An Unexpected Spark

Chapter 1

Tallulah

"Mom?"

My daughter called to me from the front of the house where I'd just heard the door open and close.

"I'm in the kitchen," I called back.

Slowly, I poured my homemade kombucha into a swing-top glass bottle using a funnel.

I kept the drinks in a small refrigerator at Simply Well, my herbal store and wellness center.

I usually sold out every week, and regular customers often asked me to make more.

Maybe one day I would, but for now, small batches were enough to keep me busy, adding a few extra dollars to my bottom line.

Blossom walked in as I poured the last drop of golden liquid and closed the swing top.

"How was your date?" I asked.

She appeared in front of me, a curious smile on her face. Her skin was a couple of shades lighter than mine, and her natural curls were cut low on her oval face, giving her a modern, self-assured look. She seemed happy, but also like someone holding onto a juicy secret.

"Must have been good," I remarked, tugging off my gloves.

"I'm getting married!" she blurted.

Huh?

Stunned, I stared at her. "M-married? To who?"

"Manuel, Mom! Who do you think? The guy I've been dating."

Blossom and I had a good relationship and told each other everything.

After her father and I divorced when she was in middle school, we became closer.

I knew all about her struggles with puberty, her crushes—including the one on her science teacher in tenth grade that thankfully only lasted a few months before she moved on to a boy her own age.

I distinctly remember our candid conversations about sex and being safe, and when she was ready, I took her to the doctor for birth control. She never hid bad grades from me, and I knew about her serious boyfriends. All two of them.

I knew they were serious because she brought them home to meet me. Since I hadn't met Manuel, I had assumed they were in a casual relationship.

"Yes, you did tell me about him, but I had no idea the relationship was this far along. You met right before graduation, didn't you?" I successfully kept the alarm out of my voice.

She nodded vigorously. "In February. One minute we were sharing a meal in the park beside our favorite food trucks, and the next we were inseparable. It's been a whirlwind."

I was normally a chill, go-with-the-flow kind of person, but my laid-back personality flew out the window when the topic of marriage came up.

If nothing else, I had instilled in my daughter the importance of picking the right life partner.

Yet she had met this young man her last semester in college—only four months ago—found out they were both from Ellington, Michigan, and now they were engaged.

Whirlwind was an understatement.

It's possible I hadn't been paying as much attention to her relationship as I usually did since I was dealing with uncertainty about the future of my wellness center.

A company out of Texas had recently bought the building where I leased space, and I and the other shop owners were concerned about what that meant for the future of our businesses.

"Well, congratulations. Let me see the ring."

She grimaced. "Don't be weird, okay? I don't have a ring yet. Tonight we had takeout at his apartment—our favorite meal from the Korean place up the street. He cut a strip from the takeout bag and taped it around my finger. It has our initials on it—M & B."

She proudly extended her hand and stroked the white paper with black writing, her face fixed in an adoring expression, as if it were a piece of fine jewelry. My God, she was a goner. Manuel hadn't planned, and my daughter said yes anyway. This was so unserious.

"Oh." My mind raced for something positive to say.

"It's the thought that counts," Blossom hastily explained. "We're going to pick out rings together. Later."

Uh-huh.

I cleared my throat, opting for tact instead of chastisement. "Blossom, my love, marriage is a big deal, and you've only known this boy a short time. He didn't buy—"

"He's not a boy. He's an adult, like me," she corrected.

"Yes, you're both adults, but you're young. I assume he's also twenty-two?"

She nodded, crossing her arms over her chest, a move her father used to make that drove me up the wall. It meant she was shutting down and wouldn't absorb the words of wisdom I was about to drop into the conversation.

"You're both young. You have your whole lives ahead of you. You haven't found a job yet, and marriage is a big step with lifelong implications."

"I was hesitant to tell you about my engagement because I knew you'd do this. I knew you'd advise me against marriage."

"I'm not advising you against getting married. I'm telling you why you shouldn't be thinking about getting married right now, especially to someone you barely know."

"I know him. Let’s be real—it's not about how well we know each other. You hate the institution of marriage!" my daughter exclaimed.

"I do not," I denied.

Since she had always been open and honest with me growing up, I had extended the same courtesy to her. She knew when I started dating after her father and I split, but I never introduced her to any of my lovers. I never considered them permanent.

I wanted to get married again. Truly I did. I had loved being married when my marriage was good. Her father, Karl, God rest his soul (he's not dead, but I like saying that), had been the epitome of a "good husband" when we first married. Those first few years were what I wanted to experience again.

Having someone to talk to and laugh with.

Having a partner to tell my secrets, my fears, my aspirations.

Someone I was allowed to make mistakes in front of without judgment.

Having a date to functions, if only to watch a movie by my favorite actor or attend a comedy show on the weekend.

Having someone to cuddle with and make love to.

I have to give Karl his props—the man could put it down in the bedroom.

To this day, I still missed his tongue. And his penis. Damn.

"Mom, I want you to be happy for me, even though you hate the institution of marriage."

"I do not hate the institution of marriage, Blossom," I said between gritted teeth. "Uncross your arms, because you're not listening to me."

She did as I asked. She might be an adult, but she was still my daughter, and she listened to me. Most of the time.

"I do not hate marriage."

"Then why haven't you remarried in all this time?"

"Usually you have to be asked."

"You've had plenty of relationships."

"Plenty is an exaggeration, but none of those men asked me, and to be honest, I never wanted to marry any of them."

"Do you miss Dad?" she asked tentatively.

"No!" I only missed his tongue. And his penis. "I would love to get married again if the right man comes along, but I'm forty-seven. The chances of that happening are getting slimmer as I age."

How did we get off on this tangent? We were supposed to be steering her away from poor decision-making.

I gently gripped her arms. "My love, I want the best for you, and you shocked me with your announcement."

"I know, but I'm excited, and like I said, everything happened so fast. We connected right away, and it's been that way ever since."

"Does he have a job?" I asked.

"Yes. He has a job at Phase One Bank, where his father works."

"Good," I said, resting my hands on my hips.

"I need to find a job."

"Ellington is booming. I'm sure you'll find work soon. Until then, you're welcome to work with me."

"Um... I'm gonna keep pounding the pavement. I want a job in my field."

I didn't take offense. She had worked with me in high school and summers home from college when she didn't travel with her friends.

It was understandable that she wanted to do something else, particularly since she'd gotten a degree in cybersecurity.

I assumed finding a job would be easy for her, but she was having a hard time.

I suspected her lack of prospects was because she was a woman.

"If you change your mind, let me know," I told her. "When do I get to meet Manuel? I don't know anything about him, and I'm sure he'd like to meet me too."

"I'm glad you brought that up because he does want to meet you, and I want to meet his father. He said his father is kind of square and rigid, which reminded me of Dad," Blossom said with a laugh. "We thought it would be a good idea for the four of us to have dinner together."

I picked up two bottles of kombucha and placed them in the pantry, where I'd leave them for a few days before refrigerating them. "When were you thinking?"

"Friday night."

"This Friday? That's only a few days away." I picked up two more bottles.

"We felt the sooner the better."

We.

She was already speaking in the plural. I had to meet this young man before he took complete control of her brain cells. Meeting his father at the same time would be good too, so I'd have a sense of the type of family she was marrying into.

"Tentatively scheduled for seven o'clock at Knife & Fork," Blossom said.

Knife & Fork was a popular steak restaurant that I had never been to. I no longer ate red meat—or pork—so it was the kind of place I hadn't been anxious to visit. I'd have to check the menu beforehand to see what dishes I could eat.

"Got it."

She smiled. "And Mom, be nice, okay?"

"I'm always nice." This time I was offended.

She looked at her fake-ring-piece-of-paper thingy and then lifted her gaze. "Are you happy for me?"

For a moment, she was my little girl, seeking my approval. Not the adult she insisted was ready for marriage. I had reservations, and I wanted the best for her.

I placed my hands on her arms again. "If this is what you want, and he's a good man, I'm very happy for you. Love is a beautiful thing if you can find it."

"It is what I want, and he is a good man."

I'll be the judge of that.

I pulled her into my arms. "Then I can't wait to meet him."

I kissed her cheek, and a smile spread across her face. "I'll call him now and let him know we're confirmed for Friday night."

She rushed out of the kitchen, and I started cleaning up. It was almost my bedtime, but I had a feeling my mind would be preoccupied with the engagement. I wouldn't be able to rest until I had met Blossom’s fiancé and determined if he was good enough for my daughter.