to doing things on my own and taught you to do the same. Men weren’t to be trusted. That’s the only life lesson I felt I could pass on to you.”
“I’m sorry if you don’t get it, Mom. But I like having someone in my life that I can lean on.”
She squeezes my hand to stop my rant. “I do get it. I’m lonely, Ariana. I was never good with people, not the way you are. Now I’ve gotten so used to being on my own that I don’t think I can change. The only person I have to talk to is your father. And we drive each other crazy.”
“I didn’t realize you were lonely, Mom. I thought you loved your life in Beverly Hills.”
She shrugs delicately. “It’s what I know. People who only care what you look like and how much money you have. But I’m going to try to do better. Maybe it’s not too late for me.”
She pats my hand. “Now I’m going to grab my bags and go check into the Fitz. I know when I’m a third wheel.”
“You don’t have to leave, Mom.”
“There was a time when I was young, too. And I think you need time alone with that handsome man more than anything else. Maybe we can have breakfast tomorrow. I’ll try not to say anything offensive and we can all get to know each other better.”
After a quick hug, she goes to the guest room to gather her things. A half hour later she’s gone with a promise to call in the morning.
We spend the rest of the day watching Netflix and being lazy on the couch, Oreo happily curled at our feet. Neither of us wants to talk about the potential outcome of the tests so instead we pretend it’s any other day.
Maybe that’s not the healthiest approach but it makes me feel better. For just a little while, I can forget about my troubles and just be a girl spending time with her guy.
“You know, you totally ruined my plans,” I tell him later that night.
He left briefly to get more clothes and now he’s rocking nothing but a pair of pajama pants. His chest is bare and I’m enjoying the view. I’m wearing my favorite nightshirt as usual and my feet are in his lap. I squirm away when he pinches my toes playfully.
“Your plan? You mean Operation Wifey.” His eyes twinkle. “Please, don’t ever try to be wifely again.”
I hit him with one of the pillows on the back of the couch. He catches it and then silences my next attack by leaning over for a kiss. My heart still skips a beat every time he kisses me.
I hope that never changes.
“Operation Wifey is dead, never to be revived.”
“Thank God for that!” Vin eyes me before trailing one hand up my leg and under my shirt. “Although I do have a particular fondness for shopping now. Maybe we should do that again.”
I put the pillow over my face. “I can’t ever show my face in that store again.”
“I’m sure our friend Meredith wouldn’t mind if we came back,” he jokes.
“Anyway, I was talking about my plan in general. For years, I figured I’d be a free spirit like my mom, living alone and traveling the world. I had this theory that as long as I never let anyone too close, I couldn’t get hurt. It was a point of pride for me that I was strong enough to make it on my own. I never needed anyone.”
“How’s that working out for you?” He looks at me and I wonder if he knows his heart is in his eyes.
“You blew my theory out of the water. It turns out that loving someone and needing them to be happy isn’t so bad.”
He just watches me in that quiet, intense way of his, giving me time to get the words out. Vin tells me he loves me often. He’s never pressured me to say it back but I’m sure he’s wondering if I truly feel the same.
Each time I try to say the words, I just can’t. It’s like they get stuck in my throat. That probably sounds like an excuse but give me a break.
I’ve never done this before.
For years I’ve seen permanence as scary. Hoping for more felt like tempting fate. But for once, I feel like fate might actually be on my side. Everything I’ve been through has led me here, after all.
“I love you, Vin. I don’t