Page 87 of Family Bonds- Emma & Warren

Since she was off the island and had Lucky with her, she figured there was no time like the present for a visit. Maybe she’d stay for the day and they could do some shopping. She could load up on some foods she liked she couldn’t get online or on the island.

“Glad to know that this is how you think of me when you want to visit,” her mother said.

Lucky was making enough noise to get out, so she opened the door. “You know I don’t think that,” she said. “But I was here and maybe I needed to talk to someone.”

“Come here,” Melissa said. “Do you need a hug?”

“I always need my mother’s hugs. You don’t tell anyone about this, do you?”

Emma liked that fact hidden that she still enjoyed a hug from her mother, even at thirty-three.

“You know I can keep a secret,” her mother said, wrapping her arms around her.

She held on tight for a minute, then stepped back and shook her arms out. “There, I feel better.”

“I’m glad,” her mother said. “I’m going to assume Warren is on your mind?”

“He is,” she said. “A lot.”

“There isn’t anything wrong with that,” her mother said.

“I need to stay focused on my writing.”

Melissa smiled. “Does he pop into your head when you’re writing?”

“He does,” she said.

“In a bad way?” her mother asked. “Like do you want to push him out? Help me understand.”

“It’s not bad,” she said. “I just don’t want it to be a distraction.”

“If it’s not bad, then it can’t be a distraction. You’re not making sense.”

“That’s the thing,” she said. “I’m so confused.”

“Help me here,” Melissa said. “You say you’re confused a lot.” Her mother was laughing.

“I play that up.”

“I know you do,” her mother said, squinting her eyes. “Do you want something to eat?”

“Please tell me you’ve got cookies. Warren didn’t. Or what he had in terms of junk food was minimal and I didn’t want to eat it all. It’s the cabinet for his sisters. I tried to be good while I was there and ate a nice balanced meal plan.”

Her mother laughed. “I’ve got Oreos. You know your father needs them in the house.”

“I’ve got to get more,” she said. “I went through every package I had. I was going to stock up before Warren came over, but if he saw them in the pantry, he might break up with me.”

It was bad enough that he gave her a hard time about her protein bars and she thought those were healthy. Guess not the ones she bought, or not in his eyes.

“And you’d be upset if he did that, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course, I would,” she said. “Why would you ask that?”

“I’m trying to understand where all your confusion is coming from,” Melissa said, bringing the cookies to the counter.

She opened the bag and pulled three out, one going in her mouth whole.

It’d give her a minute to chew it while she thought of her next words.