Page 58 of Time To Live Again

Would my mom act like that when or if I introduce her to Leo? I’m not sure I’ll tell her about him. Not until I know we truly have a future, anyway.

“Would you like a coffee or tea?” Marla asks.

“No, thanks. I’m meeting Tonya at the café in a little while. It’s a farewell since she won’t be around tomorrow when I leave.”

Marlahmm’s again, and my hackles shoot up. I hope I’m misreading her. She’s so confusing. She opens a yellow packet and places the teabag in a cup. I wait as she pours the steaming water and dips the tea bag in it. Maybe she’ll leave the room without another word. I almost wish she would.

Finally, she comes over and places her cup on the coffee table, then sits down across from me.Sure. Make yourself comfortable.“We’ve had an eventful week since you arrived. Usually, we don’t encourage the staff to get involved with our guests. Leo has always taken that seriously until you came along.”

And your point would be?Her tone isn’t malicious, but it’s hard to identify otherwise. That’s okay—I’ll wait her out. One thing’s for sure, I won’t apologize for getting involved with her son.

She glances my way. “That’s when I knew something was different. His actions spoke louder than words. He tried to hide it at first, but…I hadn’t even met you yet, and I could see how he felt about you. And let me mention he’s never brought a woman home before to meet the family. Well, you’re staying here, but you get my gist.”

I nod, but school my emotions. Is she annoyed that I caught his attention? This little convo’s obviously leading up to something.

Marla cradles the cup in her hands and blows on it. “Tonya came to me flooded with tears when she saw Leo dancing, and when he sang to you, I was the one crying.” She takes a sip, then rests the cup back on the table.

“He didn’t sing to me.” Why am I protesting when he said the song was for me?

Her eyes narrow. “We both know that’s not true.”

“Okay, if he did sing to me, what are you trying to say?” That came out more defensive than I wanted it to, and she picks up on it.

“I’m sorry, Olive. I’m doing this all wrong. This is very new for me. Let me try again.” She rubs her hands down her pressed pants. “Seeing parts of Leo that have been missing for a long time makes me hopeful. I can’t thank you enough. It’s a mother’s dream to see her children truly happy, and that’s what I see when he’s with you. If you think he lights up the room now, you should’ve seen him before…” She frowns and her shoulders droop, her tough woman act disappearing.

“It’s okay. He told me about Corey, their plans…”

“Good. I’m glad he’s opened up to you. That’s not easy for him. It’s been awful, watching him grieve and suffer for years. We were all still grieving, but I’ve never seen Leo break down the way he did. Not even when his father died. I can’t imagine what he was going through, losing his best friend and only cousin.” She gasps, then straightens and covers her mouth. What the hell?

I push to the edge of the seat and reach out my hand. “Are you okay, Marla?”

“Yes, yes.” She wipes her forehead. “I just remembered something. Anyway, where was I?” She takes a moment to gather herself. “Time has helped. We’ve seen bits of him come back over the years. But the parts of him I’ve seen this week have made me ecstatic, and he doesn’t even realize it.”

That has me smiling.

“But—” Her eyes harden with concern. “I’m also worried. Will he disappear again once you leave?”

“You should probably talk to him about this. I don’t think he’ll relapse. He’s not the only one who’s changed this week. We plan to keep in touch. We feel strongly about each other, but we both know—I can’t solve his problems and he can’t solve mine. We can only help each other along the way. Logistics and jobs are also an issue. We have a lot to talk about. I won’t take Leo for granted. I consider myself very lucky, and I hope my future includes him in some shape or form.” I hesitate, and then my own doubts sneak out. “Of course, we’ve only known each other a week. There are no guarantees.”

Enough, Olive. You’ve said more than you intended. Zip it now.

“Time doesn’t matter when it comes to finding your soulmate. When you know, you know.” Marla shifts in her chair and shrugs. “It happened to me and my husband. Our parents were skeptical because we jumped in headfirst. Best decision of our lives.” A soft smile appears on her face. I can imagine what she’s thinking about.

“Same thing happened with my mom and dad,” I say. “I think they had issues in the beginning, too, but they didn’t really talk about them to me or my brother. Seems like you and she were lucky to find great men.” It’s sad to think that both Marla and Mom have lost their husbands. “It’s strange though. I mean, to think that every event in my life has been steering me toward Leo all this time? That I got up one day and made a crazy decision that I thought was random, but it’s ultimately changed my life for the better?”

“Now you sound like Leo…and I guess me when I met my husband. Love hits you when you least expect it. When it does, grab onto it and don’t let go,” she encourages. “Life’s too short to say it’s too soon or it’s not possible. I promise you,it can happen. And I think deep down inside, you both know that. You can deny it if you want, but all you’re doing is wasting precious time. I don’t know your personal story, but it seems you’ve been dealt a shitty hand, much like Leo, and it’s shaped your outlook on life.”

She hit the nail right on the head. Why am I so skeptical and denying my feelings? Hopefully, it’s not out of fear of what my family will say. Their opinions shouldn’t matter. I’m thirty, for fuck’s sake.

Marla continues. “Even Sully talks more when he’s around you. You’ve got a magical touch, and you don’t realize it. I guess we needed an outside force to shake things up a bit.”

She’s talking like I’m the answer to their prayers. “You give me way too much credit. You all do, but I’ll take it.”

She glances at her watch. “Oops, I have a conference call in ten minutes. I’ve gotta cut this short.”

“No problem. Tonya’s probably already at the café. I’ll head over there now.” I stand and step away from the couch. She does the same.

“I don’t know if I’ll see you before you leave tomorrow.” She pulls me in for an unexpected hug. “Don’t be a stranger. You’realwayswelcome here.” She leans back and braces her hands on my upper arms. “Bring your mom for a visit. Let’s prove to her it’s a beautiful place to be even when it’s cold.”

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