Page 69 of Of Pucking Course

“See? You look amazing in that lip color.”

She starts looking through the half-dozen shopping bags on the counter. “Well, that was quite the shopping spree, honey. Thank you for treating me to some new makeup.”

“Of course. You know I love taking you to the makeup store.”

“You know, when I was your age, the popular makeup trends were pretty different. Frosted eyeshadow, super shiny lip gloss, and glitter were all the rage. Now it’s glass skin. And the no-makeup makeup look. Imagine that.” She chuckles and shakes her head.

“A bold red lip never goes out of style,” I say. I head over to the kitchen and put the kettle on to make her some tea. “Oh! I almost forgot.”

I grab my purse from the counter and put out the small metal tin of tea. “Look what Sam found.”

My mom’s eyes light up when she sees the tin. “Oh my gosh, how thoughtful!”

She opens up the tin, pulls out two tea bags, and then drops them into empty mugs.

“That young man is such a sweetheart,” she says.

“He really is.” I turn away so she doesn’t see the massive smile on my face. He’s been on my mind the whole day. I still can’t get over how amazing he was this morning.

After she pours us mugs of tea, she turns to me. She tucks her short, dark hair behind her ears and sighs. “Honey,I know you don’t want me to bring up Jake, but…how are you doing with all this?”

I take in the worry in her deep brown eyes. “I’m okay, Mom.”

Her brow furrows like she doesn’t quite believe me. I touch her arm. “Really, Mom. I swear. I’m okay.”

She pulls me into a hug. “You’re my baby, Dakota. I know you hate it when I call you that. And I know you hate it when I worry about you. But I can’t help it. I’m your mom. I’ll always worry about you and want the best for you.”

I give her a squeeze. “I know, Mom. Thank you for caring about me.”

“I just hate thinking about you suffering in pain after the way things ended with Jake,” she says.

“I’m not suffering, Mom. I swear. My friends have been an amazing support.”

When we break apart, she holds me by my shoulders and looks at me.

“I’m so glad to hear that, honey. I bet it helps that you’re living with Sam. He’s such a nice young man. And what a lovely friend to let you stay with him for free.”

I hold back the giddy smile aching to break free at just the mention of his name.

“He’s a good friend for sure.”

I pat her arm, walk over to the fridge, and survey the contents. “How about I make us chicken salad for lunch?” I ask.

When she doesn’t say anything, I glance up and see her smiling down at her phone.

“What’s that look for?” I ask.

She jumps slightly and looks at me, then at her phone screen. “Oh! Um…it’s nothing.”

I chuckle, amused at how flustered she is.

“Are you texting someone special?” I tease.

A flustered smile pulls at her lips. Her cheeks turn pink. “Maybe.”

“Woo hoo! Get it, Mom.” I whistle.

She rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling. “Oh, Dakota. You stop that.”

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