Page 118 of September

“Your business?”

“I bought a van so that I could open my own mobile grooming business. And, Mom, it’s going to work. I have so many regular clients, and I’m really good at what I do. You don’t see it, and it might sound silly to you, but I’m the top dog walker and pet sitter in this city. I had enough money in my savings to start this thing without having to get investors or pull from my trust fund.”

“The trust fund thing again?”

“No, I don’t mean it like that this time,” she replied. “I mean that I want to keep it.”

“You want it now?”

“I want it for the future. I don’t know exactly what I’ll use it for, but I know I want it for my family.”

“Family? Is there something that you’re not telling me? If you are pregnant and you didn’t even tell your mother, I–”

Gwen laughed wildly and said, “No, I’m not pregnant. God, Mom.”

“Well, you did just call your mother out of the blue, and you never do that.”

“I’m not pregnant, but Idohave a girlfriend, and Iamsurprisingly already in love with her. I didn’t expect myself to be. She came out of nowhere, and I’m not usually the type to just fallfor someone, but then, there’s her and these feelings that I don’t doubt, and–”

“So, I might get that wedding one day?”

“Mom, it’s new. Don’t go there yet.”

“What? Your father wants to walk his daughter down the aisle.”

“And you want to plan the wedding?”

“Well, I’d like to help.”

“Mom, you know there might notbea wedding, right? If I don’t want that or the woman I end up–”

“You’re trying really hard not to say the woman you’re dating now, aren’t you? Don’t want me to start thinking it’s going to happen between you two?”

“It might,” she replied. “I don’t know. We just kind of fit, even though we should still be in that phase where we’ll see where it goes. Idoknow that I’m really happy, Mom. I have a new business that I’m about to start and a new, amazing relationship. I’m good. I know I’m no doctor or lawyer or something else that you and Dad think means success, but I’m successful to me, and that should be all that matters.”

“You’re right,” her mom said softly. “I’m sorry, honey.”

“You are?”

“I don’t want to lose you because I can’t accept who you are. You’ve been pulling further and further away from us, and I don’t want that. I know a big family Thanksgiving this year probably isn’t going to happen, with your brother and Elisa no longer together and the kids being with Elisa and you, but maybe we could have a family dinner sometime?”

“You’re going to call Annabelle?”

“No, I meant you, me, your father, and this new girlfriend of yours. Just us.”

“You want to meet Juliet?”

“Beautiful name,” her mom noted.

“Beautiful woman,” Gwen replied.

“I’m sure she is. And yes, we’d love to meet her.”

“Will you promise me you won’t scare her off, Mom? I mean it. You’ll have to be on your best behavior. No judging me for anything and no judging her, either.”

“I won’t judge. And I’ll talk to your father.”

Gwen smiled and replied, “Then, I’ll talk to Juliet. But not anytime soon, Mom. Not tomorrow, next week, or next month. When we’re ready. She’s really busy with work, and we’re still really new, so I’ll let you know, okay?”