Trials and Tiaras (Untouchable #7) - Heather Long Page 0,108
beginning of careers and lives. You’re going to make choices sooner or later between what is good for all of you as a group and what’s good for you personally.”
Mom raised her hand before I could object.
“Just listen,” she said solemnly. “This isn’t a criticism or a judgment. It’s simply me telling you to keep talking. Even when you think it’s not a big deal, or when you think you shouldn’t ask because you don’t want to make someone feel bad. Some choices may pull you apart, not forever, but opportunities shouldn’t be ignored either. If I’d had someone tell me that before I married your dad,” she continued focusing on me, “I would have rolled my eyes. We were happy. We knew everything. We’d work it out because we loved each other. I still love him, Jake. I love him and I love Klara, but it didn’t work in the long run because we kept trying too hard to protect each other from what we wanted personally, until all that bottled up resentment turned sour and spoiled what we had.”
Frankie’s hand slipped onto my thigh and squeezed. I frowned. The open honesty in Mom’s voice promised me she believed every word. At the same time, it made me ache. If she still loved them and they broke up that…
“That’s why I’m telling you to keep that communication open. It’s so much easier to fix a small thing than it is a big one.”
Frankie tilted her head to look up at me. “I think we can do that. We’ve already learned the hard way about what happens when you let the little things go and you don’t talk about what’s bothering you.”
Wasn’t that the fucking truth? I kissed Frankie’s nose and then looked over at Mom. “Thanks, Mom.”
She smiled at both of us. “You’re very welcome, and, Frankie, one last thing. You deserve a mom who will be there at two in the morning if you ever need to vent. You can call me. I’ve got some practice with daughters. I’ll always pick up. You can even complain about my angelic son.”
“Hey,” I protested, but Frankie had already pulled away and grabbed Mom for a hug, and I couldn’t stop grinning. Hell, let her complain about me. “At least you called me angelic.”
“Yes, the only thing holding up that halo are the two little horns sticking out of your head,” Mom advised as she gave Frankie a squeeze. “Now, let’s finish our dessert, and you kids can run away to do all the things I’m not supposed to mention because Jake is scandalized by the idea I’ve ever had sex.”
Frankie frowned and looked at me. “She has four kids, of course she’s had sex.”
But the twinkling in her eyes betrayed her laughter, and I snorted. “Laugh it up.” I could take it, especially if it made her smile. We ended up hanging out with Mom for a movie after dinner, and Frankie insisted we do the clean-up, so I sent her with Mom to sit while I did it. Then I cuddled her in my lap while we watched the latest superhero flick. Mom was behind, but Frankie loved these and I didn’t mind watching them over and over.
When we finally left to head back to her apartment, Frankie couldn’t stop yawning. “That was fun.”
“Yeah?” I checked with her as I held open the door for her to climb inside. “I liked it. Mom really loves you.”
“I really love your mom. I can’t believe she did all that. It couldn’t have been comfortable.”
No, it hadn’t been. “I’m going to call my dad after your birthday,” I told her after I got into the driver’s seat. “We have to do some finagling to schedule it. He has a regular call with the girls and I don’t want to step on their time, but I also want to introduce him to you. Will you sit with me when I do it?”
“You sure you don’t want to talk to him alone first?” But she was already reaching for my hand.
“We have some bridges to build. Not sure we will be successful but…I’m willing to try. Meeting you is part of that. I mean, he’s met you obviously, but we were a lot younger then.”
Frankie’s laugh filled the interior of the car. “Yes, we were.”
It wasn’t until I pulled into her apartments that she added, “If I call my dad, will you be there for that too?”
No question. “Anything you need, Baby Girl. Anything