Page 25 of The Love We Make

“Huge plus.” Kate drapes an arm over Stella.

“You might have noticed at your party that my son can’t resist the odd silver fox,” Mimi says.

Silver fox? If Juan were here, this house would be too small to contain his outrage.

Imani bursts out laughing. “Please, let me be in the room when you call Juan a silver fox.”

“Oh, I know he’s only in his forties. But Austin…” Mimi shakes her head. “It’s not like he had an absent father. I made absolutely sure of that. I can’t explain why he likes older guys so much.”

“With Juan” Imani says, as though it’s the one and only conclusion possible, “it’s probably not just an age thing. He’s just such a beautiful human being.”

Mimi nods, as though she agrees. In my biased opinion, it’s impossible to dislike Juan. Clearly, he’s got Mimi under his spell also.

“The girls really took to him as well,” Mimi says, confirming my suspicion.

It’s funny to me how, even when he’s not here, Juan’s such a big topic of conversation.

“Trust me,” Stella says. “An age gap is one of the easiest things to accept in a family context.”

“You would say that.” Kate grins at her partner. “Now that you adore Nathan.”

“He’s Silas’ godfather,” Stella says.

“We could hardly ask Kevin.” Kate tries to keep a straight face.

“I guess, with time, most things can be accepted,” Mimi says. “I’m the oldest one here, so I should know.”

Imani scoffs. Sometimes, it gets the better of her—especially when there’s lots of talk of the unbreakable bonds of family, not something she has to worry about when she’s with Juan and me.

“Maybe in a perfect world.” Stella looks at Imani. They’re friends. She knows Imani’s story. “Sorry, darling.”

“It’s okay. I’ve made my peace now. My parents were of a different time.”

But still, I think, although I get it. Generational differences are only one of the issues I have with my own parents.

“How old are they?” Mimi asks.

“They’re dead,” Imani says. “Although they were no longer in my life decades before they passed away.”

“I’m so sorry. I really am,” Mimi says.

“They had me late. My mother was forty-one. My father almost fifty. He was pushing seventy when I told him I was a girl, and not the boy he thought I was. This was more than thirty years ago. Thank goodness times have changed.”

Mimi hides her double-take well, but I’ve got my eye on her, and I’ve noticed. Imani’s used to this reaction by now, and either way, it wouldn’t bother her to shock someone with this.

“Their loss for not knowing their magnificent daughter,” Mimi says. “Their huge loss.”

Imani lifts a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “Maybe we can talk about something other than family now.”

CHAPTER12

MIMI

By the time we sit down to dinner, I’m a bit dizzy with all the revelations. And all I’ve drunk is water. I keep trying to imagine Heather running off with Lauren’s husband or the other way around. Or even more dramatic, one of my sons-in-law falling for my son. It makes my head spin so badly, I need to take a deep breath before I serve the food.

“I’ve gone back to apps now,” I hear Imani say as I sit. “But I haven’t had much luck so far.”

While they all coo over the meal I’ve prepared, I sneak a quick peek at Nora. She seems to be having fun. I wonder what went wrong in her family for her to be so drawn to people who got rejected by theirs just for being who they are—for being what their parents made them and still not living up to their expectations.

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