Page 7 of Bad Decisions

“Grammy!” She jumped to her feet and bounced around on the sofa. I didn’t have the energy to tell her to stop. “Grammy! Grammy!”

She jumped and landed on her bottom before scooting off the couch to the floor. I winced at the impact, but it didn’t seem to hurt her.

She took off back toward her bedroom. It was a fifty-fifty shot of what she was doing. Either grabbing more toys, or changing clothes again.

She seemed to go through ten outfits a day and I didn’t know how.

A few seconds later, she emerged with her hot pink raincoat, blue leggings, and yellow rain boots on. It wasn’t raining, but she didn’t care, so I didn’t care.

Meredith would’ve had a fucking conniption if she saw Emma dressed like that.

Instead, Cora was probably going to have one, probably one big enough for the both of them. I snorted to myself.

My mother-in-law was the only family I had. Well, except for my sister-in-law, but she was off traveling the world, one yoga retreat at a time. Cora had an even bigger stick up her ass than Meredith ever did, but I wouldn’t keep her grandchild from her.

And selfishly, I needed the break.

“Grammy!” Emma sprinted toward me, and I smiled as I scooped her into my arms, hugging her close. My throat felt too tight, and I squeezed my eyes shut as she rested her head on my shoulder.

It was a rare moment of softness. She was always bouncing off the walls, or screaming, or throwing shit. We didn’t cuddle as much as we used to, and I didn’t know if it was because she was getting older and just didn’t want to. Or if it was me.

Was it my fault? How badly was I fucking my daughter up?

3

reagan

The bellabove the door chimed, and I barely held in my sigh. I’d been back in town three days—three of the longest, grueling days of my entire life—and Mom was already making me work at the diner.

I hated it.

It smelled like bacon grease and mop water, and I was tired of dealing with these people. The people from my hometown. The people I’d chosen to leave behind the second I turned eighteen and could venture out into the world on my own.

I’d spent the last three days explaining to everyone why I was back, laughing off their invasive questions, and trying to politely tell them all to fuck off.

After the last two retreats decided not to bring me on as a permanent instructor, I took a step back to rethink my life. Being a yoga instructor at Lotus Retreats was my dream. I could travel the world and practice yoga everywhere, meet like-minded people, and not have to pretend to be someone I wasn’t.

When I was here, I didn’t recognize myself. I was the most miserable version of myself. All the hard work I’d done to get past the trauma my mother had inflicted on me flew out the damn window the second I set foot in her house.

It wasn’t home. It wasn’t where I belonged. It was just a place for me to crash until I could find a better place, a more permanent place.

A home.

Plastering a smile on my face, I turned and grabbed a stack of menus, ready to fake laugh my way out of whatever awkward conversation I was about to find myself in.

But it wasn’t some hometown asshole at the door.

“Eli!” I dropped the menus back on the counter as I rounded it, heading toward my brother-in-law and niece.

“Rae? What are you doing here?” He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in for a tight hug. I tried not to drown in the warm, leathery scent of him.

“Mom didn’t tell you?” I asked, and he shook his head as he let go, taking a step back. “Of course, she didn’t.” I pinched between my eyes. “I just got home from Bali.” He let out a low whistle.

“Bali, huh?” He hiked Emma higher on his hip. “You an official teacher yet?”

“Instructor,” I corrected, smiling softly. “And not yet. But I applied again and I feel really good about it this time.”

“Well,” he sighed tiredly. “I hope you all the best.”

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