“How’d you find this girl?” Mom asks, pointing at Clare. “She’s cute and good with the kid.”
“Funny story, but not a great one to tell over dinner,” I say, trying to change the subject. “And she’s amazing with Amelia.”
“I used to be a preschool teacher,” Clare says, “I have a bit of experience with picky eaters.”
“I’m not picky,” Amelia retorts, and shoves the piece, using her hand, into her mouth. Her eyes widen when she realizes she grabbed the spicy piece, and she spits it back out onto her plate.
“I don’t think she likes spicy crab,” Clare says.
“Hot! Hot!” Amelia fans her mouth, and her tongue sticks out like she’s panting.
I try a piece of the spicy crab, and it’s got a decent kick, but it’s not half-bad. That had been one of Clare’s requests. I hope she doesn’t mind all of us sharing the rolls.
“Try this,” Clare says, putting a piece of an avocado roll on her plate.
Amelia picks it up, examines it, and sniffs it before popping it into her mouth.
“Clare, if you don’t mind my asking, how old are you, twenty?”
“Twenty-seven,” she says, “I don’t think I could have worked at a preschool while I was still in high school myself.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Mom says. “You are so young. I honestly thought when Levi said he hired a nanny, it would be someone who was quite a bit older.”
“Are you concerned about my experience?” Clare asks. She’s direct and not afraid of my mother. I like it.
“No, I just wasn’t expecting someone quite so young. Given my boy just turned forty, I thought he’d look for someone closer to his own age.”
I tilt my head, staring at my mother. Is she seriously trying to pimp me out to the nanny? There are no boundaries with that woman. “She’s the nanny, not the woman I bring into my bed.”
Well, not anymore.
“Good,” Mom says. “That would complicate things, and the age difference, my goodness. That would hardly be appropriate.”
“Appropriate?” I glance from my mother to Clare. “We’re adults. What we decide to do or not do is entirely up to us. Why are we even having this discussion?”
Clare smiles and shoves another piece of sushi into her mouth. She’s avoiding talking. Smart. I wish I could do the same.
“I just want to see my son happy, settle down. You have a child, and it would be nice if you had another person to share that joy with in your life.”
“I swear, Mom, if you try to set me up with one of your church friends again—”
“I won’t, I promise. But I did meet this wonderful older lady at flute group, and she has a daughter who’s about your age, Levi.”
When is it ever enough with my mother? Her constant meddling in my private life is exhausting. I have tried being a good son, visiting, and having dinner together. But she enjoys playing matchmaker. Does she think I can’t get my own dates? That I’m not capable enough of finding love on my own? The worst part is that she doesn’t do this crap to Connor.
“That’s enough!” I bark.
“I was just trying to help.”
“You’re meddling,” I say, pointing at her with my chopsticks. “And you’ll stop if you want to see your granddaughter again before her twenty-first birthday.”
I’m grateful when dinner is over and Mom finally leaves. Clare offers to take Amelia up to shower and get ready for bed. I let her handle the responsibilities of looking after my kid. Not only is she the nanny, but I trust her. Not to mention, I need a break.
I’m exhausted from work, and dealing with my mother made my night that much worse. But I’m not ready to sleep. I’m not anywhere close to ready for bed. And like an idiot, I grab a mug and flip on the espresso machine. The water heats up before I can press the button for a brew.
“Coffee at this hour?” Clare’s voice startles me. “Are you trying not to sleep?”
I glance at the clock. It’s nearly midnight. Mom left hours ago, but I still feel out of kilter. “Something like that,” I say.