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“Yes, Mom, though we don’t need to refer to her as that, okay? Her name’s Allie.”

Allie must’ve been working in the garden, because that’s where we found the two of them when we got over there. She stood up and brushed her hands off when she saw that my parents were with me.

“Nice to meet you,” she said after they introduced themselves.

“We’re going to get ice cream!” Declan said.

Allie wiped at her forehead. “Are you?” she asked. “It’s certainly a good day for it.”

“Why don’t you join us?” my mother asked. “We were just going to go into town and get this boy here an ice cream—it’d be lovely if you joined us. That is, if you feel up to it, of course—I heard about what happened at the fundraiser. I hope you’re all right.”

“I’m fine,” Allie said. “Just a little banged up, but luckily, Cole was there. And I feel much better now.”

“We’re so glad to hear that,” my mother said.

We all packed into the Range Rover, my mother insisting that I sit in the front and she, Allie, and Declan in the back. It felt a little bit awkward at first, like I was on a date with my parents with my son in tow, but I could tell that it was definitely helping my mother’s mood to be around Allie, which was good. I didn’t want my mother to think about running into Sam because I knew all the guilt that would bring up for her.

Chapter Thirteen

Allie

After we got back from getting ice cream, I said goodbye to Cole’s parents and did a few errands. Amy had texted and asked if I wanted to do dinner and said she would come by with takeout food.

“My mother would be very impressed,” I said. We were sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by containers of Chinese food.

“What do you mean?”

“She’s just under the impression that a place like this wouldn’t have something like takeout.”

“I did have to drive into Gardner for this,” Amy admitted. “I haven’t had Chinese food in forever, but every once in a while, I get a wicked bad craving for it, and this place has the best crab rangoons.”

“They are very good.”

“So you’re feeling fine? I still can’t believe that happened at the fundraiser.”

“Yeah, I feel fine. No aftereffects.”

“I know I keep talking about it, but it was so romantic,” Amy gushed. “Well, it was actually really scary when it was happening, but now that it’s over with and we know that you’re okay, it seemed very romantic!” She grinned. “He just jumped into the water after you with all his clothes on, and he swam out to you so fast. It was incredible. And Lily was in the water, too, thrashing around, but he completely went right by her. Maybe he could tell that she was okay, I don’t know, but it’s like he didn’t even see her.”

“He probably knew she was fine,” I said.

“Who knows? You were his main concern. And he got you out and carried you out of the water—”

“Okay, that’s enough,” I said, cringing, hating to think of me being carried, unconscious, onto the beach in front of all the students and their parents. “Shit, I hope it wasn’t completely traumatizing for the kids.”

“It was really scary,” she said. “I was scared for you. But Cole was so calm the whole time, and I think it made everyone else feel really calm, too, like he had it under control. Which makes sense, considering he’s a doctor and all, but still. One of the other dads helped Lily out of the water—her husband wasn’t even there when it happened; he was up at the parking lot on some business call or something.”

I shook my head. “I really wish the whole thing hadn’t happened. I was having a perfectly good time before that.”

“We’re glad you’re okay.”

“I met Cole’s parents today,” I said. “We went out for ice cream.”

Amy made a face. “I met them once.”

“You did?”

“Well, they came to orientation, before Declan was officially enrolled here. I only talked to them a little bit. They seemed okay and everything, but sort of... I don’t know...pretentious? I know they’re really well-off, but it felt like they were looking down on everyone else. Like they were trying really hard not to be that way, but they just couldn’t help it.”