Page 7 of Till Cupid Do Us Part

“No. Not since she put Junie down for a nap.”

“So put your phone down and be with me, Ivy. She’s sleepin’ and won’t be up for a while yet.”

She releases a tight exhale and rests her hand on my knee. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I know how you’re feelin’. She’s our baby.”

“I’m a helicopter mom.”

“She’s too young for you to be a helicopter mom, angel.”

“My parents were like this with me. Overbearing and worried all the time. I didn’t get to go to sleepovers until I was sixteen,” she rambles.

“And look at you. You turned out perfect.”

“Don’t try and flatter me to get me to calm down,” she warns lightly.

I ease down on the brake when we approach our turn. The stop sign is covered in snow, only a sliver of red appearing.

“There are plenty of ways to calm you down, Ivy. Should I choose a different approach?”

A pause. “Like what?”

Gliding my palm along the steering wheel as I turn it to the right, I say, “You’re wound tight.”

“Okay, and? What about it?”

“And I want to help loosen you up. But only if you’re goin’ to stop runnin’ from me when I get too close.”

She falls silent as the wind howls outside the truck, rocking against the body. It’s bright out with the sun free and clear in the blue sky, but fuck me, it’s cold.

“I haven’t been running,” she whispers.

With a glance in her direction, I see her cheeks flaring red before she focuses out the window. “What else do you call it, then?”

“I call it being tired after watching a five-month-old all day long.”

“Alright.”

“Alright?”

“If that’s how you’re feelin’, then I’ll respect that. What you’re doin’ and have done isn’t easy. You’re a great fuckin’ mom, Ivy. I’m grateful for that.”

She groans angrily and yanks her hand off my thigh. “You’re such an ass.”

Surprised as fuck, it takes me a minute to figure out what to say. Ivy’s got her knees pinched together and pointed at the truck door in that obviousI’m mad at youway. My brain glitches.

“What did I say wrong?”

“You’re not supposed to be so goddamn supportive all the time!”

“What? Why not?”

She whips around in her seat, returning her hand to my leg. The fire in her eyes is reassuring after so long without it. It’s been months since she’s let her emotions take hold of her in this way.

“Because it makes it harder not to jump your bones all the time!”

“There’s an easy solution to that problem.”

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