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I shake my head. “No, we’re good. Actually, I think we repaired our relationship a little.”

“Well, that’s good.”

“Yeah…” My voice trails off.

“Anything else you want to talk about?” she asks. Scooting back on the sofa, she crosses her legs.

I set the plate down on one of the books before me and raise my gaze. “Are you and Dad disappointed in me?”

“Why would you say that?”

“Because why wouldn’t you be?” I scoff. “You’ve given me everything, and all I’ve ever given you is grief.”

“That’s not true.” She shakes her head. “We love you.”

“I know you do, but let’s face it, I’ve been a little shit most of my life.”

My mother presses her lips in a line, suppressing a laugh. “Well, here’s the thing…” She pauses, gathering her thoughts. “Your father and I raised you the best we could. But children are born with their own personalities. You’ve always been strong-willed, opinionated, and wild.” She chuckles. “We loved those qualities in you when you were young because the most powerful women in the world possess the same. Your daddy always said you were going to rule the world.”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, there isn’t much world domination going on. I’m lacking education and…” I look around. “My own place, for starters.”

She frowns and nods slightly. “We could’ve done better as parents, but one can only do what they know, and we thought we were doing everything right. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, as they say.”

“No,” I exclaim. “You guys were amazing parents. This is on me.”

“We kind of realized you were on the wrong path when you were a teen, but by that age, it’s too late to change you. You’d grown into your own person. All we could do was lead by example, provide you with support and love, and hope you found your way. I mean, you’re a grown woman, Alexa. You’re going to be the woman you want to be, not who others tell you to be.”

Tears fill my eyes, and I swallow back a sob. “Yeah. I see that.”

She leans forward, her brows furrowed. “What happened up north, sweetie?”

I pull in a deep breath. “I met someone incredible. I know it’s stupid because I was only there a week, but I really, really liked him, Mom,” I choke out.

“He didn’t like you?”

My shoulders slump. “No, he did…at first. But I ruined it.”

Before I know it, I confess everything to my mother. I tell her about our insane connection and compatibility. I retell the stories of Boss’s life that he shared with me about his family, fears, and hopes for the future. I explain how it felt to be cherished.

“He reminded me of Dad in the way he admired me. You know? He made me feel special, but ultimately, I think I knew I could never live up to his perfection, so I sabotaged it.” I wipe a stray tear from my cheek. “At the time, I didn’t realize that was what I was doing, but it must be. Nothing else makes sense.” I’m embarrassed to be crying over something so fleeting, which is exactly what my week with Boss was—just a blip of time in my life. Yet somehow, it feels more, and I can’t deny that it does.

She releases a sad chuckle. “You always have been your own worst enemy.”

I nod. Hands in my lap, I fidget with a string hanging from my baggy T-shirt.

“But, sweetie, you must know that no one is perfect. Not him. Not you. Not anyone. No relationship is either. Yeah, you didn’t make a wise choice. But you learn from it and move on.”

“It just sucks because I was raised by a perfect couple, and I hate that I’ll never have that.”

My mom releases a genuine laugh this time. “Your father and I are not perfect.”

“Yeah, you are,” I disagree.

“Alexa, I promise you we’re not. Do you remember that hotel you and I stayed at for a while when you were, gosh, I don’t know, five or six? It had a pool with a lime-green liner and this animal mascot that would deliver mints to everyone in the lobby every morning during breakfast hours?”

“Oh my gosh, the moose!” I recall.

“Yes! That weird moose. I still don’t understand that place.” She grins.

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