Holy shit! He wanted to meet Mom.
“When are you going to be there?” he asked.
“In about forty minutes. I was just about to hop on the subway.”
“Okay. I’ll need a bit longer.”
Holy shit, giddy didn’t even begin to describe my feelings. As the conversation finished, I smiled even as a passerby bumped into me. The appropriate response to that in New York was to snap back, or at least glare, but right now, I was in my own bubble.
Once I arrived at Mom’s place, I barely had time to tell her that Rob would be joining us when the doorbell rang.
“He’s here early,” Mom said.
“It seems so.”
“Don’t keep him waiting dear,” she urged.
“I’m going, I’m going.”
I was smiling from ear to ear as I opened the door. Rob was standing there with a bag of takeout.
I almost jumped him before remembering we were at Mom’s place.
“Come in,” I said, stepping back.
He gave me an amused glance but walked in.
I led him straight to the living room. Mom was sitting at the dining table. Her eyesight had cleared enough so she could eat on her own, but she did need guidance through the apartment or she risked bumping into things.
“Rob Dumont, ma’am. Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. I’m Amelia,” Mom said.
“I hope I wasn’t out of line, inviting myself over.”
“Nonsense. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Really?” He looked at me with a smile.
“From both of my daughters,” Mom clarified.
Rob chuckled. My cheeks heated up.
Having him at dinner had the unexpected effect of actually relaxing Mom. I hadn’t seen her in such a good mood since before the surgery.
Rob was telling her his grandfather’s credo about butter, which, of course, Mom immediately approved of.
“Your grandfather sounds like a very sensible man.”
“I’ll let him know you said that.”
“So how come you moved next to Skye?” Mom asked.
“Well, I was looking for a place close to my sister and niece. It was hard to see them traveling back and forth from the city; it takes a lot of scheduling. Now they just spontaneously drop by for breakfast or dinner whenever they feel like it.”
I hadn’t told Mom that, and I could tell by the slight jerk in her head, the way she gripped her glass tightly, that neither had Tess. She smiled warmly. Yeah, he’d just completely charmed her.
At eight o’clock, she said she’d rather I helped her back to her room.