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Oh, no. This was my mother’s way of hinting I should ask about her own dating life. Because she was helping me scrub grout, I had to give her something, even though I really didn’t want to hear about her love life. I wanted her to be happy, of course, I just didn’t want details.

I dutifully asked though, “Really? No good prospects on the senior singles site?”

She made a face. “I’m not a senior single. Good Lord, Bailey.”

I was pretty sure the definition of senior was over fifty-five, but I didn’t want to point that out to her. Age is a number, I do believe that. Look at Grandma Burke. She was willing to try anything as long as it was on land. She wasn’t a fan of water.

“I thought that’s what the site was called. I wasn’t suggesting you date a ninety-year-old.”

“Speaking of ninety-year-olds, I don’t know if you should just drop Grandma off at that senior center. Are there any medical professionals on site?”

Being criticized for giving my grandmother autonomy was better than discussing Mom’s love life, but not by much. “No, but there is staff there.”

“Hmm.”

Geez. She “hmm’d” me right back. I wasn’t sure I liked that.

“I am seeing someone,” my mother said. The scrubbing increased. “It’s new and he’s a little younger than me, but he’s not a total loser, so it’s a start.”

“Not a total loser” was actually a ringing endorsement from my mother.

“That’s good.” I wasn’t sure what else I was to say. But then I paused. “How much younger?”

She shrugged. “He’s forty-nine.”

I was a little surprised but I decided I didn’t really care. That really wasn’t that big of an age gap and I just wanted her to enjoy herself. “As long as you like him I think that’s great, Mom.”

“It will probably end in total disaster but whatever.”

Ever the optimist, my mom.

I finished scrubbing the wall and opened my step ladder so I could peel off the wallpaper border. It was a stretch even with the ladder and that stuff was stuck on there more thoroughly than I was expecting. I had envisioned just popping the corner and peeling it off in one fell swoop.

I really was the optimist.

Nothing sort of a sandblaster was getting that paper off.

“Good news,” Mom said, cheerfully.

I eyed her in suspicion.

That was a trick.

She never announced good news.

“What’s that?”

“Your sister and the kids are coming from Texas for a visit. Can they stay with you? I don’t really have room in my new condo.”

Alarm bells went off. “Mom, no. We just moved in. We’re not even unpacked. Besides, we have three bedrooms and Grandma lives with us. I’m excited to see them all but they can stay with Dad. He’s living in that big house by himself and Jen has practically a newborn.”

Mom had walked away from the four thousand square foot house I had grown up in last year when she also walked away from my father.

She gave me an annoyed look. “He doesnotlive alone,” she sniffed. “He moved that woman in with him.”

Oh, boy. That woman was the other woman he’d been cheating on my mom with. I instantly felt bad for her.

“When did that happen?” I wasn’t surprised he hadn’t told me. Dad liked to avoid anything that might be uncomfortable.