Angels at the Table (Angels Everywhere #7)(8)

“Lucie …”

“Yes, Mom?” she said, forcing a light tone into her voice.

Her mother faced her, hands on her hips. “You’re not telling me something. I told you when you were just a girl that you don’t need to be afraid to tell me anything. I’m your mother.”

“And you’re the best mother in the world, too,” she said and kissed Wendy’s cheek.

“But …” her mother protested.

“I’ll tell you more after work, okay?” Lucie didn’t have time to chat, and besides, she wasn’t sure how little or how much to explain. That warm feeling had stayed with her through the night. Her dreams had been full of Aren. He’d been so certain, confident they should meet again. Although he had given her only a few details of his divorce, she knew he’d been badly hurt. Yet he was willing to set aside his fears for her, and in essence was asking her to overlook the obstacles in her life and give them a chance.

Aren was new to the city, looking to make a new life for himself. And he wanted to start by dating her. Her mind continued to buzz with questions, with doubts, with longing and fears. The newspaper probably had a probation period for its writers. Their meeting and the instant attraction they’d experienced had come as a surprise. To Aren as much as Lucie. Neither had expected anything like this. Still, the timing couldn’t be worse.

“You’re looking thoughtful, sweetheart,” her mother said, cutting into Lucie’s thoughts. “Are you sure there isn’t something you want to tell me now?”

“I’m sure.” Lucie forced herself to smile. “Just that Aren is simply wonderful.”

Her mother gripped Lucie’s hand. “It’s time you found someone, Lucie. At your age I was already married and pregnant with your brother.”

“Stop, Mom, you make me sound like Aunt Adele.”

“She didn’t marry until she was forty-three,” Wendy reminded her.

“Yes, but Aunt Adele traveled the globe, swam with stingrays, started two companies, and married when she found the man she couldn’t live without. I haven’t met that man yet.”

“How do you know?” her mother challenged. “It could be Aren. Give him a chance, Lucie. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen your eyes sparkle like this when you talked about a man. I haven’t even met this Aren and already I like him.”

Rather than comment, Lucie grabbed her purse and headed out the door. Her mother could be right, but she didn’t have time to think about any of this just now.

Once she was at work Lucie was so busy the hours passed by with incredible speed. At the end of her shift, she was exhausted to the point she could barely think straight. On the subway ride home, she nearly fell asleep. As she expected, her mother was waiting for her, along with Sammy, who greeted her with a tail wagging with such enthusiasm it shook his entire rear end.

“Lucie, you’re exhausted. Oh dear, I was afraid of this.”

“I’m okay, Mom.”

“Did you eat today?” her mother asked.

“I did,” Lucie said, stretching the truth. She had taken the required break but she’d used that time to rest her eyes; just before it was time to return to the kitchen, she’d snatched a roll, slathered it with butter, and called it lunch.

Lucie sat and chatted with her mother for several minutes while giving Sammy attention. Her mother insisted on fixing her some scrambled eggs. Lucie objected but Wendy wouldn’t listen, and actually Lucie was glad for the late dinner. Sammy sat obediently at her side.

After Lucie finished her eggs, Wendy laid her head back against the cushioned chair and closed her eyes. “Tell me more about this young man you met.”

“Mom, are your blood sugars okay?”

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me. I keep a close eye on my insulin levels. Now tell me about Aren.”

“I’m not sure what to say … just that he’s funny and charming and witty. After the ball dropped we went to an all-night diner and talked nonstop for nearly four hours. He’s a writer, and he must be very good because he just got a job with the New York Gazette. He has one sister; he’s living with her until he can find his own place and he’s worried about her.”

“Oh?”

“Apparently she broke up with someone she’d been seeing for a couple of years. They had been engaged, but then something went wrong and they called off the wedding and aren’t seeing each other any longer. It sounds like Josie is having a hard time of it.”

“Aren sounds like an exceptional young man.”

“He is.” Of that Lucie was certain.

“When will you see him again?” her mother pressed.

“We haven’t decided that yet … exactly.” Lucie didn’t want to explain their arrangement, because she knew her wonderful mother would encourage her to meet Aren at the prescribed time and place and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“Did you exchange phone numbers?” Wendy asked.

Lucie shook her head and then realized her mother was resting her eyes. “No, we didn’t.” She had entertained the idea of asking for Aren’s cell number and she felt fairly certain he would want hers, too. But having the necessary contact information might make this decision all the more difficult. This way there was no turning back, no second chances. It was January 7 or nothing.