Page 46 of Crashing into Love

“Do you promise?”

There was that word again.

“I promise,” she said, determined to keep it this time.

When they got home, she helped Gia out of the car, and they went up to their room without Selma checking on the front desk or checking in on her grandmother. She needed to get Gia something to eat first before getting her to a table to work on something, and then, into the bathtub before she would work on something else, tire herself out, and Selma would carry her to bed. As she watched her daughter play a learning video game on her computer, though, she saw the familiar look of boredom in Gia’s eyes.

Selma Driscoll: Are you free right now by chance?

Seconds later, she had her answer.

“Mom? Someone is on the video thing, but it’s not Grandma.”

“You can answer,” she told her kid with a smile.

Gia must have accepted the video call because her face lit up.

“Drew!”

“Hey, Gia. What are you doing?”

“I was playing a game. What are you doing?”

“I just got back to my room. I was training all day.”

“Mom did that today, too. She said she raced her fastest time ever.”

“Yeah? That’s great news.”

“But she’s racing against you,” Gia reminded. “Don’t you want her to be bad?”

Selma’s ears perked up at that question.

“You know? I think I’d like your mom to race well and be on the podium with me. Is she there?”

“She’s in the kitchen, making dinner. Mom!”

“Hey, Drew!” Selma yelled from where she was mixing ground turkey in a skillet with a taco seasoning mix that Gia liked.

“Hey. Can I see you?”

Gia picked up the computer and turned it toward her, which Selma had not been expecting. And Selma looked terrible, too. Her hair was all over the place; her face was probably still half-red because she’d forgotten to put on sunscreen today; and she was wearing sweats.

“Hi,” Drew said with a wide smile, though, when she saw Selma.

“Hey. Thanks, by the way.”

“No problem. Have you heard yet?”

“They’re supposed to call today, but nothing yet,” Selma replied. “So, I don’t know what to think.”

“What are you talking about?” Gia asked as she carried the computer over to the counter and set it down, still facing Selma.

“The team, remember?” Selma said as Gia sat down on the stool.

“Oh, right. Drew, Mom said I get to get out of sixth grade.” The girl turned the computer screen back toward herself.

“She did?”

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