much as I can without hindering you in any way."
"If you'll trust me with Loreen, like you've been doing, then she can help me hone my abilities. After all, she's already gone through this and wants to make things easier for me."
Mom swallows hard but then nods her head. "All right, Kendall. Whatever is best for you."
"I've got your blessing?"
"Yes, sweetheart. Just be careful."
As she and I hug tightly, I peer over her shoulder at Dr. Kindberg. He winks and smiles at me.
Everything's going to be fine. Just like I knew.
Mom dabs her eyes with her knuckle. We finish up with Dr. Kindberg and agree to check in with him regularly or whenever needed, and then we head out.
In the elevator, Mom smiles and clutches my hand, swinging it back and forth in the space between us like we used to do when I was a little girl and we'd walk along the shore of Lake Michigan. This is a great Mom moment. You know ... one you'll remember in the years to come and feel the special love and connection with the woman who gave you life.
"Do we have to go straight back to Radisson?" I ask.
"No. Why?"
I shift weight from one leg to the other. "Maybe we can go to dinner or something. The two of us. I can tell you all about our cases and the things I do during an investigation."
"I'll go one better than that." She whips out her cell phone and speed-dials a number. "David, it's me. Yes, dear. Everything's okay. All of Kendall's tests came back normal. I'll tell you more later. Right now, Kendall and I are going to have some girl time. If it's okay with you, we're going to stay here and shop and see the city—"
"Ooo, let's go to the Georgia Aquarium!"
Mom waves at me and continues. "I'm going to use some of your Starwood Points and check us into the Westin in Buckhead. How's that? Okay, dear. We love you too.
"How does that sound?" she asks with a vibrant smile.
"Like total perfection."
And it is. The next day, Mom and I shop together, have an amazing dinner at the Buckhead Diner, get pampered with a massage, manis, and pedis, and I get to see Nandi, the ginormous manta ray at the aquarium.
During all of this, Emily silently disappears into the background to give Mom and me room. But not before she whispers:
You're lucky to have Sarah Moorehead in your life ...
Tell me something I don't know.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too," I say to Jason Saturday night at the football game. Mom and I got home from the ATL just in time for him to pick me up. I'm wearing my new Lip Service Teacher Hit Me with a Ruler plaid jacket and a black asymmetrical skirt that totally rocks. "Wait until you see all my new clothes. I got this sick Abbey Dawn by Avril Lavigne T-shirt and a Kill City striped hoodie. Oh, and we went to A and F for—"
"Kendall, don'tcha think this is a conversation more suited for Taylor?"
I laugh in spite of myself. I've never been a fashion bug, but I'll admit that shopping with Mom was amazing fun and I got carried away with all of the stores at our fingertips.
"You're right, Jason. Sorry!"
"No need." He chuckles and snuggles next to me on the bleacher seat. "I bet you'll look hot in all of 'em."
I blush clear down to my Ed Hardy "Love Kills Slowly" slipon shoes. What? I'm not addicted to designer clothes. I'm not!
"Jaaaason."
"I'm your boyfriend. I'm allowed to tell you you're hot."
"I think you're hot too," I confess, blushing even harder.
Celia and Clay return from the concession stand with sodas and popcorn. She clears her throat at our bout of PDA and then sits next to me.
Jason lets out a holler as the football team runs onto the field. Taylor squeals when she sees Ryan. She has her camera and her video recorder with her tonight so she can capture his feats on the field. "Come on, beat Hillside like they're rented mules!" she screams.
I laugh so hard that I almost choke. "Why do people want to beat rented mules? Are they different from regular mules?"
"You're so literal-minded sometimes, Kendall," Jason says.
"Sorry, it's the Midwesterner in me."
We watch our team run Hillside up one side of the field and down the other. Halftime comes and goes with the band and a dance routine. We all make silly faces and huggy