Page 80 of Wishing for Love

“Then don’t,” his mother said. “Get out of your head. Only keep the smart things in there and stressing over the future you can’t predict or control isn’t smart.”

He laughed. “I get it,” he said. “I’ve heard that before.”

“That’s right,” his mother said. “You have. Go have a good night and tell Crystal I’m happy with the news.”

“She’ll appreciate hearing that,” he said.

He went upstairs and saw her sitting on the couch in a T-shirt and leggings with slippers on her feet. “Well?” she asked.

“My mother said to tell you that she’s thrilled.”

“Really?” she asked.

He held his hand out for her to stand up and then pulled her close to his body. “Really. I told her I was seeing someone and she guessed it was you before I could say it. She said she saw the way I looked at you during the interview and the way I talk about you now.”

“How do you talk about me?” she asked.

“I have no idea,” he said. “I just do. Maybe it’s the tone of my voice. Does it matter?”

“No,” she said. “It doesn’t. Guess we both got good news today.”

“Guess we did.”

28

ALWAYS HAD YOU

“Is my son doing anything fun for Valentine’s Day tonight?” Carolina asked Crystal over a month later.

Once Phoenix’s family found out they were dating, his mother had been texting or calling her a few times a week. Checking in on things and asking about Elsie. Sometimes just wanting to know how Phoenix was doing and so thrilled she had a way of checking on her son without pestering him.

Crystal found the whole thing sweet and never had a problem with it. But she had let Phoenix know it was going on too.

“We are going to dinner tonight with Elsie. We decided to tell Elsie about us too.”

“Oh,” Carolina said. “How do you feel about that?”

“Nervous,” she said, letting out a little laugh. “Scared. I don’t want Elsie to feel as if anything is changing for her. Or that Phoenix is going to be there less for her either. He already feels guilty about the time he’s at work with all the changes.”

“I know,” Carolina said. “Phoenix is a champion guilt holder. He’s always been so hard on himself. But he knows that things will be changing soon.”

“He told me the legal documents are almost set now,” she said. “But we don’t talk much about it. I mean, I don’t need to know those details. It’s none of my business.”

“Only in that it’s nice to know my son isn’t wearing himself out.”

“That’s right,” she said. “I’m trying to make sure things are done before he gets home. He only has to spend time with Elsie.”

She knew Phoenix was stressed but not in a horrible way. He was running his business and making calls and planning everything for the expansion, at the same time working in his lab and seeing what to do next.

He spent a lot of time on the phone later at night with West or his father. Sometimes Laken.

Crystal was supportive but not interfering. There was no reason for her to be. He might be her boyfriend, but he was still her boss.

Yet the sight of him thriving after his struggles gave her hope that finally some of her life choices were the right ones too.

“You’re good for him,” Carolina said. “He needs something like this in his life with everything that has happened in the past several months. I’m sure he told you that he did the line of bags for Maryn, right?”

She sighed. “He did. I think he’s so happy to be back to doing what he loves but feels bad that something he did for her, he might not have much of a hand in going forward.”

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