Page 27 of The Friendly Fall

“So, this is your mom, Nick…” I mumble under my breath, and open up her profile, scrolling through some of the family pictures. There’s not much that’s public, but what is, is filled with pictures of Martha, Nick, and a young woman. Some of them have an older man—one who I assume is Nick’s late father.

Okay, now I’m being creepy.

I exit out of Martha’s profile, but not before I see the notification:Lindy Willis liked your photo.

Mom.

I laugh to myself, having figured that my mom would be one of the first to support the page. That’s just how she is, and I honestly appreciate that about her.

Closing my laptop, my phone begins to ring, and just as expected, she’s calling me … probably to gush over the photos of Nick. I can hear her excitement before even answering the phone.

“Eliza! Oh my gosh, sweetie, those photos you posted are amazing! Who is the handsome man? Is he a model?” Mom’s voice chirps through the line.

I chuckle at her enthusiasm. “No, Mom, he’s not a model. His name is Nick, and he’s been helping rebuild Granny’s ramp. I was just taking pictures for my portfolio and happened to snap a few of him.”

“He’s ahandyman?!” she squeals.Lord knows how she’d react if she knew he was a fireman too…“Oh, Eliza, you should totally ask him outon a date!”

My eyes widen in disbelief at her suggestion. “No way! I barely know him. Besides, dating is the last thing on my mind right now.”

Mom lets out an exaggerated sigh. “Oh, come on, honey! You need to put yourself out there again. Dad and I have been worried sick about you ever since you and Devon broke up.”

“Well, I appreciate your concern, but I’m honestly okay,” I reply, trying to reassure her. “I promise I’m not sitting at home pining over Devon. I’m actually enjoying focusing on myself for a change.”

There’s a moment of silence on the other end of the line before she speaks again, her voice softer this time. “That’s good to hear,sweetheart. It’s just hard for us to see you alone. We want you to be happy.” I can hear the sincerity in her voice, and a pang of guilt tugs at me. I know my parents only want the best for me, but their constant worry about my love life is starting to wear on me.

I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words to ease her concerns. “I know you and Dad want me to be happy, and I appreciate that more than you know. But I’m finally starting to figure out what I want in life without being tied down to someone else’s expectations,” I explain, hoping she’ll understand. “I’m not ready to jump into anything new just yet.”

There’s a pause on the other end of the line before she responds, “Okay, sweetie. I trust you to know what’s best for yourself. But please remember we’re here for you, and we’re rooting for you.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“We’re just a little eager to have some grandbabies to spoil,” she adds with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

I can’t help but roll my eyes at her comment. “How about you let me focus on getting my life together first before you start planning for little ones.” I try to keep the tone light, despite the amount of pressure building from her words.

“Alright, alright. I’ll give you a break … for now.”

We chat for a while longer about other things—family news, upcoming plans, and her latest garden projects—before finally saying our goodbyes.

It feels reassuring to know that my family cares about me, even if their methods can be a bit overbearing at times.

I’d rather be bothered by an abundance of love than feel completely unloved.

Chapter Ten

Eliza

Bzz. Bzz.

My vibrating phone lights up with the nameVanessa Morrowon the screen, and I smile, answering it.

“Hey, nice to hear from you,” I say to my new friend from photography class. Well, she was theonlyother person in the class, so naturally, we made friends with each other.

“Yeah, I was wondering if you wanted to meet for dinner tonight? Daniel is helping with the float for his 4-H group tonight and his mom offered to watch the twins, so I was thinking maybe we could do something? Is that weird?” She ends with alaugh.

“Not weird at all.” I giggle. “I’ve been editing photos for hours and would actuallylovea reason to get out of the house.”

“Aw yay! Do you want to meet at Parker’s Pizza around six? It’s just right off Main Street.”

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