It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

Chapter Thirteen
Atlas
It’s amazing how a night can go from being something I’ve been hoping
would happen for years, to something I’ve been dreading would happen for
years.
If I hadn’t received that text just as I was dropping off Lily, I absolutely
would have kissed her. But I want our first kiss as adults to be free from
distraction.
The text was from Darin, informing me that my mother is at Bib’s. I didn’t
tell Lily about the text because I hadn’t yet told her my mother was
attempting to work her way back into my life. And then as soon as I told her
about my mother calling me, I regretted it. The date was going so well, and I
was risking that by ending it on such a somber note.
I didn’t text Darin back because I didn’t want to interrupt my time with
Lily. But even after the date ended and we drove away in separate cars, I still
didn’t text Darin back. I drove around for half an hour trying to figure out
what to do.
I’m hoping my mother got tired of waiting for me. I took my time arriving
back to the restaurant, but I’m here now, and I guess I need to confront this.
She seems adamant about speaking with me.
I park in the alley behind Bib’s so that I can go through the back door in
case she’s waiting in the restaurant lobby, or at a table. I’m not sure she
would recognize me if she saw me, but I’d rather have the advantage by
approaching her on my terms.
Darin notices me enter through the back door and immediately makes his
way over.
“You get my text?”
I nod and remove my coat. “I did. Is she still here?”
“Yeah, she insisted on waiting. I sat her at table eight.”
“Thanks.”