She took another drink. “I moved out into an apartment as soon as I could after I finished college. A year later, my folks sold their house and gave me enough for a down payment on the duplex. Then they moved away.” She sighed. “We never see them. It’s weird, like they were waiting for me to prove myself so they could be done with me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m used to it. Coop and I have been fine, at least I thought we were. But now I find out that he thinks I don’t have a life, which I don’t. I could live with that problem, but if he’s afraid to go away to school because he thinks he can’t leave, then I have to do something.”

There was too much information coming at him too quickly. Plus the whole orgasm comment made it difficult to concentrate.

“So talk to him. He’ll understand.”

She gave him the “why are you so stupid” look. “He won’t. Words are empty. I have to show him I’m okay.”

She reached for her purse and pulled out a sheet of paper. “Unity and I have a bet going. She needs to get out of her rut nearly as much as I need to get out of mine. We’re trying to help each other.” She waved the paper. “One of the things on my list is karaoke.”

He took the paper from her, not sure what to expect. The first item was a smoky eye and he had no idea what that was. Sure enough there was karaoke, along with wearing clothes that fit, which explained the new wardrobe.

Sex with a handsome guy? He swore under his breath. Who had put that on the list?

He handed the paper back to her. “You’re making too much of this.”

“I’m not and if you thought about it for even a second, you’d see that I was right. Do you know what’s going to happen in LA?”

“You’re getting a tattoo?”

“No, not there.” She picked up her drink and waved it toward him. “Cooper is meeting his father. Jeremy has finally come to realize he would like to get to know his son, which should make me happy but it doesn’t. Jeremy is going to be cool and special and I’m just the old mom he’s had for years.”

Finally a topic he could embrace. “You’re not going to lose him. Sure, Jeremy’s new right now, but Coop knows his biological father has had zero interest for seventeen years. He’s not going to forget that. He’ll enjoy the experience and get on with his life.”

“I wish. I feel so lost.” She waved at their server and held up her empty glass.

Keith glanced at his. Yup, still three-quarters full.

“You’re just in a bad place,” he told her, wondering how the drink would hit her in the next few minutes, not to mention in the morning. “You need to give yourself credit for all you’ve accomplished.” He stiffened as an uncomfortable thought occurred to him. “You were Lissa’s age when you got pregnant and had Cooper.”