Page 25 of The Snowball Effect

Regan found herself grinning out of the sheer curiosity of this woman, who didn’t match Regan’s vision of Emma’s mother. At all. In any way. What a fascinating twist.

“Do you want to come in?” Regan offered, pulling the door open wider as she stepped back. “Sorry, I should have offered earlier.”

“I’d love to!” Kimberly stepped into the entryway, peering around at the pictures on the walls before she looked apologetically at Regan. “I don’t mean to be nosy. It’s just…” She bit her lip, and those nerves Regan had thought she’d seen while watching Kimberly through the peephole became evident once again. “I’m sure you know this, but I’ve never really been in Emma’s apartment. I just want to take everything in.”

Regan’s eyebrows lifted high on her forehead. Yeah, absolutelyfascinating.

Before she could comment on that, Kimberly let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I mean, I’ve never met her romantic partners before either, which I’mobviouslymore excited about.”

“You never met Felicity?” Regan asked, her interest notching up even higher.

Regan had always been a curious person. About most everything, but people in particular. And with how very little she actually knew about Emma being highlighted yesterday, she was voracious about learning as much as she could.

“No, I was living in Florida, as I’m sure Emma’s told you, and…” She cleared her throat, looking embarrassed as she tucked her hair behind her ear. “Anyway, I’m so happy I get to meet you.”

“Yeah, I’m utterly thrilled to meet you, too,” Regan returned sincerely.

This was the most in-depth look she’d ever been offered into Emma’s life, and she hadn’t even done anything rude or invasive to get it!

“You’re such a cutie pie; I can see why Emma’s so excited about this new phase of your life together.”

Regan stared, dumbfounded. “You said – Emma’s excited?”

Emma had told her mom she wasexcitedabout them living together?! The very thought seemed unimaginable to Regan, but she wouldn’t deny that it pleased her. Maybe, somehow, they were turning a corner? Had it been the grocery shopping adventure?

Kimberly scoffed, a wry smile on her lips. “Well, of course! And who wouldn’t be? Graduating with her master’s, getting a job at a big publication, and moving in with her girlfriend! Those are all amazing milestones, and I’m so happy for her.”

Regan could only continue to stare, replaying Kimberly’s last few comments.

I’ve never met her romantic partners before. You’re such a cutie pie. Girlfriend.

Girlfriend.

Girlfriend?

“Girlfriend,” Regan repeated, feeling like she was operating much slower than usual. She didn’t typically feel like someone else easily pulled agotcha!on her, but Kimberly came in swinging.

But Kimberly was, like, middle-aged, right? And older people sometimes used the wordgirlfriendto mean girls that were friends, she reasoned. Which still didn’t quite fit her relationship with Emma, but –

Kimberly looked stricken, waving her hand in front of her. “Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I never really asked if that’s what you two call one another. Is it better to say partner?”

“Partner,” Regan repeated, still unable to comprehend. Because, no. It didn’t seem like Kimberly meant to say girlfriend, as in girls who were friends. She seemed to really mean –

“Partners it is! I love how that’s become such a mainstream reference for couples nowadays.”

Yep. She really meant that Regan and Emma wereromantically involved.

Regan stared, silently, for several more seconds. Finally, the sense of bafflement and the need to know what the fuck was going on kicked in, and she snapped out of it.

“Um… you know what? I’m just going to go wake Emma up for you. Thatcrazysleepyhead.”

“Thank you. And let her know that I brought bagels!” Kimberly called after her, shaking the white bag in her hand.

“Sure!” Regan shouted over her shoulder as she rushed down the hallway toward Emma’s bedroom.

The door across the hallway from Regan’s own was firmly shut, as it always was, now. She’d gone from living with Sutton, who had lived in this very room with an open door ninety percent of the time, to living with someone who acted like her room held state secrets.

After Emma had bit her head off for opening her door a few days after she’d moved in, Regan respected her wishes to treat her room as a restricted area.

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