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“Sure, you say she’s a friend, but it’s more than that isn’t it?”
Charlie sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Mom, she’s in the other room.”
His mom was silent for a long moment. “Okay. Sorry. I haven’t seen you like this. Not with Lauren. It wasn’t even close.”
“I know.”
“Are you dating?”
“No," Charlie said. “And I doubt we will.”
“Why not?”
“You know how love works," he said. “It ends. It’s fickle. Look at Dad. Look at Lauren. It’s not for me.”
His mother frowned. “Where did you get that idea? Love isn’t fickle.”
“Of course it is. With Lauren I never felt … I never wanted to share a life with her. And even if Violet was somehow different, I know love ends, so I wouldn’t put her through that.”
His mother looked at him with wide eyes, looking more confused than he had ever seen her. “What are you even talking about? None of that is true.”
“You stopped dating after dad. You said love ends.”
She looked away, her face clouded and dark. Charlie blinked and wondered if this had anything to do with her showing up to his work a week ago, or why she had shown up.
“Don’t shut yourself away from it," his mom replied. “It’s not like you think it is. Take it from me.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s not a big deal. This isn’t a conversation we should have now.”
“What?” Charlie asked.
“We will talk about it later, but love doesn’t end.”
Before Charlie could think of what to say, she was giving him a hug and was out the door.
His mother’s strange appearances, and her off mood was all coming together. She said love didn’t end, and to take it from her. Was she having a new experience with love? Was his mom seeing someone?
“Oh, she left?” Violet asked. “God, that was so awkward. She probably hated me.”
“I think she’s seeing someone," he said. “And she’s keeping it a secret.”
Violet blinked at the change of subject but seemed to follow along. “I’m … sorry? Is it a bad thing if she is?”
“No. I don’t think so - as long as she’s happy. But she isn’t telling me.”
“Maybe it’s new.”
“Maybe. But we don’t usually keep secrets from each other.”
“Really? I caught the vibe you didn’t want me to tell her we hated each other for six years.”
Charlie winced. “Yeah, I did hint that. But I know her, she would grill us.”
“Maybe she’s thinking the same about you.” Violet said. “You’ve also had a lot going on. Has she tried talking to you before?”
Charlie sighed. “She came to my work not too long ago, but that was right when I broke up with Lauren.”
