Page 34 of From Fake Dates to Forever Goals

She looks up at me and smiles. She knows who I am talking about.

I look behind my shoulder and step back, allowing Ava to walk in. My mother reaches for Ava’s hand instantly and smiles.

Seeing them together stirs something inside me. It brings me a sense of peace as if somehow things will be okay.

That evening, we head back to my childhood home for the night. We won’t be able to see my mother until the next day. Ava and I are exhausted and fall right to sleep.

The next morning, we are back at the hospital to see my mom.

Ava sits by my mother’s side, once again holding her hand. I step back, allowing the moment to be theirs. I know I’ve made the right decision. Ava is perfect in every way. I have never seen my mom so happy to see one of my girlfriends—fake or not—as she is to see Ava. They speak for a while until Ava gets up to use the restroom.

With Ava gone, my mother calls me to her side.

“You better not mess this one up,” she says.

There she is!

I can tell she’s already feeling like her old self again.

“She’s a true gem, and you would be a fool to lose her,” she tells me, leaning back to rest.

“I won’t. I promise.” I stroke her hair back, covering her with the blanket and kissing her. “Now rest.”

We are soon on our way back to my childhood home.

“Your mom is a strong woman,” Ava comments.

“She is,” I reply, remembering how she’s always pushed me to be better. “She adores you,” I add.

Ava blushes.

“I think she’s just as happy as I am that you decided to join me.”

I mean that in more ways than one.

“I’m glad I could be a reason for a smile on her face,” Ava says, smiling and looking out the window as we drive back to unwind for the day.

Ava and I lay in bed. The sexual tension between us is undeniable, but I want more than that now. She’s just as confused about our relationship as I am. It’s like the white elephant in the room. I lean forward and tuck her hair behind her ear. She smiles instantly.

“Did you always want to play soccer?” Ava asks.

I think for a moment, remembering everything I wanted to be as a child.

“Well, I wanted to be a chef, which is why I know my way around a kitchen. Once my father discovered how good I was at soccer, though, I started practicing hard, and before I knew it, it became my passion,” I explain, recalling all the weekend hangouts sacrificed in favor of training. “What about you? Did you always dream of being a naturalist?”

“At first, I didn’t know what I wanted to be. All I knew was that I wanted to change the world somehow. It became clear to me after a conversation with a friend of my mom’s; she’s a naturalist, too. Once I learned more about it, I knew that that was what I wanted to do.” Ava yawns.

“Makes sense,” I nod. “For what it’s worth, I see how passionate you are about what you do. I think you’ll change the world someday.”

She smiles bashfully and avoids eye contact. Instead, she looks around the living room walls plastered with pictures from my childhood.

“Can I ask you something?” Ava sits up and stretches.

I nod.

“Your parents aren’t together, are they?”

Avaasks me a sensitive question, and though I’ve never spoken to anyone about my parents’ separation, I feel comfortable talking to her about it.

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