My mother steps forward and, as they shake hands, says, “I’d never forget your face. Made quite the splash at the wedding. Well, it’s nice to finally meet you, sweetheart.”

Solange swallows. “Same.” She looks at me, then pokes my stomach. “Walk me out?”

I’m sure I resemble a bobblehead as I swivel around. “Of course.” I’m struggling to process everything cycling through my brain: the idyllic time I spent with Solange earlier; the implications of my mother’s unexpected visit; the revelation about Solange’s job. Hell, it’s a struggle just to figure out what to do with my hands. My natural inclination is to put one of them at Solange’s lower back, but my mother’s watchful gaze prompts me to slip them into the pockets of my shorts instead.

I turn back to my mother. “Make yourself at home. Sheets are changed. Towels are in the closet.” She mouths, Thank you, then I shut the door behind me.

We walk in silence to the elevator bank. There, Solange presses the call button, turns to me, and rests a hand on my stomach. “Is everything all right? With your mom, I mean?”

“Not really,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck. “She broke up with her boyfriend. The aftermath isn’t always great.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

Her question doesn’t surprise me. Because even though Solange lives and breathes sarcasm and cynicism, she’s also an incredibly giving person. “No, I don’t think so. Short story: She gave up her apartment, and now I need to help her find a new one.”

“Will she be okay?”

“Only time will tell. It’s been a while since I’ve been around when one of her relationships imploded.” I shrug. “We’ll see. But just a heads-up: That means I’m probably not going to be available much. Between work and my mother being here, I won’t have time to spare.”

She furrows her brow and steps away from me; it’s like watching an alley cat hunch its back in defensive mode. “I don’t recall asking for your time.”

“No, you didn’t,” I say, shaking my head. “But I also don’t want you to think I’m ghosting you. It’s just . . . the circumstances.” My chest tightens. What the hell am I saying? I need a moment to breathe and figure out what the fuck I’m doing, but Solange is staring at me as if she’s seeing me in a new light—and it’s not a good one either. I forge ahead even though I probably shouldn’t. “You asked me not to blow smoke up your ass, remember, so I won’t. The truth is, I think I’ve been stuck on fantasy island, and as soon as my mother showed up, I realized playtime is over.”