Page 33 of Monster Diner

“Then, what? Spit it out. You’re always beating around the bush, just say it.”

Lizzy braced against the words. She never felt like she measured up to her mother’s expectations. Who, after getting a divorce, had never dated again, gotten a degree, and maintained an active social life. She often lectured Lizzy on her wasted potential, on spending time on men and dating. Lizzy disagreed. She’d become addicted to the rush of falling in love—the sweep of emotions, the passion, all of it. Until the relationship inevitably fell apart. Like it would with Victor in the end… The signs were already there. Lizzy pushed the thought aside for now.

“Mom, listen.” She exhaled. “Frank Jr. passed.”

There was silence on the other end of the line. For a moment, she thought they’d gotten disconnected. “Mom, you there?”

“Oh,” her mom said. Lizzy might have imagined it, but there seemed to be a tinge of sadness in her tone.

Another long pause. She wished they were face-to-face so she could read her mother’s feelings and better address her mood. Was she sad? Angry? Remorseful?

Her mother made a choked sound. “I—” She took a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry to hear that. How did—how did he die?”

Lizzy bit her lower lip and fought back the tears that threatened to spill. “Heart attack. I came back to Pumpkin Hollow to handle his estate—the house and diner.”

“I see.”

They both fell silent again.

Lizzy didn’t know what to say. Her mother was rarely sad, but then again, she was rarely face-to-face with her mother. Much like her father had done with her, she’d put distance between them, using boyfriends and out-of-state jobs to separate her from the ups and downs of her mother’s emotions.

“I’m so sorry,” her mother breathed. “I know things didn’t end well between Frank—your father and me, but I loved him once. And I know he loved you.”

It was perhaps the most genuine thing she’d heard from her mother in as long as she could remember.

“I wish you were here,” Lizzy confessed.

“Me too. I should have been there with you to deal with it all.”

“It’s fine. Victor handled most everything.”

“Victor?” Her tone rose with accusation and curiosity.

“Dad’s business partner. He owns half of the diner. Long story.”

“Oh. Well, seems everything is under control. I guess you’re grown and don’t need your mom to run your life anymore, do you?”

There was a protest on Lizzy’s lips. She wanted to tell her mom that of course she needed her. But she was over forty now. Well past the age where her mother should be determining her life’s trajectory. She’d wanted a fresh start, but returning to her mother’s home would be starting back at the beginning. The same habits, a different day. It wasn’t a solution, just the same problem reimagined.

“Yeah, I’ve got it under control.”

“Apparently.” There was a slight tinge of humor in her mom’s tone. “Is that why you ended things with Steven?”

“No. He cheated. But it was a long time coming. And when Victor called and told me Frank Jr. had passed, I kind of dropped everything and came back home.”

“That isn’t your home. Your home is here with me.” Her mother sounded affronted.

“Pumpkin Hollow was once.” She turned to see Victor hovering in the doorway to the kitchen with an encouraging smile. She gave him a half-hearted smile back and drifted out of the living room and into the privacy of the primary bedroom.

“You were miserable in Pumpkin Hollow, remember? You got bullied in school, you hardly had friends. You were so much happier once we got out of that town.”

As if by magic, her mother’s words evoked those same memories in her. Her unhappy youth. The days of isolation and anger, the hours spent in the library lost in books because books didn’t overwhelm her with emotions and it was an escape from her volatile home life. It wasn’t Pumpkin Hollow she’d been mad at, but Frank Jr. For not fighting to keep her. For standing there watching her drive away with her mom. She never could disagree with her mother verbally. But it had been an eye-opening moment. It was the first time she’d chosen someone else’s wants over her own. Her mother had asked, and she’d followed. If Frank had asked her to stay, how much differently would her life look?

She didn’t want to consider it now. Because her mom was peppering her with more questions and a single thought came to the forefront of Lizzy’s mind.

“How did you find out about me and Steven?”

“He called me, the worm. Said you wouldn’t answer his calls, and he was trying to get a hold of you. I finally got it out of him that you’d broken up.”