Page 118

“Oh. Oh, hi! You answered. I was not expecting that.”

Guilt needles my chest, but I stay silent.

“Your dad and I were wondering, well, hoping you’d... Will we see you again before you go home?”

I think for a long moment, unsure of what to say. Mom fills the silence again.

“You and your lovely girlfriend Ellie are welcome to comefor dinner. I was thinking maybe tonight would be nice? I’m making roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, and pickled beets from the garden. I thought you two might enjoy it.”

My mouth waters just thinking of Mom’s homemade gravy.

“Or if you’re busy we could make a plan to come see you? We’ve never been to your new place, and...”

Mom continues on about dinner plans. Why is she trying so damn hard after being so distant for so long? Maybe she really likes Ellie and wants her around—who wouldn’t? But when they saw Ellie and me together before, when she pretended to be my girlfriend, we hadn’t had feelings for each other yet. Now we do—at least, I do. It would be obscene to pretend to be girlfriends when we haven’t yet discussed our future—ifwe have a future. I can’t parade Ellie around on my arm as a fake girlfriend without knowing where we stand, and I can’t pretend to be something we’re not. If my parents ever see us together again it will be because what we have is real and honest.

Unsure of what to tell my mom, I cut her off, my stomach twisting into knots the more she talks. “I’ll have to talk to Ellie about it and get back to you.”

“Oh, okay. Yes. Of course. Well, you tell that girl of yours how wonderful she is, and hopefully we will see you both soon. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Maria? I mean... Mariah?”

I blink a few times, never having heard her say my name with my chosen pronunciation before. “Yeah?”

She takes a slow breath. “I love you.”

Squeezing my eyes tight, I let her words sink in, coating my heart like chocolate sauce over an ice cream cone. How long has it been since she’s told me that? Since I’ve told her? Despite how estranged we’ve been, how far she’s pushed me away, how little she knows about who I am, and how little she’s tried to learn, she’s still my mom. My breath leaves my lungs in a shaky exhale. Then I reply, “Love you, too.”

She sniffs, and I can almost hear her smile when she tells me goodbye and hangs up.

I clutch my phone to my chest and take a moment to let all the emotions swirling around in my heart settle down, letting myself feel the depths of sadness for all the time we’ve lost, the confusion with all this change, and the glimmer of hope for the future.

But I can’t help but wonder, why now? There’s a nagging feeling in my gut that the reason things are shifting between my mom and me is because of Ellie and her sunshine radiance blasting through the walls we’ve erected over the years. Without Ellie, none of this would be happening. Without Ellie, the little ground Mom and I have made up might be lost, and we’ll go back to terse indifference—two souls who don’t understand each other and never will.

That’s a lot of pressure to put on Ellie, and the last thing we need right now is more of that.

Act 3

Ext. Downtown Hemlock Grove Sidewalk - Evening

James and Annie are walking slowly down the sidewalk, arm in arm. It’s a chilly night, with fresh snow piled next to businesses. The stores are closed, everything is dark save for the twinkling lights in their displays and the lamp posts lining the street.

JAMES

Oh, I almost forgot the cookies.

Come inside.

Int. Brewed Awakening Café - Evening

James unlocks the door and lets Annie step into the café, following close behind.

Annie stays out front while James disappears into the back room.

Moments later, Kate enters from the back room with a broom in her hand.

KATE