Buckle up! You’re about to discover David’s nickname for Lila, the reason for Mandy’s rough patch, and more! This is a rough draft of the scene, but it will most definitely be in the novel. I hope you enjoy!
“Talk about a milestone evening, right? Our baby graduated from high school, but I swear we just took her to Legoland for her fifth birthday the other day, did we not?” David and I were cuddled on the couch, my back against his chest and his arms wrapped around me. “How did we even get here, Red?”
I giggled at the nickname, as I always did. No matter how many times I insisted that my hair was auburn, David refused to budge on calling me Red. “I can’t call you Auburn, Red. That’s just ridiculous,” he shared with me almost two decades ago. “It would shorten to Aub, and then people would think that your name is Aubrey or something, and the world is confusing enough without us adding that into the mix.” David’s serious facial expression, combined with his sarcastic delivery, had me in stitches that day and I can’t help but laugh every time the memory resurfaces.
“Oh, we got here, alright,” I sighed. I rolled my head to the side so I could peek at the refrigerator across the way. It was covered from top to bottom with dozens upon dozens of family pictures. Candid shots that I stole on neighborhood walks. Posed photographs from vacation scenic points. Film strips from photo booths at different weddings and parties. My fridge was the perfect collage of our lives, and I sighed as I mentally noted that I needed to update it with graduation photos. “At times, it felt like it was all happening in slow motion and at other times, a blur. But we’re here. Mandy’s officially a high school graduate, which means I’m officially old. But hey, you’re even older, so at least there’s that.” He playfully scoffed in response before showering my neck with kisses.
“Speaking of slow motion, let’s have tonight fall under that category. Let’s just stop time for a bit, yeah?” David squeezed me a little tighter.
Intentional evenings, given that they were few and far between, were the ones I held dearest. No important work that he needed to wrap up. No television show to distract us. No to-do list to tackle. Nothing to steal our time. Just me and the love of my life, being present in the moment and basking in our blessings.
“She looked proud of herself up there,” he reflected, and even though I couldn’t see his face, I knew that his eyes were sparkling. He was right. Mandy did look proud, and deservedly so. She had come a long way, especially in the last two months. Losing Darla was tremendously difficult for her, and her anger and deflection got the best of her there for a while, but she really turned it around. More than once, I caught a glimpse of her nose-deep in her journal and immediately sensed that it was helping her. The fact that she was still journaling, all these weeks later, illustrated that she was committed to doing the hard work: From communicating with herself through the journal to communicating with us more openly, not to mention the self-awareness and humility she demonstrated when she apologized to Desiree.
I mentioned how relieved I was to see for myself that Mandy and her best friend did indeed patch things up. They were inseparable after the ceremony, taking silly selfies with every peer they encountered and randomly breaking into song in the middle of their laughing fits. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen her happy like that, David. I feel like I can finally breathe again, knowing she’s okay.”
“Oh absolutely. As much as we miss Darla, and as much as we’ll forever feel her absence, it’s okay. Our family is long overdue for a happy and carefree season, and Mandy being in a good place is the first step.” David suddenly sat up and turned me towards him in one swift movement. “Oh! Did you see her wave at Quinn? Talk about her being in a good place! I was shocked when I saw that.”
I gasped. “What? No! I missed it!” It was no secret that I had been hoping Mandy and Quinn would reconnect for years.
“It was obviously awkward but they were seemingly kind. Quinn waved at her and Mandy waved right back. For a second there, I didn’t think she would. How did you miss that? You should really pay more attention, Red. I mean, really.” His eyes twinkled as he rolled them with exaggeration, and I immediately wiped the smirk off his face with a kiss.
“Do you think—” I broke the kiss to get more information from him, but David wasn’t having it.
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Email me at emimransherlock@gmail.com with comments or questions, and you’ll be entered into a TQAQ merch giveaway! Submission deadline: May 17, 2026
Happy Mother’s Day!
With hugs of gratitude,
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