Kathy falls quiet again, stretching my nerves to their limit. Ivy is very like her mom. She's going to keep me on my toes, and I can't fucking wait.
"I don't need the details, but you said you weren't intimate until last night?" she finally asks.
I nod, holding her gaze so she can see the truth of my words. "I would never take advantage of Ivy. She wanted me as much as I wanted her."
Kathy purses her lips thoughtfully. "She's my daughter, and I love her very much, but it seems to me that she's always craved a life different from most. She's got a maturity that most women her age don't possess, which is why I'm confident that she knows what she wants. I know I've sheltered her to some extent, particularly since Jack died, but I would never stop her from walking her own path in life. And if that path includes you, then I won't stand in the way."
She pauses, the eyes so like her daughter's boring into me. "But am I happy about it? Not really. The age gap worries me, but only time will tell if you mean what you say. We have a friendship that I value greatly, and I know it will hurt Ivy if one of us isn't a part of her life. So I'll trust you with my daughter's heart, but just know that if you ever break it, our friendship will be over."
I admire her ferocity for her daughter because I feel the same ferocity for Ivy that she does.
I smile. "That's not going to happen. So I guess you're stuck with me."