“Last evening,” I told her. “We drove from the airport straight to the hotel. Oh, Mom, you should see this hotel. It’s over a hundred years old, and it’s so beautiful.”
“You’ve never stayed in a hotel when you’ve traveled before, have you?”
“No, it’s been budget hostels and cheap motels,” I said.
“And your man?” she wanted to know. “How is he?”
I felt my heart skip a beat when she referred to Chance as my man, but I reminded myself not to get too wrapped up in the fairytale. He had looked a little nervous when I had mentioned that I loved him, and I did notice that he hadn’t said it back to me. I wondered if I should worry about that, but decided not to ruin my trip by obsessing over something that might be nothing. After all, he brought me all the way to Paris. Isn’t that proof of how he feels?
“He’s wonderful, Mom,” I gushed, lowering my voice a little. “He’s so good to me.”
“I can’t wait to meet him.”
I paused, not wanting to make a promise I couldn’t keep. “It’s still too early for that,” I reminded her.
“You’re traveling with the man, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but…”
“Well, whenever you’re ready, darling,” she said. “Don’t stress about it.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I said gratefully.
“Is Paris really as beautiful as they say?”
“It’s even more beautiful than they say,” I told her. “Especially during winter. The city’s lit up like a jewel. We have a view of the Eiffel Tower from our hotel.”
“Oh, Nat,” she sighed. “I’m so glad you finally got to cross that dream off your bucket list. You’ve wanted to see Paris in snow since you were nine years old.”
I laughed. “I always thought I’d be seeing it with you and Dad.”
“No, I’m glad you’re seeing it with a man you care about,” she said. “It’s a romantic city; you deserve to enjoy the romance of being there with a boyfriend.”
I smiled. “I’ll miss you guys on Christmas.”
“We’ll miss you, too, my darling,” Mom said. “It’s the first one without you.”
“I just told Chance the same thing.”
“We’ll have plenty more, don’t worry,” she said. “Now go and enjoy the romantic city.”
“Love you, Mom.”
“Love you, darling.”
I hung up and set the phone down. When I returned to our bed, Chance was sitting there, staring off at the view. I walked to him and sat across his lap. He leaned in absentmindedly and kissed my cheek.
“Feel better now?” he asked.
I nodded. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
“Can I ask you a question?” I asked.
“Sure.”
“You mentioned earlier that you wished you had parents you could call whenever you missed them…”