Chapter 49: Mia

I hop out of my Jeep and smooth down my skirt before hurrying into El Toro, a popular Mexican restaurant in town. Under normal circumstances, this is one of my favorite places to eat. The chicken enchiladas are to die for.

But today?

I don't really have much of an appetite.

Mom drove down so we could have lunch together. It's been a couple of days since Dad dropped his bomb, and I've been checking in to make sure she's doing all right.

So far, so good.

As I arrive at the hostess stand, I see Mom has already been seated at the back of the restaurant near the window. There's a huge margarita sitting in front of her. When the hostess leads me to the table, I give Mom a quick hug before settling on the chair across from her.

"Hi, sweetie," she says. Her gaze drifts over my floral-colored blouse and red skirt. "You look nice."

"Thanks. You do, too." I'm relieved to see that she hasn't fallen apart. I was worried she would be dressed in sweats. Not that I would blame her. Instead