Of course, we have a family now, but we’re picturing the whole husband and kids thing, maybe a cat that hates our husbands and a dog that is protective of us all. Even more than that, when I dream of those things, I think about Molly being on that same track with me. I just think she's going to get her forever a lot sooner than I am. It’s a matter of days before Asher has her back under him.

“You do know, don't you?” she says in understanding. It’s crazy how close we’ve gotten. Out of everyone in my family, she’s the closest to me at this point. “How are things with you?” She drops her voice. “Everything going okay with your mother?”

“Honestly, I have no clue. One second she’s sweet and the next she can be snippy. Then she disappears at times. I get she has a life here, but I’m only staying for a few weeks. The point is for us to get to know each other again. How can we do that if she’s never here?”

“But she is different, right?”

“I don’t know. I think? I was so young when everything was going on. Sometimes I’m not sure if my memories are my own or stories I’ve overheard. I can tell you she’s not a mom. A mother maybe but not like Grace. Grace is a mom in every sense of the word. I think it’s hard for Heidi to play that role.”

“Play that role?” Molly repeats. There are more things I could tell her that have me second-guessing my mother, but I don’t want to go there. So, I switch the subject the same way she did when I questioned her about her sickness.

“Anything going on with Chase?”

“You mean besides him showing up here every day under the pretense of going over details about the house he’s building for Mom and Dad?” I smile when she calls them Mom and Dad for both of us. I love that she’s starting to get comfortable.

“You think he’s there fishing for information about me?” I ask.

I’m not stupid. I dropped my phone and bought a new one. The Silverstein name holds as much weight as the Score name. If Chase wanted, he could strongarm his way into getting information from people he shouldn’t be able to. But I too have money and know how to partially cover my trail.

“Oh, I know he is. He tried to get some information from me. Then Dad set him straight.” Finally, I hear a smile in her voice.

“Really? How?”