Page 32 of Effortless

“Just one.”

* * *

Pizza.

Shopping.

Chinese food.

Ice cream.

A night binge watchingOuter Banksfor the third time with my daughter while wearing face masks.

There is no better way to spend a day.

Teenagers aren’t always the easiest to parent, but days like today make up for the moodiness and drama that comes with these years.

“It was a good day,” Brooklyn tells me over the sink as she’s washing off her face mask.

“Yes, it was.”

“I’m going to bed, okay?”

“Me, too.”

After brushing her teeth, she kisses me on the cheek. “Love you, Mom. Call Cash.”

“You won’t drop it, will you?”

“Nope. Dad found his happy with Logan. Time for you to find yours.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you two have been talking about me.”

“Not about this.”

I look at her closely to see if she’s lying but her usual tells aren’t showing.

“It’s late, honey.”

“Something tells me he won’t mind.”

“It’s twelve-thirty in the morning,” I clarify.

“Something tells me he won’t mind,” she repeats.

“I’ll think about it.”

She picks Kevin up and bats me with his paw. “You do that. I get him tonight. You’ve been hogging him lately and it’s my turn for cuddles.”

Kevin looks at me and meows as she carries him away, waving his little paw like he’s telling me goodbye.

I finish getting ready for bed and stare at myself in the mirror, blowing out a breath.

“This is crazy,” I whisper. “You can’t call him at this hour.”

I swear I hear both Trotter and Brooklyn’s voices telling me to just go for it.

Placing a hand on my stomach, I give myself a little pep talk in the mirror. “It’s just a phone call. If he doesn’t answer, that’s okay because it’s after midnight and it’s rude to call this late anyway. But if he answers and wants to talk, that’s a good sign. Just call him. He asked you to.”