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“For being the best mom in the world.”
“Awwww, my baby.” She held her arms out and Merry went into them, sitting on her mom’s lap and hugging her hard. “My sweet girl.”
“Do you think I’d be a good parent?” Merry sniffled.
“Absolutely. Not a doubt in my mind. But do you want to know the secret to being an amazing mom is?”
“Sure.”
“You love all your children equally, no matter how your relationship came to be. Noel is as much my daughter as you and Holly and I would never want her to feel less than mine.”
Merry sat up with a laugh. “I just realized my brother is one of those semi-incestuous in-love-with-his-stepsister relationships I used to hate on teen dramas.”
“Oh you!” Her mother playfully pushed Merry off her lap and to her feet. Merry returned to her seat, trying to get a handle on her guffaws.
After several ticks, her mirth subsided and she asked, “In all seriousness, what do you think about me and Clark?”
“I think Clark is a hardworking, trustworthy man and a fantastic father. I think that you two would be great together. The question is, what do you think of Clark?”
“I really like him, Mom, but there is so much to unpack,” Merry said slowly, trying to put her thoughts and concerns into the right words. “He’s never had anyone want to love him, or maybe it’s that he hasn’t let anyone get to that point. I don’t have the best track record with men, mostly because I pick the wrong ones, but Clark is…different. We’ve had a couple of hiccups and a huge speed bump, but we’re taking things slower and seeing where this can go. Thus the first date tonight and I really want it to go well.”
“Who is going to stay with Jace while you go out?”
“I think Sam.”
Victoria huffed. “He could have come up here.”
“Mom, I am pretty sure Clark doesn’t want his date’s parents knowing how late he’s out with their daughter.”
Her mother’s face flushed and she stammered, “Oh! Um…right. So, you two…”
“We’ve only kissed,” Merry said, leaving it at that.
“You didn’t kiss in front of Jace, did you?”
“No, of course not.”
“I don’t know why I asked. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Merry reached across the table with her palm up and her mom placed her hand in hers.
“All I ever care about is that my children are happy and loved.”
“And to tell you all of our secrets?” Merry teased.
“Most definitely.” Victoria grinned. “Are the two of you going to talk about what you want in the future? Because I don’t know if you want more children, but it is important to discuss that before you get too close.”
“What happened to no more being said on the matter?”
Her mother set her coffee cup down and held her hands up. “It’s a hard habit to break, getting to the bottom of everything.”
“I’m sure it is, and yes, I want more than one child. As for Clark, I’m not sure, but I appreciate the advice.”
“I’m always here if you need me. Or when you don’t think you need me.”
The front door opened and Holly burst in, slamming it behind her as she danced into the kitchen.
“Guess whose voodoo peen went viral on Instagram?”
