you two aren’t together anymore, but I dare you to tell your grandma that story.”
“Do you?”
“Mmhmm. And I want it on video.”
I just laughed, shaking my head. Nobody, least of all my grandma, needed to hear about how Aiden and I had been at that party in the first place, never mind exactly why Aiden had been sniffing the way-too-old-to-be-consumed popper after drinking too much. They definitely didn’t need to hear how his then-boyfriend had bailed, and I’d gotten worried, stayed with him, and taken him to the ER when he couldn’t stop throwing up. No romcom would ever start out like that, and neither my grandmother nor my daughter ever needed to know that “a friend introduced me to Aiden” was a politician-level stretching of the truth.
Humor fading, I said, “So, cute meeting aside…how do I do this?” I raked a hand through my hair. “I mean, for all I know, this is going to be a flash in the pan, but what if it’s not?” I gestured in the direction Dallas had gone. “How do I navigate this with her?”
Haley chewed her lip. “Hmm. Wow. That’s a tough one.”
“Right? Like, I’m always nervous about introducing her to a new partner, but this…” I scratched the back of my neck. “I don’t know what to do. And the thing is, I don’t want to tell her about him too soon, but I also don’t want some gossip site to tell her about us either.”
“Hmm. Wow.” She folded her arms and quirked her lips. “That…is a dilemma I have never had to think about.”
“Right?” I laughed dryly. “I never imagined it either. But here I am.”
“You lucky dog.” She tilted her head. “So how serious are things between you?”
“Uh, well… Not very. Not yet. I mean, it’s a new thing, you know? It’s hard to tell.”
“Hmm. Well, maybe you two should start by being discreet. If you don’t want our daughter to know, then don’t give the press or anyone else a chance to find out.”
“Good idea.”
“As long as you keep it on the downlow, you guys can take your time, figure out what you’re doing, and…” She shrugged. “Decide if it’s even something she needs to know about, and if it is, then… I mean, she’s not in kindergarten anymore. A few more years, she’s probably going to start dating too.”
I almost choked. “Excuse me, no, she’s not dating until she’s forty.”
Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. “Uh-huh. To be serious, though, she’s getting to the age where you’re not just bringing someone into her life like I brought in Nick, you’re being a role model for dating and relationships. It’s good for her to see you dating someone, and even breaking up if that happens.”
“Okay, I hadn’t thought of that.” I shifted my weight. “Except this isn’t just some guy I”—I made air quotes—“‘met through a mutual friend’ because holy shit I am not telling our daughter if I met someone on Tinder.” I lowered my hands. “This is Jase Kelly.”
“I know. So give it some time before you tell her, but even if you are worried about ruining her sports hero for her, that’s better than her wondering why her dad is sneaking around dating someone.”
“Hmm, yeah. You’re right. Am I overthinking this?”
“No.” Haley folded her arms loosely and shook her head. “You’re just trying to be mindful of her feelings.”
“I am. And I’m…” I sighed. “I’m also worried because of how things have gone in the past. When people have left over…”
Grimacing, Haley nodded slowly. “Yeah. That’s always tough.”
“Especially this time, since she idolizes him.”
“Oh. Yeah. Good point.” She blew out a breath. “I mean, I would think the best thing you can do is talk to him about it. Like, if it looks like this relationship has some staying power, sit down and lay it all out for him.”
“You’re probably right. I just…” I sighed. “I guess I’m worried that conversation will go the way it usually does.”
“It might.” She shrugged apologetically. “But then you’ll know, and he’ll know, and you can both move on.”
“Somehow that’s always easier said than done.”
“Of course it is. But so is…” She nodded down the hall.
Shoulders drooping a little, I nodded. Haley and I were completely candid with each other about the stress of trying to help our daughter weather her medical issues, so she didn’t have to add any caveats about how she loved Dallas and would never trade her for the world, or that she knew our little