Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-two

“Good job, Mother,” Hannah said, glancing at her watch as she parked in front of her mother’s house. It was six-thirty at night and that was less than an hour later than she usually got home from The Cookie Jar.

“Thank you, dear. I must say, I had a good time today. I can hardly wait to tell Doc all about it!”

As Hannah watched, the front door of her mother’s house opened and Doc stood there, waiting for Delores. “Doc’s at your house?” Hannah asked, realizing that her mother must have given him a key.

“Yes, dear. It’s Wednesday and we always stay here on Wednesday nights. It’s my place Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And his place Tuesday, Thursday, and the weekends.”

“TMI, Mother.”

“What is TM . . . whatever those initials were that you just rattled off?”

“TMI. It stands for Too Much Information. I don’t need to know where you are every night of the week, and I certainly don’t need to know that you’re spending nights with Doc!”

Delores gave an exasperated sigh. “Doc’s right. I raised a prude.”

“What?!”

“Both Doc and I agree that you’d be much happier if you had a fulfilling love life.”

Hannah’s mouth dropped open and she closed it again with a snap. She took a deep breath and swallowed hard. “Mother!”

“Don’t Mother me. It’s true.”

“Maybe it is, but you shouldn’t be telling me that. What are you encouraging? Promiscuity?”

“Of course not. I just want you to settle down with a man who loves you. And I want you to be as happy as I am.”

Hannah thought about that for a moment. Actually, she wanted the same thing for herself. The problem was that she seemed incapable of choosing which man it would be. But there was no way she wanted to get into that now, at six-thirty at night, after a long day with her mother. It was best to either ignore it, or make a joke of it.

“Am I correct in assuming that you’re saying this because you love me and want me to be happy?”

“You certainly are.”

“And am I correct to think that Doc also loves me and wants me to be happy?”

“Of course he does.

“Then you’re right, Mother,” Hannah said.

“I am?” Delores was clearly surprised at the admission. She seemed pleased for a moment, but then, as she thought about it, she looked a bit dubious, as if she were waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“Yes, you’re right,” Hannah said, getting ready to fling the other shoe at the floor. “I want to settle down with a man who loves me and wants me to be happy. And you said Doc loves me and wants me to be happy. Unfortunately . . . Doc’s already taken.”