“Did you decide who you were going with?”
I cleared my throat. “I did.”
“It’s The Fun One, isn’t it?” she guessed.
I stopped in my tracks. “How—why do you think that?”
“You always sound different with that one. You seem more excited about dates with him. So, it would make sense he would be the one you would take around your friends. Is it him? Or is it someone else?”
I resumed my pacing, slightly faster than before. “No, it’s him.”
My mom’s musical laugh erupted from her. “Do I know my daughter, or do I know my daughter?”
I smiled slightly. “Yeah, you do. Which is why I wanted to talk to you about what’s going on.”
“What’s going on?” She paused for only a second. “Nina!”
My mouth was open, and I was about to speak before she yelled my name. Her urgency made me laugh slightly. “Mom, I’m trying to tell you.”
“You’re taking too long!”
I plopped down on my couch and sighed loudly. “I’m going to the party with Russ—The Fun One. But things have been different for the last couple of weeks with him and I think… I know I want something… more.”
“Something more like…?” Confusion stretched the question out. “A boyfriend?”
“Yeah,” I admitted quietly.
“I thought you didn’t want to settle down?”
“I know.”
“I thought you wanted to wait until you found a man who gives you everything you’ve ever wanted and needed before you settled down?”
“I know.”
“So, what does this mean?”
“I’m settling in.”
“Oh my God!” she exclaimed. “Are you sure? What does this mean?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“I don’t know!”
After a solid minute of us both hysterically talking at once, we stopped and burst out laughing.
I dropped my head into my free hand and held the phone to my ear with the other. “The situation is complicated,” I complained.
“Does he feel the same about you?”
“Yes,” I answered with complete certainty.
“Does he know what you do for work? And more importantly, is he supportive of it?”
“Yeah. He is.”