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The waiter arrived with the teas, and she went ahead and put in their food order as well. As he disappeared back into the kitchen, she checked the time on her phone. One minute before her mom was supposed to arrive.

And there she was. Allye waved, and her mom’s face broke into a smile when she saw her. Nothing about Julie Jessup looked old-fashioned, yet she still managed to resemble a cross between a classic movie star and a New York attorney, complete with red lipstick and a graceful power stride.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Hi, honey.” She wrapped Allye in a hug. After a few seconds, she pulled back slightly but didn’t release her. “Are you feeling all right? You look exhausted.”

Allye forced a smile and hoped it looked genuine. “I didn’t sleep well last night, and today was a busy day.” Not a lie.

“We could have rescheduled.”

“Nonsense. I can handle dinner.” For now. “Besides, we missed Sunday already, and you know I love our monthly dates.” That brought the smile back to her mom’s face.

“I do too.” She gave Allye’s arms a light squeeze before letting go and taking the seat across the table.

Allye breathed a silent sigh of relief and changed the subject while she had the chance. “I ordered our usual.”

“Wonderful.” Mom pulled a packet of sweetener from her purse, poured exactly half of it into her glass, then swirled the tea with her straw to dissolve it.

“How was the showing?”

She lifted one shoulder in a delicate shrug. “I don’t think the buyers were impressed, but we’ll see. They said they’d discuss it and call me tomorrow.” She took a sip of her tea. “If they turn it down, you might want to take a look at it. It’s small enough to be cozy and simply overflows with personality.”

Allye suppressed a sigh. As a real estate agent, her mom seemed nearly offended by Allye’s choice to rent rather than own. She knew buying was the better investment, but committing to a mortgage on her own was a big deal—not to mention a decent down payment would have practically wiped out her bank account. Instead, she’d thrown about half her savings into starting her photography business and found a reasonable place to rent. The fact Corina lived nearby and eventually moved into the other side of the duplex didn’t hurt any. Being next door to her best friend once again had been nice while it lasted.

She tuned back in as her mom finished describing the cottage-style home. “It sounds wonderful, but it’s not a good time for me. I’ve got a lot on my plate. I don’t think I could handle the upkeep by myself.”

Her mom’s crimson-tinted lips drew together. “I could help if you have questions, and I’m sure Bryce would be willing to help with the maintenance—especially if you choose something close by.”

“I’m not his burden, Mom. He has his own house and family now.”

“You know he would never consider you a burden.”

No, he wouldn’t. Didn’t mean she wouldn’t be one though. Especially if her health continued to decline. She gave herself a mental shake. She wasn’t going to dwell on that tonight.

Their pizza arrived, and Allye welcomed the interruption. She helped herself to a large slice of the Olive Special—complete with Castelvetrano, Mission, Gaeta, and Kalamata olives, and of course, Zhan’s signature heavy dousing of Parmesan.

Her mom shook out a napkin and placed it on her lap before selecting a slightly smaller slice for herself. “So any hot dates lately?”

Allye hid her grimace behind her pizza. Maybe her lack of a house title was a better topic. “Again, no time.” No time. No energy. No guy. Her thoughts shot to Eric. Okay, so there might be a possibility there. Didn’t eliminate the other two issues.

“Don’t get so busy you miss out on life, Allye.” Her tone turned serious. “I know you’re passionate about your business, and you should be—you have real talent. I talk about your photography every chance I get. But I worry about you too.” Allye opened her mouth to respond, but her mom kept going. “Don’t take me wrong, I would never say you need a relationship or a house to be happy. But I also know how much you’ve always wanted to have a family.”

Allye swallowed the lump in her throat and chose her words carefully. “And I still do. But there’s plenty of time. This has been an intense season for me, and dating doesn’t fit into my life right now.”

“And that’s okay. But”—her mom’s expression softened—“it’s more than that. You’re forgetting things, missing church, and you’ve been so tired and preoccupied lately—not just tonight. I don’t want to see you get burned out or destroy your health for your career.”

My healthisthe problem, not my career.The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she bit them back. They would require her to disclose her secret, and she wasn’t ready to do that. Instead, she mustered a smile, hoping to placate her mom and bring the conversation back to safer ground. “This is a big week, especially with Wool Fest coming up. Next week, I should be able to slow down a little bit.”

“Please do. I’m not trying to be pushy, but I love you, and I know how easy it is to overextend yourself.”

“I love you too, Mom. And I’m trying to take care of myself—I really am.” It wasn’t working, but shewastrying. She finished off her slice of pizza and reached for another. “Speaking of Wool Fest, are you coming? I think you’ll like my booth’s setup this year.”

“I wouldn’t miss it. I always love what you have to offer.”

“How’d your interview go yesterday?” Allye ventured. She was truly interested, but she also wanted to keep the topic of conversation off herself.

“All right, I suppose.” She shot her a rueful smile. “I don’t know if I gave Thomas anything worth printing unless he just has a really slow week of news. But I didn’t have anything exciting to share. Things are somewhat slower than I like, with people a little more hesitant to buy than they were a few years ago, but that’s part of the business.”