One Small Thing(48)

“I think you would, too,” Mom says, and my heart nearly explodes with happiness.

Dad is slowly coming around, too. He scratches the bridge of his nose and studies me carefully. “If we agree to this—” he gestures to the contract “—we have your word that you’ll follow the rules? That means no lying about your whereabouts, no parties unless we give you permission, none of that nonsense.”

“None of it,” I promise. Then I hesitate. “Also, I didn’t put this in the contract, but I’d really like my door back.”

There’s another brief silence.

Mom, still smiling, picks up the pen that Dad was using to fill out his Saturday crossword. She scribbles something on the contract and slides it my way.

“Initial here,” she says solemnly.

My face feels like it’s going to crack in half, I’m smiling so hard. Under the list of privileges I’m asking to get back, she’s written DOOR.

Next to it, I scribble EJ. Mom initials it, too. And then all three of us sign the contract.

“I’m going to make a copy,” Dad announces, scraping back his chair.

I can’t contain my laughter. “What, in case I destroy the one and only copy and you need to hold me to it?”

“Yes,” he says tartly, but his eyes are dancing with laughter. For one amazing moment, he’s the father I had before Rachel died. The father who made cringeworthy puns and couldn’t go five seconds without busting out in a huge smile.

Once he’s gone, Mom reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze. “You’ve surprised us this morning.”

“I surprised myself.”

“I’m proud of you for doing some soul-searching and coming up with these decisions.”

My throat squeezes. “Thank you.” I pick up my glass of orange juice and take a huge gulp, hoping she didn’t hear how choked up I sounded.

But I think she did, because her gaze softens even more. “Did you still want to find a present for Scarlett today?”

I nod eagerly while drinking my OJ.

“Okay then, tell you what. Go upstairs and get dressed and we’ll leave whenever you’re ready.”

*

The mall is super busy for a Saturday morning. Then again, I can’t remember the last time I woke up before noon on Saturday morning, so maybe this is how the mall always is at 10:00 a.m.

Mom and I wander around aimlessly for a couple of hours. She buys me a hoodie from American Eagle, and I buy Scarlett a pretty scarf from Forever 21. Scar’s obsessed with scarves. She’s got like a hundred of them, and I know she’s going to love this pink-and-gold one with its tiny skulls with flowers for mouths.

It’s around one o’clock when my stomach starts growling. “Oh my God, if I don’t eat something, I’m gonna pass out,” I declare.

Mom rolls her eyes at me. “Aren’t we melodramatic?”

“Nope, we’re hungry, Mom. Famished.” I grin and point in the direction of the food court. “Can we eat something before we head home?”

She thinks it over, then shakes her head. “I have a better idea.”

Intrigued, I follow her in the direction opposite the food court. We pass a block of jewelry stores, a Foot Locker and a Guess, and eventually come to a stop at the other end of the huge complex in front of one of my favorite restaurants. My friends and I always grab lunch here when we come to the mall. They have the best ham-and-cheese omelet on the planet.

“Eggcellent?” I say happily. “You rock, Mom.” I hold up my hand for a high five.

She slaps it with her palm, and my spirits soar even higher. I can’t deny this is one of the best days I’ve had in a long while, and I’m shocked that it’s with my mother. We haven’t seen eye to eye for so long that it feels almost foreign now to actually enjoy each other’s company.

“Let’s get a table,” I say, but Mom doesn’t follow me to the front doors. “Hurry up, slowpoke.”

“Actually, I think I’ll leave you to it.”

I stare at her in confusion. “What?”

She winks at me, then checks her watch and says, “Your friends should be here any minute. Why don’t you grab a table while you wait?”

My jaw drops to the shiny tiled floor. “Are you serious?”

“I called Lisa when you were in Forever 21 and suggested that maybe Scarlett would like to meet you here at the mall for lunch. She’s picking up Macy and Yvonne on the way.”

I practically bounce with excitement. Lisa is Scar’s mom, and Scar is on her way here with our other friends. And I can’t believe this was my mother’s idea. I can’t wait to tell—

I try to shut my brain down before it can finish that thought.

I can’t wait to tell Chase.

How sick is it that that’s the first thought I had? That I want to tell Chase that his advice worked. That acting like an adult resulted in my parents loosening the reins a bit. That my dad smiled at me today. That my mom is actually encouraging me to see my friends when mere days ago she was forbidding me from leaving the house.

“This is amazing. You’re amazing.” I lunge forward and throw my arms around her.

She hugs me back tightly and then releases me. “Have fun, Beth. Lisa said Scarlett will be able to drive you home.”