“I pity her, okay?” Nora admits quietly. I close my eyes. Humiliation sinks its pointy teeth so deeply into me that I’m surprised it doesn’t break my skin. “She doesn’t have anyone. She works one solitary job at the shop, and another one dealing with tourists. I’m a big chunk of her world right now.”
“You’re a big chunk of my world,” Colt reminds her, his voice softer now. “What does this mean for me? Are you going to live with her for eternity?”
“No. Don’t be ridiculous.” Nora lets out a nervous laugh. “Things are moving fast between her and Dominic. I bet he’ll ask her to move in with him in the next few months. He’s almost thirty, you know. He wants to settle down.”
“So my wanting to settle down with my girlfriend depends on Dominic’s desire to settle down with his?” Colt asks edgily, his tone slightly mocking. I hate that he has a point. I hate that everything he says makes sense.
“Yup,” Nora says simply. In this moment, I don’t know if I want to hug her or shake her. I’m standing in her way to happiness with her boyfriend, but she is doing what she thinks is the right thing. “Pretty much.”
“Let’s just hope she doesn’t miss out on this opportunity. This Dom guy seems neat.” Colt sighs, knowing that he’s lost the battle this time around.
“They’ll get married. Mark my words,” Nora purrs.
“We’ll go first.”
“Aww. Colty!”
The machine shrieks, announcing the coffee is ready. The sound of wet kisses and sweet nothings fills the kitchen. It’s another day in the world.
Another day my mom won’t get to see.
TWELVE
On the drive to Dover on Christmas Eve morning, Dom tells me that he bought us a cooking-class pass for the next six months, and that he signed me up for a calligraphy course as an early Christmas present.
“You know, because you said you used to do art.” A shy smile touches his lips.
Art is such a big, wide field, and calligraphy is definitely not my thing.
I am grateful for his thoughtfulness, but I also feel a little suffocated. I get that he lives in high gear, but I live at a turtle’s pace. I always feel like I need to catch up.
“That’s a lot of extracurricular activity,” I note lightly.
“Well, you can’t be doing what you’re doing forever. For one thing, you hate it. For another, art is more fun, more fulfilling, will offer you better prospects.”
I haven’t told Dom about designing gravestones. I’m pretty sure it would make him run for the hills. I kept it vague, so I can’t exactly get upset that he got it wrong.
“Yeah,” I say. “Guess I could try and see. Maybe it’s my thing.”
“Have you talked to your dad recently?” Dom asks.
“We spoke on the phone before you picked me up.”
Honestly, I wouldn’t qualify what we had as a conversation. We shared empty miss-yous, hollow inside out. But we didn’t address the fact that I’m not in California right now, or that he sent me the box, or that the gap between us is widening every minute of every day.
“I hope you figure it out. If you go in January, maybe I can tag along. I have a lot of vacation saved up,” Dom offers. Just thinking about it makes me want to heave. I haven’t mentioned Dom to Dad. I’m too ashamed to admit I might be happy.
“What should I expect of your family?” I ask, to change the topic. “Prep me.”
“Well, Mom’s just the best. No preparation needed here. She is warm, sweet, and enjoys company. She will love you instantly because you love her son.” He lets the statement hang in the air for a beat before continuing. “As for Dad, he keeps to himself most of the time. He and Seph have the same personality. Dark, broody, skimming the verge of rude. As long as you stay away from politics and the Red Sox, I’m pretty sure you’ll have no trouble winning him over. And then Seph, you’ve met.”
“Actually, I haven’t,” I say. Dom and I haven’t discussed Scone-gate, but since I’m going to meet Seph in about an hour, it’s time to fess up. Dom arches an eyebrow, surprised.
“I thought you did?”
“No, he was in the shower. I just picked up some scones and left.”
“Seph’s a real gem once you get to know him. Hard exterior, but inside he’s a kitten. He’s a wiseass but makes up for it with a heart as big as his trap. I don’t know what I’d have done without him.”