Page 68 of Here We Go Again

“I know it is. And I love you for that. But I don’t know if Theo is the right answer.”

She nods. “Maybe he’s not. But maybe you could just … see what happens?”

“That’s everyone’s favorite thing to tell me lately,” I say. “See what happens. No. I want to know what happens. Beginning, middle, end. I don’t feel like that’s too much to ask.”

Mom chuckles. “You and your father. He about lost his mind when I told him what I was planning. He said to tell you if you decide to disown me, you better not cut him off too.”

“Did he really say that?” I ask, suddenly missing my dad.

“He did. But he was underestimating the most important part of this whole trip.”

“What’s that?” I ask.

Her eyes take on a knowing glint. “Theo.”

“Mom,” I groan. “You can’t do this all week long. I’m here. Theo is here. You’ve made it very obvious what you want. But we’re adults. It really is up to us. And neither of us wants a relationship right now.”

She gives me a knowing look. “Are you sure about that?”

I furrow my brows, my heart rate spiking the tiniest bit. “Why do you look like you know something?”

She glances at the door like she’s about to say something she doesn’t want overheard, then she scoots a little closer, lowering her voice to say, “Do you really think I would have done this to you if I wasn’t sure about how he feels? I wouldn’t set you up to get hurt, Becca. Not after everything you’ve already been through.”

I’m still struggling to wrap my head around what she’s telling me. “Are you saying he’s talked to his mom about … me?”

“He hasn’t,” Mom says carefully. Then she grins. “But he did talk to his brother, who talked to his mom.”

Her words make my cheeks heat. But no. It can’t be. “That sounds like third-hand information.”

She shoots me a pointed look. “Pretty sure we can trust the source.”

She’s right, but I shake my head anyway. He’d been so quick to agree with me on the plane.

Except, did he agree? He said I made some logical points, but he didn’t explicitly agree with them.

“I can’t decide if it’s good or bad that you told me that,” I say.

“Just think about it,” she says. “That’s all I ask. Just go into this week with an open mind.”

I huff out a sigh. “Fine. But you’d better behave. No more trickery. You can’t make us go on dates or force us to spend time together if we don’t want to. I’m here, and I’ll keep an open mind. But I won’t be manhandled.”

Mom smirks. “I mean, a little manhandling might not be bad…”

“Mom!”

“Okay, okay!” She holds up her hands in surrender. “I promise. Now, come on. Kim says there’s wine on the back patio, and I’d love to have a glass before it gets too late.”

Sure enough, we find Kim and Theo sitting by the pool, wine glasses in hand.

“There you are,” Kim says. In the center of the table, two empty glasses sit next to a chilled bottle of wine, slick with condensation in the muggy heat. “Will you have some?”

“Please,” Mom says as she sits down.

Kim pours her glass and hands it over, then turns to me. “Becca?”

I sit down next to Theo, deliberating for a long moment before finally relenting. “I’m still so full from dinner. But maybe just one glass.”

“Shouldn’t have had that fourth hushpuppy,” Theo says.