Page 58 of Dream Weaver

Abby didn’t let up for hours, not even for a lunch break. When the shop door opened with a new arrival, she tensed.

“Brace yourself,” I whispered as an older woman walked to Walt’s office, stooping to pet Louie.

Walt pointed me out, and I waved as she looked over.

My mother clapped her hands to her heart before hurrying over. “My baby! There you are!”

“Baby?” Matt chuckled.

I sighed. I could live to eighty or ninety and still be a baby to my mom. Regardless, I returned her huge hug and let her rock me from side to side, like she had when I was a kid.

“Hi, Mom.”

Ten years earlier, I might have found the open affection embarrassing. Now, I knew to cherish it — especially after witnessing Abby and her father. My mom loved the hell out of me, and that was a true gift.

So I hugged and hugged and told herI love youback.

“Oh, Cooper. You give me such joy, you know,” she whispered, as she always did.

“I’m glad, Mom.”

Abby, standing to one side, went from startled to amused.

I waggled my eyebrows, indicatingI did warn you.

Abby grinned openly.

That was another plus of my mother’s visits. She had a way of lifting everyone’s mood. So, totally worth it, even if I got teased mercilessly afterward.

My mother let go, looked at me, then hugged me again. Finally, she eased away, though that took some effort. She’d always had a catch-and-release policy when it came to us kids, but ever since losing Peter…

“Nice to see you,” I said gently.

It was. It really was. But doubly so for a mother who’d lost one of her kids. Another reason I would endure any amount of hugging she wanted — or needed.

My mother proceeded to stage two of her greeting, patting me on the arm in the same way she patted my eldest sister’s baby on the bottom whenever she got to hold the little guy, which was a lot.

“So good to see you,” she whispered again, then moved her pat to my shoulder and looked around. “Well? Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

That was stage three of Mom’s greeting, and it encompassed anyone in a hundred-foot radius. Momlovedmeeting the people I spent time with.

She turned clockwise, so I introduced her to Bob first, then Walt (who she’d already met, but never mind), then Matt and Pablo, and finally…

“This is Abby.” My voice went a little thick there.

“Abby!” my mother exclaimed as if she was meeting someone I’d told her all about — which I absolutely, positively had not — and threw her arms around my boss.

Abby stood stiffly, arms trapped at her sides, gripping her hammer tightly.

“Um…Mom…” I warned.

“Oh, shush, child,” she chided softly.

“Not everyone likes hugging strangers,” I pointed out.

“Nonsense. Everyone needs a hug.”

I didn’t point out that if she wanted to be consistent, she ought to hug Walt, Bob, Matt, and Pablo too.

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