Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 83368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Thinking of his mom, he picked up the phone. He’d told her he was looking at houses down this way, but she didn’t realize how serious he was about the move. He hit the number on speed dial, and she picked up right away, though she sounded a little breathless.
For a second, he was worried. “Mom? Are you out jogging?”
Her warm laugh sounded in his ear, as rich and full as if she were standing at his side. He could almost smell her perfume—white roses—and instantly wanted to tell her about Mila. He shook his head. He needed to snap out of this.
“At this time of night?” His mom laughed again. “No. I just got in. I was at the movies with June.” June was one of her best friends, and the two widows often went out for a meal or a movie together. He was glad his mom had someone like June around when he was out of state or on a mission. The two gossiped like schoolgirls.
He said, “I’ve got some news.”
“Is it the kind of news where I should be sitting down?” she asked, suddenly sounding less lighthearted. They had a deal—before he told her about any of his missions, he made sure she was sitting down and had a glass of water beside her. Eleanor Greenfield could not be more proud of her son, but she also worried during every single second he was on a mission.
To save her any anxiety, he said, “I think I just bought a house in Carmel.”
“You did?” Her voice rose with amazement. “But that’s so quick. You barely got there. I thought you were just scouting the place.”
He settled on the plaid couch in the suite’s main room, but then got up to shut the curtains to block the view of the ocean. Seated again, he told his mother about the house. As he listed all the things he liked about it, he grew even more enthusiastic. At the end of the recital, he said, “You’ll have to come and see it, Mom. It’s gorgeous. With a big guest room for you.”
“Oh, honey, I can’t wait.” Then, being Mom, she said, “Are you going to know any people there, though? You have so many friends and colleagues in Mountain View. I thought you were happy there. Won’t you be starting all over in Carmel?”
Mila flashed back into his brain—her talent and her beauty and her brilliance—and he blurted, “I met a woman.”
His mom laughed with delight. “The kind of woman you might actually introduce to your mother?”
It had long been his mom’s complaint that he didn’t bring girlfriends home to meet her. But no matter how much he liked his girlfriends, he couldn’t let himself get carried away and let any of them become more deeply involved in his life. Not when he spent months away for training or up to a year in space. He sat back and tried to picture Mila and his mom having lunch or tea together… and he realized he liked the picture.
“I think you’d like her. She was a top-level pro surfer and then had an accident that ruined her career. She still teaches surfing for fun, and she looks pretty good out there on the waves, but she’s a real estate agent now.”
There was a moment’s silence while his mom seemed to process her son actually volunteering information about a woman he liked. “Wait,” she said. “Is she the one who sold you the house? You’ve fallen for your Realtor?”
He heard the smile in her voice, and he couldn’t help but smile too. “I met her before she became my Realtor… but then she found this perfect house for me. She knew exactly what I needed. She’s smart, sassy, knows what she wants. I definitely think you’d like her.”
“I think I would too. Maybe it’s time you gave romance a real try.”
Part of him yearned to follow his mother’s advice, but that constant, gnawing fear of leaving loved ones behind was too strong. “You know how I feel, Mom. Maybe when I retire.”
“Maybe is a long time for a woman to wait for grandchildren.”
This was where the conversation had to stop. Swiftly redirecting, Hersch said, “I’ll let you know the minute I hear the offer has gone through. You’ll come. We’ll have a housewarming.”
“Sounds great,” she said. “I love you, Hersch.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
He hung up. And wondered what he was going to do for the rest of the evening. He couldn’t stop thinking about Mila. If he’d asked her to dinner, would she have agreed? He kicked himself again. He could have said he wanted to celebrate the good news of making an offer on the house. Which would have been true. Sort of.
He decided on a long, cold shower. But that didn’t really work, as it reminded him of all the time Mila spent in cold water. And then he began to imagine her in the shower… washing that long, beautiful hair. Feeling hot, he shook the image away.