14. Connor
CONNOR
Fucking hell.
I’d spent most of today with a tumble of excitement spinning in my chest. Thinking, finally, Eden and I will have our moment. Then I got the message about her surprise visitor, disappointment flooding me instead.
But it’s her mom, who lives in California and is only here for forty-eight hours.
Fucking hell.
EDEN: Mom said you should come eat with us? Would you want that?
I want so many things. So many. But none of them are going to happen tonight.
How would it look if I turned down an invite to meet her mom, though? I know the answer: not great. So, in the interest of making a good impression—
CONNOR: Sure. I can call them to say we’ll be three.
EDEN: Thank you. Can’t wait to see you :)
Done. Fine.
I take a deep breath, regrouping. Her mom seems like a badass, same as Eden. I hope the dynamic will be okay with my presence. I’m not quite sure how to play this.
Be nice and polite, it’s not exactly hard. But as I open the door to the restaurant two hours later, my hand wobbles a little from nerves.
And it’s not from the setting. Pisano’s is a family-style Italian restaurant, perfect for the occasion: nice ambiance, solid food, cozy.
Eden had reported while texting earlier this week that it’s not a real hangout spot for Tolliver students; the place is usually filled with families and couples. We should have privacy from her friends and classmates.
Once I step inside, I glance around. Her unmistakable honey hair comes in view, glinting in the light projecting through the restaurant’s windows.
“Can I help you find someone?” the hostess asks when she spies me looking around.
My legs are already moving in her direction. “Found her, thank you.”
While Eden’s back is facing the entranceway, her mom’s able to notice as I approach. It’s pretty hard to miss a six-foot-six guy. She taps Eden, who turns around in her seat.
Those gorgeous eyes flash in recognition, then joy. Joy, at seeing me.
Time stops as our eyes meet for the first time in over two months. Before I even know what’s happening, she’s in my arms, hugging me hello.
“Hi, long time no see,” she whispers in my ear.
I squeeze back, at a loss for words. The feel of her in my arms, her warm body against my chest, the floral smell of her soap—my senses are overloaded until she pulls away.
“Thank you for letting me join you,” I manage to get out once I take my seat.
Her mom is the one to respond. “No, no—I’m the one who crashed your dinner.” She looks at Eden briefly with some kind of message in her eyes, and then turns back to me. “Hi, I’m Maureen.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Connor.”
After the greetings, I peer back at Eden. Her eyes are already on me, and we unabashedly stare at each other. Fuck the food, I’m eating up the sight of her after so long.
Her cheeks are a bit flushed, framed by her hair, which is carrying a slight wave. Her dark pink lips have a hint of gloss on them, and I suck in a breath as she rubs them together briefly.
Beyond that, I can’t tell you much, because I’m otherwise lost in those turquoise eyes. She’s curious, excited, maybe even a little heated…based on what I see there.
I wonder what mine are telling her? Because damn, same.
“So you two are…friends?” If I’m not mistaken, I see a little smirk on her mom’s face as she recaptures my attention.
Eden clears her throat. “Yes.”
“How did you two meet?”
“Bree. Bree’s Fourth of July parties.”
I finally find my voice. “We were both at my sister Grace’s wedding too. I mean, obviously I was, but Eden came.” I stop short at adding “with Del,” because I’m not 100 percent sure if they get along.
“Yes, she was explaining in the car that your brothers are on the Waves, with Del. Or now, I guess, since he’s a coach, under Del.” Her relaxed tone answers that concern.
“They play different positions than he coaches, but yes.”
“Got it. I’m not much of a football fan, so I’m never sure how these things work. Are you at Tolliver too?”
“No, I just graduated in May.”
“From Princeton,” Eden adds.
Her eyes brighten. “Oh, excellent. What did you study?”
Eden giggles, and I suspect she’s holding back a joke about my degree. When I explain the “Operations Research and Financial Engineering” program, her mom seems duly impressed.
“It sounds wonderful. And what do you do now?”
“Mom—”
“I’m just making conversation…”
“Connor didn’t come here to answer a million questions.”
Honestly, this is better than me searching for small talk topics. “No, it’s fine. I’m interning with a major manager for athletes, soccer players especially.”
She flips her head to Eden. “Oh, that must be useful.”
“Seriously, can we stop giving poor Connor the third degree, Mom?” She sounds more amused than irritated. “Maybe figure out what we want to eat?”
“Yes, yes.” Maureen picks up the menu. “I just like to know my daughter’s friends.” That sly smile is back.
Eden’s mom is as sharp as I would have expected. Though, she seems unbothered by whatever part of the dynamic between Eden and me she’s picked up. She’s perfectly friendly while we spend a couple of minutes poking over the menu and making our selections when the server comes by with our drinks.
Following a sip of red wine, Maureen turns back to me. “So were you an athlete too?”
Eden shoots her a warning look, but I don’t mind the question. I give her a quick synopsis of my convoluted history with soccer and football.
“Ah, that’s got to be useful with your job. Have you been helping Eden with the requests she’s getting?”
I glance at Eden. “Requests?”
“I’m bombarded with asks for interviews, business opportunities…” she explains.
“I wish I could help you,” her mom responds. “But I’m clueless in that world.”
“There’s even more in my email inbox than when I was complaining last weekend,” Eden says back to her. “It’s really overwhelming.”
Oh, huh. Maybe her mom’s onto something?
“Do you want me to help? I can set up a conversation with Milo. It’s exactly what we do.”
Eden cocks her head. “You know, a few weeks ago, I thought I’d muddle through, but now that school’s started, I’m not sure I can handle it all on my own.” She looks to her mom. “I also need to make sure my grades don’t slip if medical school gets pushed down the road.”
Maureen nods. “Take advantage of Connor’s offer. Your dad and I will support whatever you need.”
“Okay. Yes.” Eden sighs and her shoulders ease. “Let me know what works for you guys.”
“Sure, I’ll text him later. He’ll be into it.”
Her eyes light up. “It’s good for you too, right? To bring in clients?”
“I’m not worried about that.”
“Well, I’m glad for it anyway.”
“A win-win,” Maureen says conclusively.
The food comes shortly, and we largely go quiet as we eat, though I sneak glances at Eden several times. I can’t believe she’s only three feet away, and nothing is going to keep us from spending time together from here on out.
She and her mom slip into a conversation about her game schedule and whether she’ll need plane tickets to California for the holidays. After confirming Thanksgiving will be at Del’s since it’s in the middle of her NCAA tournament, Maureen turns to me.
“What about you, Connor? Do you all stick here for the holidays or go back home? Where is home?”
“Alabama. But we’ve celebrated in Orlando for the last couple of years…”
“That’s not a terrible flight for your mom and dad to make, at least.”
I flinch slightly, but regain my control. “No, it isn’t. Though they don’t tend to join us.”
“Oh—” She stops herself.
Eden studies me for a beat before redirecting her mom’s attention. “I’m excited to come to California for Christmas. Do you think we’ll have a big family gathering this year?”
They launch into a conversation about the status of various aunts, uncles, and cousins, while I keep eating.
Observing a conversation like this between Eden and her mom—it’s almost more intimate than if I had her to myself at dinner.
I can see the give and take between them, the deference she gives to her mom, the strong, loving way Maureen seems to manage her more dominant nature, the genuine care and concern tethering them.
I recognize it as a mirror of the interwoven relationships among my siblings, as four distinct personalities who love each other even with our differences.
When they go quiet, I think of a topic to hold up the end of my conversation. “Maureen, Eden’s told me about how your work has inspired her interest in neuroscience.”
“Yeah, Mom, you should share some of what you do with Connor.”
“Well, I can’t say much about individual patients because of privacy concerns, but I’m starting a new research project that might be of interest. We’re looking at the best ways to enhance neuroplasticity after age thirty.”
I attempt to remember what that word means, and Eden must catch the blank expression on my face. “Neuroplasticity is how your brain adapts and changes in response to different experiences.”
After I nod, Maureen continues, “There’s a common misconception that it ends around age twenty-five, but that’s actually untrue. Your brain doesn’t stop changing. It’s simply less…flexible, slower to adapt.”
I get the gist now, and needless to say, it’s fascinating. For Eden too, evidenced by her whipping off more questions to her mom.
Sitting back, I let them drive the conversation again. I swear Eden’s face is glowing simply from her excitement about the topic. I can see why she’s making sure she doesn’t mess up medical school for the long term.
There’s chatter for a few more minutes before the server comes by to grab our plates, and shortly after, we say our goodbyes.
“You’ll text me?” Eden asks, her voice weighted with something I can’t quite pin down.
“Yes. About the meeting with Milo, and…otherwise.” I hold myself back from asking for a new one-on-one date, given the presence of her mom.
“Sounds good,” she replies softly.
With that, we part again.
Definitely a different evening than I originally planned, but not a bad one at all.
THAT NIGHT
CONNOR: Eden Larsson is interested in becoming an SLP client—would it be alright if I find time on your calendar to meet with her?
MILO: This text put a smile a mile wide on my face. For her, first available.
MILO: Great job, Connor. Tell me more about what she’s looking for in the office Monday, so we can prep.