raised an eyebrow. She’d always gotten along well with both of Sarah’s daughters, but she doubted that Quinn liked her any more than any other family friend.
As Rebecca reached for her mug, her phone vibrated against the wooden table, the sound barely audible over the hum of conversation in the café. She glanced down, a smile involuntarily tugging at the corners of her lips as she read the name on the screen.
Sarah raised an eyebrow. “What’s that smile about?”
Rebecca felt a flush creep up her neck, her fingers itching to check the message. She wasn’t used to this—the flutter of excitement, the nervous energy that came with a new connection.
“It’s Chloe,” she finally admitted, her voice soft. “The woman I went on a date with.”
Sarah’s face lit up. “Really? What did she say?”
Rebecca unlocked her phone. “She’s just checking in, seeing how I’m doing.”
A warmth spread through her chest at the thought of Chloe thinking about her, taking the time to reach out. It was a smallgesture, but it wasn’t something she was used to. Any of her attempts at dating these last few years never seemed to go beyond a first date. There’d been two one-night stands, but she’d quickly discovered that as much fun as they’d been, she needed something more than that.
Sarah smiled knowingly. “That’s sweet of her. She must be interested.”
Rebecca shrugged, trying to tamp down the hope that was building inside her. “Maybe. I don’t know. It’s still so new.”
“Well, why don’t you invite her to my birthday party?” Sarah suggested, her tone light but encouraging. “It could be a nice way for you two to spend more time together, see how she’d fit into your life.”
Rebecca’s eyes widened at the idea. Invite Chloe to Sarah’s birthday? She imagined Chloe mingling with her friends, getting a glimpse into her life.
“I don’t know,” she said, her fingers hovering over her phone.
“Think about it. I know I’m being selfish, but I’d love to meet her. You were chatting to her for a while before you actually met, right?”
Rebecca nodded. “I think that’s why our first date went so well. We’d moved beyond all the basics and were just able to enjoy each other’s company.”
“I have a good feeling about her,” Sarah said with a warm smile.
Rebecca inhaled a deep breath and started typing, pressing send before she could overthink it. “Okay. I’ve asked her,” she said, locking her phone and putting it back down on the table between them. “I just have to wait and see if she wants to go.”
Sarah started to say something but Rebecca’s phone vibrated.
“She said yes,” Rebecca said as she read the message, hardly believing it. “And she can’t wait.”
“Of course she said yes.” Sarah laughed softly. “I wish I’d gone into the city with you for Pride. I would have loved to have seen all the women drooling over you.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes.
“You’re stunning, and I’m not at all surprised that this Chloe can’t wait to see you again. You’re a catch, Rebecca.”
“You’re good for my ego,” Rebecca said as she slid her phone into her bag, a smile on her face as they got up and left the coffee shop. She hadn’t felt this light in a long time.
3
