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“I just don’t think you should close yourmind to the idea. Double your options, you know? Lots of handsome boys outthere who would kill for a crack at a date with you. After all, you are mydaughter.” Another thing: Vicky never understood or fully accepted Autumn’ssexuality. While she’d always been pleasant enough to the women Autumn dated,she seemed to hope Autumn was merely going through a phase. Vicky couldn’t seemto wrap her mind around the idea that men wouldn’t be everyone’s focus in life.

“Not gonna happen,” Autumn said, and sat backin her chair.

“Fine. A nice girl, then. You decide.”

“Thank you.” Autumn attempted to steer themback on course. “And speaking of my future—”

“Sweetie, can you get this one?” Vicky asked,sliding the check across the table. “It’s been a tight month.”Not for getting your hair blownout, it hasn’t.Autumn swallowed the thought and laid down a creditcard. Not a big deal in the scheme of life to pay for your own birthday dinner.Still, it left her feeling melancholy and small.

“It was great seeing you, sweetie.” Vickystood and kissed Autumn’s cheek before they’d even had a chance to settle upand walk out together. “You can take care of the rest, can’t you? I hate to cutout early, but I’m meeting Rocco across town, and traffic is awful. We’re goingdancing!” She twisted her wrists in the air and gave her hips a shake todemonstrate. The nearby table stared.

“Great seeing you, too,” Autumn said quietly,and watched her mother sashay her way out of the restaurant for somewherebetter.

“Happy birthday, Autumn,” Esperanza said, andlaid a hand on her shoulder. “Dinner is on the house tonight, and sopaipillasare on their way. My treat.”

She looked up in surprise. “Oh, no. Icouldn’t let you do that. Please let me pay.”

Esperanza’s eyes carried warmth. “Your moneyis no good here. I’m just happy to see you in my restaurant.”

“Thanks, Ez.”

She turned to go and then hesitated. “She’s ahandful, your mother.”

She tried for a smile and failed. “Don’t Iknow it.”

Another late-birthday dinner was in thebooks. She had survived it, and as far as Vicky went, Autumn would expect acall for cash in the next one to three weeks. In fact, she’d set her clocks byit.

“I’ll say one thing for her, she raised anamazing daughter.”

Autumn felt the smile blossom. “Thanks, Ez.”She looked up at the woman who’d been more of a mother to her than her ownmother would ever be, grateful as always that she’d been there to pick her upwhen she was low. They ate the sopaipillas together and caught up on all of thedetails of each other’s lives. It was the kind of exchange she secretly longedfor with Vicky, as unrealistic as that was. She used to fantasize as a kid thather mother would take her to the park to play, and afterward they’d go out forice cream sundaes. Ludicrous, in the scheme of who Vicky really was. She waslucky if she’d remember to pick her up from school at a reasonable hour.

Autumn would be a better parent, she vowedthen and there. She would be present, and kind, and interested, and active inthe life of her child. She’d be like Esperanza.

It hadn’t been the moment she’d planned on,or imagined, but she now knew who she wanted to share her big decision with.

She set down her fork. “Hey, Ez. I havesomething I want to tell you.”

* * *

“I miss Gia,” Autumn said wistfully. It wasclose to closing at Pajamas, and Isabel and Hadley had dropped in to keep hercompany while she worked. She’d put on some Stevie Wonder, which seemed to sendher to her happy place. Since the place was virtually empty, she’d sent herlast employee home. “She’s been gone so much lately. When is she back from thetour again?”

Isabel looked at Hadley from where she satupon the counter. “I think she just said we’re boring.”

Hadley nodded. “She most certainly did, whichcan’t be true. I’m interesting and a good listener.”

“I’m sarcastic and witty.”

“I throw fun parties and advise on fashion.”

Autumn threw up a hand. “All right, allright. You’re both pretty. You’re both worthy. You can both go to the ball.”

Isabel and Hadley clinked their mugs insolidarity. “But you’re driving,” Isabel said. “I plan to get wasted and losethe prince.”

“Fine,” Hadley sighed. “Let’s drop him at the7-Eleven.” She turned to Autumn. “But to answer your question, the tournamentwraps Friday night, so we should get G back on Sunday.”

Autumn smiled. “Then all will be right withthe world again. I don’t like it when one of you is MIA. Feels like I left myhouse without my pants.”

“That could bring in more business,” Isabelsaid. “Just sayin’ it’s something to consider.”