This week has been crazy, but the good news is that I picked up a new client. A pottery maker. It’s small, but something.

I’m remaking my mom’s bed after stripping it down when my front door opens. “Sophie, you back already?”

“It’s not Sophie.” My mom’s low and deeply saddened voice rings through the apartment like a thief with a knife ready to deflate my happy balloon.

I turn to face the door and she drops her bag at her feet, stumbling toward me with her arms at her sides. Having no choice, I catch her in my embrace and she sobs into the dress I was wearing to lunch with Leo’s parents.

“He lied. About all of it. He moved us in with his sister and four kids. She kicked us out after three days.”

“How did you get home?”

She pulls away from my embrace and sits down on her newly clean-sheeted bed. “The sister took pity on me.”

I try to show no emotion. No sign of the ‘when will you learn’ and ‘I told you so’s’ running through my head. Instead, I rub her back like Leo did to me last weekend in New York.

“I should have known when he asked me to pay for the airline tickets out there.” She crawls into a ball on the bed.

“Mom?”

“Let me sleep, baby. We can talk later.” Her voice sounds drowsy and tired.

“Mom? Where did you get the money?”

She rolls over, her hand outstretched for mine. I don’t take it and she pats the bed.

“My credit card?” I ask.

She slowly nods her head. “I’m sorry.”

My chest tightens and my shoulders sag. “Get some sleep, Mom.” I walk out of the room, shutting the door behind me.

I could scream like I have before. Lecture her on putting her daughter in debt. That I’m not making the money I was when I worked at the firm. That it was the dickhead gender she loves to follow around the country that drove me out of a place I should still be working.

Sophie walks in. She immediately takes note of the closed door of my second bedroom. “She’s back,” she whispers, tossing me the light cardigan to match my dress.

“Yeah.” I sit down on my chair, my sweater on my lap, my hands covering my face. “I’m not sure what to do.”

“You’re going to stand up, put the cardigan over that pretty dress and pull out the goodie-goodie side of you and go meet Leo’s parents.” She sits down on the couch.

I point to the hallway and Sophie shoos that thought away. “You and I both know she’ll be out like a light for the entire day. Go.”

I shake my head.

“Tee, you can’t keep pulling away from him. He’s going to reach his limit soon.”

She’s right. Of course, she is. Though she’s one to lecture me. It’s not like she ever gets involved with anyone.

“I just can’t… Not now.” My head falls to the back of the chair.

“Reschedule for tomorrow then.” Sophie grabs my phone and places it in my hands.

“He’s going to hate me.”

She shrugs. “Probably.”

“Soph!”

“I’m not going to sugar-coat it, Tee. I get it, I do, but you’re going to be like her one day if you keep letting her issues affect your life.” She points to my phone.

“I think you’re not understanding—”

“Alone, Tee, you’ll end up alone.” She pats my hand and stands up to leave.

“Wait,” I say. She stops, circling around on her heel. “Take me out today. I’ll tell Leo that something important came up, but I’ll meet them tomorrow for sure. After this, I’m afraid I’ll make a terrible impression.”

She nods, understanding the turmoil I go through every time my mom returns. “First you call him.” She nods to the phone.

“Let me go change. How about some yoga?”

She shrugs, her lips turning to disgust. “Only for you. I’ll be back in five.”

Sophie leaves and I head to my bedroom to change.

Call. I should call. I pick up my phone.

Me: I can’t make it today. My stomach is upset. Tomorrow?

I drop my phone on the bed, unbuttoning the sundress with flats and exchanging it for a pair of yoga capri pants and a tank top. Grabbing my mat and water bottle, I head out just in time for Soph to come out of her apartment.

“You ready?” Sophie asks. I nod. “You call Leo?”

“Yes, I told him I couldn’t meet him today.” Now I’m lying to my best friend and my boyfriend.

“Good. Let’s go sweat then.” She hooks her arm through mine and we walk right into a perfect spring day in L.A. which should lighten my spirits, but somehow doesn’t.

* * *

Sophie and I end up doing a yoga and a meditation class.

“Back to center?” Sophie asks, walking down the street.

I roll my eyes. “Yeah. I should have gone today.” I bite my lip.

The entire class I replayed what I’d done. How can I expect so much from Leo and then lie to him? I’m waiting for him to ditch me, but I’m the one screwing things up.

An I-told-you-so grin splashes across her face.

“I know, you don’t have to say it.”

She holds up her hands. “Say what?”

“This is a learning curve for me.”

Sophie pulls me into her side, our heads almost knocking. “One day you’ll be normal, sweetie, don’t worry.”

I push her off me. “I am normal, thank you. Doesn’t everyone worry?”

She shrugs. “Everyone has baggage, you just have an extra suitcase or two.” She smiles again to suggest she’s joking. She’s right, though. It’s not fair to Leo.

I move to pull my phone out of my pocket. “I’m going to text him and ask to meet up with me after. Maybe dinner with his parents?” I ask her.

“Aw, look who’s growing up. It happens so fast.” She stops at a store window, her gaze glued to a purse.

“Nope, you’re on a shopping hiatus, remember?” I try to pull her sleeve, but she shrugs me off.

“I’ll be right back. Do what you need to do.” She never looks back and disappears through the doors of the store.

The phone is in my hands, my thumbs poised to send the text. I look like a moron from the smile plastered across my face, but I can’t stop because it’s the first time in a long time that I’ve felt this clearheaded and in control about my life. My mom cannot control my future, but damn if I don’t feel like she’s pulling me down with her every time she falls. It can’t continue.

I stop texting when a deep, sultry laugh rings out on the street. My head whips in the direction of the small cafe next to the shop.

The patio is crowded and I can’t spot him, but I’d know that heart-warming laugh in a concert full of screaming fans.

I drop to the ground, hiding behind one of the tables at the edge of the patio.

“Excuse me,” the woman sitting at the table says, peering down at me.

“Sorry… my contact fell.” I pretend to pat the ground.

“Let me help.” The man opposite her slides his chair out. It scratches along the concrete, a loud ear-piercing sound I’m sure has everyone on the patio turning in our direction.

“Ben,” the woman warns. “I’m sure she can manage.”

That’s when I look down at myself. Yoga pants, a sports bra, the sweatshirt I was wearing tied around my waist. I wouldn’t want Leo helping a woman who was showing off ample amounts of cleavage either. “I’m good.” I hold my hand up.

“That’s ridiculous.” He pulls out his phone, shining the flashlight even though the sun is already shining down on us.

The laugh rings out again, followed by two others, and if I wasn’t certain before, I sure as hell am now.

My head lifts and it hits their table, shaking the glasses and plates.

“Shit,” I whisper-yell, squeezing my eyes closed and bringing my hand to my skull.

“Are we being filmed?” the woman asks. She peers over the table again to me. “Are you an actress?”

I look up to the blonde, who’s wearing a bunch of makeup on her face and red lipstick the shade of the evil witch’s apple in the fairy tale. Isn’t it midday?

“No.” I have to get away from this woman, but I want to catch a glimpse of what I’m in for tomorrow before I hightail it out of here.

The next table has kids and the parents are arguing about which of them is the more responsible one. Something falls on my head and I grab it, pulling it from my hair to find it’s a piece of macaroni. Continuing on my quest, I shift my weight to the side and I can see him now.

I admire him from afar—he’s leaning back in his chair, his ankle resting on his knee, his hand stretched out beside the empty chair next to him, the one that was meant for me. A pang of regret stabs me in the chest that instead of sitting in it, I’m hiding under a nearby table.

His parents are cute, each of them smaller than him. His dad’s shade of blond is an exact replica of Leo’s and he has no grey in it, a sign of good things to come for Leo. His mom picks up a teacup, bringing it to her lips, smiling toward her son. A stranger would notice how they both look with pride at their son.

“Umph.” Something hits my rib and I shift, running into the man’s legs. He glances down at the table, his eyebrows raised at me.

“Sorry, I’ll be out of here in a second,” I whisper.

“She lost a contact,” the wicked witch sneers from the other table, getting the mom’s attention at the table I’m at.

I glance back to Leo’s table, wanting one last look, but when I face them, a big head is in my way. A big drooling head. Cooper’s tongue escapes his mouth before I can move and he licks my face from chin to forehead.

Ugh.

“Cooper,” I whisper. “Go.” I shoo him with my hand, but he sits down in front of me, nudging me with his head. “Cooper, you gotta go.”

“Doggie!” the kid yells and slides down his chair, joining me on the cement.

“I know you’re going to kill me, but I had to have—Teegan!” Sophie yells my name, coming out of the shop next store.

“Sophie?” Leo asks, and his chair slides out. He’s on his feet.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

“Cooper, come here, darling.” His mom calls the dog over, but Cooper won’t be leaving anytime soon.

“Leo?” Sophie questions like she doesn’t know who he is.

“I thought you were with Teegan?” he asks, standing at the one iron fence the restaurant has in front of the tables. If only they had it at the sides, I wouldn’t be in this situation.

Cooper licks my face again and I gently push him off me.

“Cooper, leave that woman alone.” Leo’s mom’s chair slides out and my heart starts hammering in my chest.

No, don’t come over here.

“Hold on.” Leo puts up his finger to Sophie, stepping away, and I know where’s he’s headed.

Sophie spots me under the table and I plead with her to do something. Literally. I have my hands up in a prayer position in front of me.

“You know, she was feeling better.” She reaches out and grabs his sleeve. Leo stops, staring down at her hand. “Oh, sorry, I think my blood sugar is low.”

Leo turns away from her and she cringes at me with an apologetic look.

The kid who crawled down is now at my side, hand stretched toward Cooper. Cooper’s leaning toward him because this dog can’t ever get enough attention.

“Henry, don’t touch the dog!” The mom’s stool slides back, knocking into the witch behind her, who was sipping her soft drink. She bumps into the table, spilling her drink all over her and the guy’s plate of food.

“Ugh!” she screams.

“Teegan?” Leo’s unsure voice pulls my gaze to him.

He snaps his fingers, pointing to the concrete next to him, and Cooper stands obediently, walking over to him and sitting by his side, tail wagging like all is right in the world.

The woman snatches her kid from under the table while a waiter runs over to the couple at the other table with a stack of napkins.

My shoulders sag and my chin falls to my chest. I crawl out from the table, macaroni falling off my back as I stand.

“Why are you under the table?” The disappointment filling his eyes is a knife into my heart.

“I don’t know,” I respond in a small voice.

He huffs, a sarcastic sound I’ve never heard come from him before.

“Teegan. You’re Teegan?” His mom gets up from the table, Cooper putting his head under her hand to pet him. She ignores him.

Leo’s eyes never leave mine. “Yeah.” It’s clear he doesn’t want to claim me as his own.

She steps forward her hand outstretched. “Pleasure. I’m Gail, Leo’s mom.”

I shake her hand and inhale a deep breath while her gaze flies over me in a non-judgmental way.

“Tee?” Sophie says and my gaze shoots to her on the other side of the fence. She motions her hand in circles around my chest.

“Right,” I mumble, untying my sweatshirt and throwing it over my head.

Gail continues to my side, her thumb and pointer finger poised toward my hair. She plucks a few pieces of macaroni out.

Can this get any worse?

“There. Now are you going to come join us?” Gail’s hand lands on the small of my back.

“Oh, I’m all sweaty. We were at yoga—”

“Feeling better then?” Leo asks, his eyes cutting to me.

“Yep. She made a speedy recovery,” Sophie says. “You know one minute you’re all bloated like you’re nine months pregnant and bleeding like a stuffed pig and you swear no one can bleed that much and still survive. But then bam, you’re up on your feet and ready to conquer the world again.” I shoot Sophie a small smile of thanks for trying, but oh, my God, please stop talking.

“All in two hours.” Leo pretends to glance down to his Apple watch.

“The important thing is she’s feeling better. Come on, sweetie.” Gail signals to her husband, shooing me toward the table. “We need two more chairs.” She waves down a busboy. He nods and walks away.

“Oh, no, I’m not staying,” Sophie says.

Leo’s watch rings and he glances down, pressing decline.

“I can’t stay. It was nice meeting you though,” I say with a heavy heart because now I really do wish I could join them.

His dad helps the busboy position the chairs that no one will be sitting in.

“Yeah, she can’t, Mom. That mystery illness must be surfacing again.” Leo’s eyes turn away from me and my heart shrivels into a dried-up useless organ.

I give Gail a soft smile and Leo’s watch rings again and his phone chimes in on the table at the same time.

“Jesus!” He hits his watch again.

“Leo,” his mother scolds like he’s a child.

“Let her go, Mom,” Leo says.

Gail shoots me a sympathetic look.

“Can we talk?” I ask, Leo, wanting more than anything to explain myself and make things right.

“I’ll call you later.” He sits down in his seat, Cooper lying down at his feet as though he’s disappointed in me, too. Somehow that makes it sting even more and I don’t even like that damn dog. I swear, I don’t.

His phone goes off a third time and my eyes flicker to the screen. My shrivelled heart falls to the pit of my stomach.

“Why is he calling you?” I ask.