"So wait...your mom is still giving your number out to random guys?"

Jamie took a big gulp of her Mocha Chai Latte. "I wish she was just giving random guys my number. What she's doing now is even worse!"

"Care to elaborate?" 

I felt for my best friend. As much as I wanted her to be happy and find someone, I knew Cherise Lovett well—and she was a helicopter mom. She was the very definition of a helicopter mom. It was Cherise's life mission to walk Jamie down the aisle and put a ring on her finger. 

"I don't wanna talk about it." 

I took a bite of my bagel. "Does this have anything to do with Ollie?"

Jamie glared at me. "I said I didn't want to talk about it, Lanie."

"Okay, geez. Bite my head off why don't you."

Jamie met Ollie in a coffee shop and invited him to Jackson and Harper's wedding. She explained to us that they had made some kind of deal to get her mom off her back. And to get her to stop giving Jamie's number to random strangers. 

Clearly that wasn't working. Jamie keeps swearing she's fine, but she hasn't really been herself since the wedding. And she definitely wont talk about it.

Jamie picked up her croissant, stared at it, and dropped it back on her plate. "I'm just saying she needs to get off my back, you know? So I invited Ollie to the wedding. So what? She kept grilling him at the wedding. Now she keeps asking when he's coming back to the U.S. She's obsessed with him!"

"Is she obsessed with him...or are you?" 

Jamie kept her eyes on her breakfast. "Why would I be obsessed with him? He was just my date."

I picked up little Nate from the stroller and sat him on my lap. "Well Harper did say she saw you sneak out of his room the morning after the wedding."

"I wasn't sneaking! And Harper has a big mouth." Jamie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why is everyone obsessed with my love life? Besides me and Ollie had a deal. He was going to be my date to get her off my back and he then he was going to leave town. No more communication or anything. And it went perfectly! Except now she isn't off my back. She's more obsessed than ever! If anything, he owes me now."

Poor Jamie. She was so overwhelmed. 

"I know exactly what you need," I said to her.  

Jamie looked at me. "I am not letting you hook me up with a one night stand."

"What? Eww, no." I handed little Nate to her. "Hold him. It'll make you feel better." 

Jamie took my son and cradled him on her lap. He smiled up at her before reaching for her necklace. He was at that age now where he liked to grab at everything. But Jamie anticipated it and tucked it into her shirt. I still couldn't believe how big he was getting. 

"I can't believe he's nine months old," Jamie said softly as she smiled down at him. 

"I was just thinking the same thing. It seems like it was just yesterday he was..."

Jamie reached across the table and put her hand on my arm. "Hey. Stop that. He's okay and you're okay." 

"I know. It's just hard to not think about what could have been sometimes."

"I definitely know what you mean. I think about what could have been ever since..." Jamie trailed off when I gave her a knowing look. "Lanie, stop! I'm not talking about Ollie!"

"Then what are you talking about?" 

Jamie rolled her eyes. "Nothing. Forget it. So what's the plan for Nate's birthday?" 

I frowned. "Nate? His birthday was a few months ago." 

"I'm talking about little Nate, Lanie. Not your brother." 

"Oh! Yeah. That can be a little confusing." I leaned back in my chair. "I don't know. I haven't really thought about it. Still got a few months to plan it. No need to, you know, rush it or anything." 

"Lanie Jenkins!"

"What?" I asked with feigned innocence. "I didn't say anything." 

Jamie shook her head at me, bouncing little Nate on her knee. "You can't not plan his first birthday because you think he's growing up to fast."

"Oh yeah? Watch me!"

"What does Ayden have to say about this?" 

I shrugged a shoulder and sipped my coffee. "Whenever we start bickering I take my clothes off. No more bickering." 

Jamie scoffed and covered little Nate's ears. "Lanie, you can't use S-E-X to get out of an argument!"

I laughed evilly. "Oh yes, I can. And you should should try it with your boyfriend." 

"I don't have a boyfriend." 

"And that, my best friend, is the problem."

"What's her problem," Cherise asked when she rejoined us at the table. 

"Nothing, mom." 

When Cherise looked at me with a questioning expression, I just smiled. 

"Listen to me, Guinevere—"

"Ugh. Don't call me Guinevere."

"I'm your mother and I will always know what is best for you." She put on her glasses and pulled out a notepad from her purse. "Now, I got a list here of some nice boys I met inside the café." 

"Mom!" Jamie exclaimed. "Is that what you were doing in there? Please don't tell me you showed them my picture on your phone."

Cherise smiled at her daughter. "Well of course I did. I had to give them a little glimpse of what they'll be getting."

I coughed into my hand to hide my laugh while Jamie continued to freak out to her mother.

"Why do you always have to meddle? You're worse than Lanie!"

"Hey!"

"I'm your mother, Jamie," Cherise responded. "If I don't meddle then you're probably going to end up an old spinster! I love you, sweetheart, but I want grandchildren. What about Ollie? I really liked him."

"Mom..." Jamie warned. "Please don't."

"What? I saw the way he was looking at you at the wedding. He's clearly into you." Cherise winked at me before adding, "Ollie is definitely what you girls call a 'Greek God'. Jamie needs some of the Greek magic." 

Jamie's mouth dropped in awe and she looked towards me. "Do you hear this? She's insufferable!"

I raised my hand. "Okay. Let's just have a nice lunch together, shall we?" I glanced to Jamie's mom. "Actually, Cherise, I was hoping you wouldn't mind helping me plan little Nate's birthday party? He's going to turn one in a few months."

"Oh! I would love to! Tell me, dear, did you want to do it at your house? Or somewhere else? Oh, and is he allergic to anything? I would love to make my favorite buttercream cake for him." 

Oh shit. What the hell did I unleash? I glanced to Jamie and she gave me an I told you so look. I didn't care, though. Having Cherise as a mom was better than having no mom at all. Even though it's been over five years, I missed my parents every day. 

Especially with Ayden and I getting married soon. Nate already told me he was going to walk me down the aisle—and I was honored—but that was supposed to be a special moment for me and my dad. And my mom. She was supposed to be there while I was freaking out about getting married. And she was supposed to be here to spoil little Nate rotten. 

But sometimes life didn't work the way you wanted it too. Sometimes life happens and you end up going down a road you never thought you would before. Sometimes it's good. And sometimes it's not. 

In my case, I was lucky. I didn't have my parents, but I did have a close circle of friends and an amazing fiancée. Not to mention, my son that I was absolutely in love with. Speaking of...I took little Nate from Jamie and looked back at Cherise. 

"I think all that is great, Cherise. I really can't thank you enough." 

Cherise was glowing with happiness. "It just adds icing on the cake. Literally. Did Jamie tell you the news?" 

I frowned and glanced to my friend. "What news?" 

Jamie's annoyed expression from her helicopter mom disappeared and a smile formed. "My mom went to the hospital today." 

"And?" 

What was she pausing for? And why didn't she tell me this immediately? Cherise was a second mother to me. It nearly killed me when I found out about her cancer. 

"I'm officially cancer-free!" Cherise exclaimed. "All my scans came back clean!"

"Oh my god! That's amazing news! We have to celebrate." An idea came to me and I grabbed my cell phone from my bag. "I'm going to call Karma right now and we're going to plan a dinner party." 

Jamie groaned. "A dinner party? I don't know..."

I continued dialing as I said to Jamie, "Relax. It's not like Ollie's going to be there." 

"I knew it," her mom said cheerfully. 

"I hate both of you right now." 

I snickered as the phone rang. There was more than this party for Cherise that I needed to talk to Karma about. Likeeeee Ollie and Jamie. 

Cherise wasn't the only cupid in town.

***
Sorry for the wait with this one.

🖤