Page 116 of Crashing into Love

“Mom?”

“Yes, Gia?” she asked into her phone as she slipped her bag over her shoulder.

“Do you miss her, too?”

“What?”

“You like Drew.”

“Of course, I like Drew.”

“No, I mean… I know you like like Drew. You think she’s pretty and nice.”

Selma sat down on the hotel room bed.

“I do think she’s pretty and nice.”

“You like her like how you liked Dad. It’s okay. Inez at school has two moms, and they’re really cool.”

“She does, huh?” Selma said, her heart racing in her chest.

“Yes. And I saw you kiss Drew on the cheek at my party. I hear you talk to her sometimes, too.”

“We do talk sometimes.”

“Not since my party?”

“No, we’ve talked since your party.”

“Not as much,” Gia pointed out.

“No, not at much. We’ve both been busy, though, like I said.”

“Mom?”

“Yeah, honey?”

“It’s okay. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“You are still a little kid. You’re only ten years old, Gia.”

“But I’m not so little that I don’t know things. I know you like Drew and that Drew likes you, too. You smile a lot when you get messages from her. And I think that means you love her, maybe.”

“Oh, honey,” Selma said and dropped her bag to the floor.

“Mom, it’s okay. I like her, too.”

“I know you do, baby. But it’s complicated. Grown-up relationships are complicated.”

“But you love her, don’t you? I heard Grandma talking to you one day when I was drawing in the office. She said you do.”

Selma was going to have to talk to her grandmother about when and where they talked about these things.

“I do love her, yes,” she said, deciding to be honest.

“And she loves you.”

“I don’t know, Gia. I know she likes me.”

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