being too harsh. Still, she has to add a sassy remark. “He’s still a stalker. And anyway, I am done with men.”
“Oh yeah?” I shoot back. “I’ll say his name and I betcha blush.”
She flushes pink and closes her mouth, looking away.
I give her a frustrated sigh. Then I remember what she’s just gone through. How her heart is bitter and torn, and for good reason.
I let it go.
Mom twirls a few strands of her Spaghetti Bolognese around the prongs of her fork.
“What do you mean, stalker? What is all this?”
“He looked into her past,” Lexi says, her eyes flashing. “He had a key to her apartment!”
Mom frowns. “He sounds obsessed and possessive, not like a stalker.”
“That’s what a stalker is!” Lexi protests, taking an angry, enormous bite out of a slice of garlic bread.
“Girls, girls. A stalker is obsessed, but it’s unwanted attention.” She waves a fork at me. “Thought I raised smarter girls than this.”
“I can’t believe you’re lecturing us on this!” Lexi gives me an incredulous look, and I don’t know what surprises her more, Mom taking Gabriel’s side, or her momentary lucidity.
Mom gives a shrug. “Stalker sch-malker. Your father was insanely attracted to me, you know.”
Lexi and I share a look. I blink in surprise. I want to hear this.
“Was he?”
“Ohhhh, yes. He knew every shift I worked at the diner, and he would just so happen to be there when I opened and when I closed. He knew where I lived before I brought him home, knew what I was studying in college…” She rolls her eyes. “So I guess that makes your father a ‘stalker.’” She makes air quotes, and I stare at her, open-mouthed.
“And furthermore. That man is gorgeous. And he can cook.”
Lexi gives her a funny look. “Mom, you know he didn’t cook this right? It’s takeout.” It’s like she’s trying to find somewhere to poke a hole in Mom’s argument.
“I know, but I heard he makes a mean omelet. And more importantly, he loves you.”
Lexi’s voice is soft. “Love is a strong word, Mom.”
Mom doesn’t back down. “A strong word for a strong emotion. He loves her and that’s a fact. It’s written all over that handsome face of his. And he never hurt her. I know a good man a mile away, girls, and let me tell you, that one’s a keeper. He loves you.”
He loves me... her words surprise me. Is she talking about the book cover, or him, the real man? “Gabriel? The man I came to your house with. The man that brought us the food tonight.”
My mom stares at me, her brows knitting together, as if I’m the one with dementia. “Miranda, was there turbulence on that flight? Did you hit your head? Yes, I’m talking about Gabriel Lord. Your boyfriend.”
“Ex-boyfriend.” Lexi gives me a pointed look.
Mom points her fork at me. “He’s all you think about.” She goes back to her food, twirling more pasta on her fork. “I can see it in your eyes. Just like I was with your father.”
My mother is right.
The truth is an icy cold slap of a wave. It doesn’t matter if he’s right by my side, or a thousand miles away. He’s never far from me. And he’s always on my mind.
And even if you leave me, I hope I’ll still be in your heart. I drop my tray onto the floor. Grab my bag, pull out the note. I reread his words, and one line I read over twice more — Even if you leave me, you’ll always be my babygirl.
I can no longer deny what I feel. I love him. And he loves me. And even through his flaws and his mistakes, I want him. Even if it means risking being hurt, all I want is to be with him. Always.
Holding the note, I fly from my chair, sprinting through the room. I tear past the nurses’ station, Emmie shouting, “Miranda! You okay?”
I wave to her. “I’m fine, I’m fine!” And I run. My heart races as I scan the building for him. Have I missed him?
I catch a glimpse of his square shoulders. The brown curls that just touch the collar of his black coat. He’s further down the hall, walking through the exit doors. I reach out as if I can grab him, stop him. “No, Gabriel! Don’t go!”
The door closes. He turns. He sees me. The weight lifts from his shoulders. The pain erases from his face. He reaches for me and I