The Daddy Box Set

My mother dove into her food, making sounds of pleasure, which only made the tension between Ian and me worse.

“Tessa, you were right. This is absolutely fabulous. I have to get the recipe,” she said, barely able to speak around the food in her mouth.

I laughed. “Please do, and then you can make it for me when I come to visit.”

We finished our meals, and I nearly kissed Ian when he excused himself, claiming he had to meet his brother. He had extricated himself, which would make my day a lot easier. I knew my mom would have invited him to tag along.

“Want to walk around the island?” I asked her.

“Yes, that would be lovely. That meal was delicious, but I think I feel arteries clogging and cellulite forming. We need to work it off right away,” she joked.

I showed her around the island, stopping to take a few pictures of each other and even a few shots together. After Talia’s death, we realized how important every single picture was. You could never have enough pictures.

“I can see why you love it here,” my mom said as we sat on a bench staring out at the sea.

“I do. I love it. I don’t love the threat of hurricanes, but the other three hundred and fifty days of the year it is idyllic,” I said with a smile.

“Your boss, he seems nice,” she started; I knew she was hinting at something.

“He’s only my boss, Mom,” I assured her.

She nodded but didn’t say more about it.

“Hungry yet?” I asked her.

Her eyes got big and round. “Are you serious? Tessa, it’s only been a few hours since breakfast!”

I shrugged. “Yeah, but when you’re here, you have to try key lime pie on a stick.”

“How is that even possible?” she asked, clearly intrigued.

I laughed. ?

?I’ll show you. Come on,” I said, heading for one of the many shops around the area that sold the scrumptious dessert.

We ordered, and my mom looked at the dessert with a little hesitancy. “Trust me, you’ll love it,” I promised her, taking a bite of my own.

She nibbled it at first and then nodded her head. “This is absolutely divine. What a clever idea!” she said, turning the sweet treat around to get a better look at it.

I nodded. “The first time I had one I was a little hesitant but was quickly sold on the idea.”

We continued to stroll around Key West, acting like many of the other tourists who had flocked to the area. My mom was in awe of the sights, sounds, and of course, the people from all walks of life who came to visit the place.

“How about we go back to my house, change, and come back down here later this evening? On a Saturday night, you’ll find a ton of vendors and musicians, and the nightlife is exciting. I really want you to see the sunset. It is probably the most beautiful sight you will ever see,” I told her, suddenly excited to share the experience with her.

“I’d love that. Are you sure you don’t have any plans? A hot date or something?” she asked.

“Nope. Maria probably has plans with her boyfriend. My big plans included studying and a Netflix marathon,” I told her. “I want to. Really.”

“Okay, sounds like a date. I’d like to go by that dress shop we passed earlier. I want some of those pretty sundresses you always wear,” she said, as we headed back to my car.

We stopped so she could pick up a few dresses. It had been a long time since I got to spend time with my mom doing normal things we used to. Talia was always a presence in our conversations, but we didn’t dwell on it. I couldn’t wait to tell Ian all about my day with my mom. I knew he would be happy that I was getting this time with her.

“You ready?” I asked my mom through the closed bathroom door. She had showered and was changing into one of her new dresses, which gave me a few minutes of privacy.

I called Ian. “Hi,” I said when he answered. “I only have a minute,” I whispered. “I wanted to apologize for hanging up on you. As you saw earlier, my mom popped in for a surprise visit.”

“I’m glad, and don’t be sorry. Just have fun with your mom,” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice.