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I inwardly cringe at my date reference, knowing full well I’ve firmly placed her in the friend zone. It probably isn’t fair that I’ve agreed to keep seeing her, but I genuinely enjoy her company. And since she hasn’t even tried to move to first base, I think we both might actually be on the same page.

“I can’t believe how much we ate,” Aubrey says as she turns into my driveway. “The bite-sized pieces of everything make you feel like you’re not eating a lot, and before you know it, you can barely breathe.”

“Oh my gosh, tell me about it.” I place a hand over my full stomach. “By the end of it I just wanted someone to roll me out to the car.”

Laughing, I find myself not wanting the night to end just yet. The little bit of wine taste testing we did at the festival has me feeling lightheaded and enjoying the company of others.

“Do you want to come in?”

If Aubrey is surprised by my offer, her features give nothing away. She turns off her car, and I feel my lips curl into a smile.

“Is Raine home?” she asks, and I’m pretty sure my answer will determine exactly where her mind is at.

“She might be,” I answer truthfully. “I kind of give her free rein at this age and tell her to keep me in the loop when she can.”

With Aubrey hot on my heels, we reach the front door, and I slide my key in only to find it already unlocked.

“Well, that answers your question.” I glance over my shoulder. “Is that okay?”

Aubrey smiles at me softly. “I think we both know this isn’t more than friendship.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” I exhale, as we walk through the front door. “I was trying not to send mixed signals, but I’ve really enjoyed the few times we’ve been out together.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong.” Her fingers circle around my wrist, turning me to face her. She cups my cheek with her free hand. “If you change your mind, I’m definitely still interested. But you also can’t have too many friends.”

I don’t know if her admission makes me feel better or worse, but the relief at being able to be honest with her, and at least make it clear where I stand, lifts the weight off my shoulders almost immediately.

“Mom.”

Raine’s voice interrupts the moment, and with Aubrey’s hands still on me, I turn my head toward her voice, only to be met with wide, incredulous, emerald-green eyes I thought for certain I’d never see again. Bloodshot, red-rimmed, and filled with tears, they stare back at me with heartbreaking confusion. The light that shone so bright the night I met her, nothing more than a dim glow.

God, she’s beautiful.

Even in her sadness she’sstillas breathtaking as I remember.

“Mom,” Raine repeats, and the moniker is enough to bring my gaze back to hers. “This is my friend Clem, we work together at Wonderwood.”

Clem.

Clem.

Clementine.

Thankfully, Aubrey chooses this moment to relinquish her hold on me, and I don’t miss the clench in Clementine’s jaw.

“Clem,” I say, as I take a subtle step back from Aubrey. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

She quickly wipes at her eyes, and the need to ask her what’s wrong sits at the tip of my tongue. “I’m actually going to go,” she says as her eyes dart between Raine and me. “I forgot I had to pick something up for Lennox, and the shop closes soon.”

“What? No.” Raine shakes her head, my extremely stubborn daughter coming out in full force. “You need to eat, and you can message someone else to do it.”

Raine’s word seems to be final, and Clem nods, probably aware that arguing with Raine is usually futile. I also don’t miss how she didn’t respond to my greeting, and her dismissal of me stings more than it has any right to.

Raine looks at me. “Mom, I’m going to cook for us, is that okay?”

“Of course.”

“Um, should I go?” Aubrey’s interruption reminds me that she’s still here, and a nice afternoon with my friend has turned into a six-degrees-of-separation revelation that I’m not sure I can come back from.