Torn [SHAWN MENDES]

~86~

Tricia shook the snow off her coat before walking into the house. "Whoever said that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb was not from Toronto," she told Taryn who was coming down the stairs to greet her.

Her daughter then unexpectedly burst into tears.

"Oh goodness! What's wrong, darling?" she asked as she hurried over to offer consolation.

"I wish the snowstorm had come yesterday. That way Shawn's flight might have been delayed and I would have had more time with him."

The lovebirds had an incredible five days together. Three of them had been spent alone because Tricia planned a visit to Earl's son's house. EJ wanted his father's album collection, and Patricia was more than happy to deliver it since that gave the couple some privacy. Taryn and Shawn kept their sexual energy to a simmer while she was at home with them, but as soon as she stepped out the door, it came to a roiling boil. They'd had sex right there in the foyer within five minutes of watching her car drive off.

While he was there, they didn't argue at all, and every moment they spent together was as good as things had ever been between them. Shawn teased that maybe they needed to not get along so well so that the separation wouldn't be as painful and even jokingly offered to start a fight.

Patricia nodded solemnly. "I think we need to have a talk."

"No! The last time we talked about this we had a fight. I'm fine. I might be blue right now, but I'll be okay in a couple days. I just need to readjust to him being gone."

"You're not fine, and I don't think you're going to be fine until you and Shawn are together all the time."

Taryn scoffed. "That's not a possibility, so I guess I need to get used to missing him when he's not here."

"Tell you what...instead of cooking, let's pop a frozen pizza in the oven. While it heats up we can enjoy some wine in front of the fire."

Ten minutes later, the two women were sitting cozily on the couch with Hendrix between them. They each had a glass of white wine, which Taryn took a large gulp of before speaking. "Go ahead and say what you need to say, but I reserve the right to end this talk if it starts to upset me more than I already am."

"I don't have a lot to say, but I do have some questions. First and foremost, what is the main thing keeping you from moving to California?"

"My brewpubs."

"I get that, but I watched you while Shawn was here and you were blissfully happy. Do you agree with that observation?" Tricia queried.

"Yes."

"When was the last time you felt that kind of joy at Ford's?"

Taryn sighed. "You're comparing apples and oranges. I never feel that level of happiness at work, but it gives me a different kind of satisfaction. I built my tiny empire from the ground up and it's not something I can let go of."

"You don't have to let go of it, hon. Your businesses can continue to exist while you go off and live your best life. You could start over in Montecito, if that's something you want. You're not even forty years old, so you shouldn't act like you're tethered to Toronto with a chain. Sometimes breaking away from everything is what's needed. That's why I moved here after your father left us."

Taking another drink of wine, Taryn said, "You moved to make a fresh start for us. That's very different from my situation. I'm happy with everything in my life except being separated from Shawn."

"It might not be the exact same situation, but the principle is the same. Sometimes you have to let go and take a leap of faith. Is there anything else that's tying you to Toronto?"

The oven beeped three times, indicating that it was preheated. Taryn jumped up. "I'm going to put the pizza in and get us a refill." When she returned a few minutes later, she changed the subject slightly. "You'll be happy to know that I'm going to visit Shawn for a full week at the end of May. Clearly I'm not tied down too much if I can do that."

"You didn't answer my question," Tricia prodded.

"What was it again? I got distracted in the kitchen," she fibbed.

"I asked you if anything else was keeping you here, and you referenced it just now when you said you're taking a trip, so don't try to pull the wool over my eyes."

"Oh that. I have this house and I have Hendrix. Those things make me want to stay."

The dog looked up and let out a small woof when he heard his name. Tricia patted him on his head. "You'd love the beach, wouldn't you? In fact, the Southern California climate would be good for you as you get older, I bet."

"You're unrelenting."

"As for this house," Patricia said as she gestured to the room they were in, "it's lovely, but Shawn showed me photos of his, and it is much nicer. No offense."

"None taken," Taryn said with an eye roll. "There is one other thing, but this conversation has me reconsidering if I can live without it."

"Spit it out."

"I've never lived that far away from you. Even when I briefly went to college, I was a short drive from home. I love you so much, Mama, and the thought of living thousands of miles away makes me sick to my stomach." She didn't want to tell her mother all this, but clearly Tricia needed to understand why packing up and moving to California wasn't as easy as she made it sound.

Tricia reached out and took her daughter's hand in hers. "I guess it's a good thing I'm not tied down to this city, because if it meant you'd get to be with the man you love, I will happily move with you. Obviously I'll get a place of my own in a much cheaper neighborhood, but I bet I could find an apartment that's less than thirty minutes from you. Maybe I've even searched online to get a feel for the rental market."

Taryn's jaw dropped. "You'd do that for me?"

"I wouldn't be doing it solely for you. One of the reasons I've been dragging my feet about finding a new place here is because I'm not sure I want to be in Toronto. I know I'm not that old, but I'm retired and single, so I need to think about settling down someplace that meets my needs. I don't love the idea of driving in blizzards in my seventies."

"You won't turn seventy for awhile."

"I know, but I'm at the stage of my life where I need to think ahead, and when I picture myself as an old lady, the image of living within an hour of the Pacific Ocean is quite appealing," Patricia told her.

Taryn laughed. "It's pretty appealing to me, too."

"Then let's do it. Movers can take my stuff across country along with anything from here that you want at Shawn's house. We can road-trip with Hendrix or we can fly. I'll leave that up to you."

"It's a wonderful fantasy, but it's not quite so simple. For one thing, I don't know if Shawn wants me to move in with him, and honestly, I don't know that I want that. We haven't been together for very long. Also, I meant it when I said I can't give up Ford's. I love you for being willing to do whatever it takes to make me happy, but I think I need to keep giving the long-distance thing more time to become routine and acceptable." She then got up to check on the pizza.

Patricia leaned over so that her face was inches from Hen's. "Routine and acceptable sounds like settling to me. What do you think?"

"I heard that!" Taryn called out from the kitchen.

"Good, because I wanted you to!" Tricia replied back.