“So, how have you been?” Mom asked Ryan. “How’s work?”
“Fine,” Ryan said. “The business is doing well.”
Mom nodded, satisfied. “I’d love to visit the gym again soon and see what you did with the remodel.”
Just after the divorce, Ryan had asked me to draw up a new design for his gym—he’d want to revamp it. I knew he’d just been helping me out, but I’d done it, and it had come out great. Mom hadn’t seen it yet.
“It’s not that different from before,” Ryan said. It was a lie; it was alotdifferent. But Mom had to keep to baby steps with Ryan. She had no idea what a wonder it was he’d come here today in the first place.
“What about you, Em?” Mom asked. “How’s work going?”
“Better,” I said.
“Good. I’m so proud of both of you. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yeah, Mom. We know.” Ryan was irritated.
I nudged him under the table. He could try. All he had to do was stick it out for an hour.
He glanced at me, irritated, and clenched his jaw.
The coffee arrived, and we made a fuss of adding sugar and cream to our coffees.
“What about your love life?” Mom asked.
Ryan set down his cup. “What about it?”
“Have you met anyone you’re serious about? Time’s ticking, you know.”
“I’m happy where I am. I don’t want someone serious.”
“Well, a fling never brought me grandkids.”
Ryan rolled his eyes.
“You should take a page from Emily’s book,” Mom said.
“Mom!” I cried out.
Ryan snorted. “Emily is way too busy to be dating. Right, Em?”
“Yeah, right,” I said. “Way.”
“Oh, come on. Do you want to tell me it’s not serious? I see the way you light up when you talk about him.”
Ryan turned to me. “About who?”
I shook my head. Blood drained from my face. “I’m not seeing anyone.”
“I don’t know why you’re always so secretive. It’s not wrong to be in love. Just because your father and I couldn’t work it out doesn’t mean you should shy away from love.”
“I’mnot,” I said. “I’m not talking about this. What about your articles, Mom? How are they going?”
“Who are you seeing?” Ryan asked.
“I’m not seeing anyone,” I said, shaking my head at Ryan. I made wide eyes at him, trying to signal that he change the topic. We were twins, for God’s sake! What happened to that twin connection thing people always talked about us apparently having, just because we were close and understood each other. Now would have been a damn good time for Ryan to catch on and change the topic.
But Ryan didn’t let go of someone once he got a good bite in, and he meddled with my love life. He wanted to protect me.