Straddling the Line(59)

Life went on, her mom said. And so did work. Even her mom had returned to work. It’s what we do, she’d said.

But Haven hadn’t felt much like working. All she’d wanted to do was be with her mom and try to make sense of a world without her father in it.

Nothing had made sense back then.

It still didn’t. Not without Dad. She still missed his counsel, still couldn’t believe she couldn’t pick up the phone and send him a text message, or call and talk to him whenever she felt like it.

He’d have been devastated about the Rivers’ loss. She’d have commiserated with him. They’d have talked about what went wrong, what the Rivers could have done better, and how they’d come back stronger next season. Her dad would have likely called Trevor as well, would give him a pep talk and tell him how well he’d played this season.

She wondered if Trevor was missing her dad. She wouldn’t ask him.

She took a deep breath.

“You okay over there?” Trevor asked.

“I’m fine. Just tired.”

“Oh, come on. You can’t be tired. Let’s get pumped here. I’m looking forward to seeing your mom.”

She liked his enthusiasm, but she knew why. “You’re looking forward to eating my mom’s cooking.”

Trevor grinned. “Yeah, there’s that, too.”

The camera crew was going to meet them down here tomorrow. Today, they’d have a reprieve, and she could focus on seeing her mom.

When they pulled onto the campus and she saw the familiar buildings and the streets where she’d grown up, she felt both a sense of calm and a melancholy she couldn’t shake. Everything was the same, and yet it was never going to be the same again.

She used to look forward to coming home, mainly because it was home. Mom and Dad were there, and she’d always felt safe and welcome here. The one thing she could always count on was a sense of family, of routine.

Now? It just felt . . . lonely. She didn’t know how her mother dealt with this every day.

But when they pulled into the driveway and she saw her mom come outside, her lips tilted.

Yes, this was still home. Mom was here. As soon as Trevor put the car in park, she unbuckled her seat belt and opened the door. Her mom came down the driveway and Haven threw herself into her mother’s waiting arms.

A hug had never felt so good.

“Oh, Haven, I missed you so much.”

She might never move from the comforting, welcoming feel of her mom’s embrace.

“I’ve missed you, too.”

Her mom took her hands and took a step back. “You look good. But you’ve lost weight.”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Yes, you have. A mother knows these things.”

A mother—her mother—always thought she wasn’t eating enough. It was just her way of wanting to feed her constantly. Not that Haven minded that, since she loved home cooking.

As she stepped back, she realized her mother was the one who’d lost weight. But not in a bad way. “You look awesome.”

Her mother grinned. “Thanks, honey.”

“And you,” her mom said, turning her attention to Trevor, who’d been patiently standing by Haven’s side. “You come here and give me a giant hug.”

Trevor scooped up Haven’s mom into a giant bear hug. “Hi, Miss Ginger. It’s good to see you.”

“Oh, you, too. You look amazing as always.”

“So do you,” he said after he set her down. “I’ll grab our bags while you two go inside.”

Haven walked in with her mom. “I made stew. It’s a little chilly out here today. It’s definitely startin’ to feel like fall—finally.”

“Stew sounds great, Mom.” She set her purse by the front door and followed the incredible smell into the kitchen.

“There’s a pitcher of sweet tea on the table.”

There always was. The only thing different was her dad’s place at the head of the table was now empty. Haven’s heart squeezed, but she tamped down that tug of painful emotion and pulled her chair out and took a seat. She poured a glass of tea and took several sips.

Her mom looked good as she bustled around the kitchen. Really good. Other than that, nothing much seemed to have changed. It had been a couple of months since she’d been back home.

She felt guilty about that. She spoke to her mother frequently on the phone, and she’d wanted to get back, but between ending her job in Dallas and starting the new one in New York, she’d been busy.

And maybe avoiding.

“I put your things up in your room, Haven,” Trevor said as he made his way into the kitchen.

“Thanks.”

“Did you put your stuff in the guest room, Trevor?” Haven’s mom asked.