AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Wait, you never told me what you see.”
I look out toward the traffic, light snow falling as we make our way out of the city.
What do I see?
“I see a long road home, Lus. But one that’s long overdue.”
40
Chari
“No, Mom, that’s enough . . .”
I stop, knowing she’ll put as much butter as she damn well pleases on the English muffin. To her, “just a little” means coating something thoroughly and completely.
“Why don’t you just call him?”
She caught me staring at my phone, again, and I look up at a plate with an overbuttered English muffin on top of it.
“Thanks, but I can’t call him. Nothing has changed in the last week.”
Actually, tomorrow will make it one week exactly, but who’s counting?
I take a bite of the muffin, realizing how much I’ll miss this when I move out. But it’s time. It was probably time a while ago, actually.
“So,” I hedge, grateful to think about something other than the hole in my heart. “I was thinking . . .”
My mother whips her head around. She knows me too well to misinterpret my tone, which was probably a whole lot less light and breezy than I was going for. “Things seem to be going well with you and Jeff.”
Her expression confirms it. She really does like this guy, and I’ve given up trying to find something wrong with him. Much to my satisfaction, I haven’t discovered anything.
But I can tell my approach is making her nervous, like maybe I have her thinking I discovered his secret life, or secret wife. “What is it, Char? You’re scaring me.”
“Sorry,” I say. “Nothing awful. I was just thinking, it may be time for me to move out.”
Her shoulders sag in relief.
I take another bite, grateful now for all that butter.
“And here I was thinking something was wrong.”
Well, something is wrong, but it has nothing to do with me moving out. Or maybe it does. I felt a little fearless when I was with Enzo. He thinks so big and . . . maybe it’s time for me to do the same. My mother is strong, always has been. She doesn’t need me here, living at home. She never did. I came back because I craved security, but I’m ready for what comes next.
“So where are you thinking?”
That’s a great question.
“For now, maybe Lakeside?”
There aren’t many apartments to be had in Bridgewater, and even though Lakeside would practically bankrupt me, I can swing it. “I’m going to give the realtor a call next week.”
“You said, ‘for now.’”
I muster my courage and say it out loud for the first time.
“I’m keeping my options open, you know?”
But clearly, she doesn’t know. My mother gives me a strange look, so I just spill it.
