Page 64 of The Archer and his Rosebud

“Me, too. I could have done without the little breakdown, but I have no idea what I would have done without you.”

“You would have found your way.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “I’m sure of it.”

I chew my lip, touched by his unwavering confidence in my abilities.

* * *

Thanksgiving is a success.Devin entertains Clem while Archer, Mom, and I cook side by side in his kitchen. Nolan and Eli are spending the holiday with Leah, which means if it weren’t for Clem and me, Archer would be alone. Or maybe he would have flown back to Texas to visit his family. Guilt seeps in. Why didn’t I ask him?

To make up for his lack of family, I try my best to give him a glimpse into mine. I prod Mom into sharing some of our funnier holiday stories for Archer’s benefit. Like the time the power went out in the middle of cooking our Thanksgiving meal, forcing us to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner. Or the time I freaked out when I was five because Santa was in the Macy’s parade and I wouldn’t stop begging my parents to drive me to New York so I could meet him.

After dinner, Mom insists Archer relax and let her do the dishes. I can’t stand by and not help, so we tackle his kitchen together as he and Devin watch football. I pause a few times in the midst of cleaning to stare at the man holding my sleeping daughter on his chest. The way he strokes her back and brushes his lips over her fuzzy head…he isn’t putting on a show. He can’t see us watching him.

“He loves her.” Mom nudges my side.

I return to drying the dishes, my heart full. “So much.”

“Just friends, huh?”

My mouth gapes.

“I see the way he looks at you, Willa Rose. Give your mom some credit.”

Butterflies flutter in my stomach. “I know he’s older, but he’s so good to us, Mom. To Clem, but to me, too.”

“He is older, certainly more comfortable in his skin, but I can admit he seems like a good man, honey.”

“He is.” I check over my shoulder to verify he’s still enraptured by the throwing around of pigskin. Pucks are much better. “He’s moving in two weeks, and things will probably change.”

“Maybe or maybe not. Not all men are the same.” Mom tips her head toward Archer. “He might surprise you.”

And here I thought I’d have to fight to convince her of Archer’s virtues.

“Or leave us like every other man has and forget we exist,” I murmur.

Mom exhales. “It’s hard, but someday you’ll have to open your heart, Willa. In love, you take the good with the bad. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t, but you have to be willing to take the risk, or you’ll never find what you deserve. And he might be everything you deserve.

“Then again, just because you met a nice guy doesn’t mean you have to settle down. You’re only twenty-one, honey. Having a baby means you have to think about more than yourself, but it doesn’t mean you have to skip over everything you worked for growing up.”

“I’m not sure I know what I want, Mom.” I fold and unfold my dish towel, my mind running loose. “My teen years were spent working hard so I could get here, to a good college, to a well-paying career, but this wasn’t exactly a dream as much as a necessity to me.”

Mom leans her hip against the counter, her brow furrowed.

“You struggled so much after Dad left us. You tried covering it up, but we noticed. We saw you stress over the finances more than once.”

“Willa.” Her eyes turn glassy.

“Why do you think we never asked for much at Christmas and on our birthdays?” I reach for her hand. “It’s fine, Mom. We weren’t neglected. I’m just saying that knowing what you went through fueled the idea that I had to be independent.”

“Independence isn’t a bad thing. Look at what your strength has done for you. I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become and the mother you are.” Mom looks back at the guys and Clem. “She was an unexpected detour in your life plan, and you’ve handled things as well as I knew you would.”

“I didn’t do this with independence, Mom. Everything you see, Clementine’s smile, my sanity…I had help.” Archer’s help.

Stealing the towel from my grip, Mom pulls me in for a hug. “See, my darling girl, you’re mature beyond your years because you’ve learned the lesson many never learn. You realized that success means knowing when you need help, and being able to accept it.”

Archer didn’t give me much of a chance to say no. He bulldozed his way into our life without my permission.Where would we be if he hadn’t?

Burying my face in her neck, like when I was sixteen, I ask, “How do you know when to follow your heart?”

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