The Love at First Sight Box Set

her words was aimed at my mom, and we both knew it.
"I fell twice," I said quietly. "I've let my right leg go too much. Both of them really. And I don't have a good excuse."
She dumped a block of cream cheese into the bowl and set it to mixing. "Falling is okay every now and then, Jocelyn."
Oh great, she used my full name.
I set my chin in my hand and sighed. "But knowing it doesn't make it any easier on your way down," I said.
"Quite true." Using a spatula, she scraped along the inside of the bowl to make sure everything mixed evenly. I love her, I thought as I watched her. I loved this whole family. And I wish I could sit like this and talk to my own mother. Tell her that it sucked to fall in front of the cute boy who bought me a cupcake.
"You got back up, though, didn't you?" she asked.
It would have been easy to focus on what I couldn't do instead of what I could. And being able to sit in this kitchen with her made me happy. Made me feel supported and loved. The least I could do was be honest with her.
"I did."
Her eyes met mine briefly, then she handed me a spoon to try the new batch of frosting. "That's my girl."
After I swallowed, giving her a hum of approval, I fiddled with the edge of the spoon. Words started crowding my mouth, and I knew I couldn't keep this from her any more than I should've kept it from Levi.
"It was just … someone I didn't really want to fall in front of." The embarrassment had my face hot and my body cold. How did people talk about this shit? I felt like I was being served up on a platter for someone to filet me open.
Her words came out slowly, carefully. "Isn't your PT the one person you'd be able to stumble in front of? That's what they're helping you with."
"I know. You're right."
"But …?"
I smiled a little. Mrs. B always saw right through me. "He's …" I paused, licking my lips and catching some frosting left in the corner of my mouth. "He's … cute. And I met him at the bakery before I knew he was my PT, and I think he was flirting with me. And I don't know exactly how I feel about that because I think I was flirting back, and I'm terrible at this." The words came out in a rush.
The look in her eyes was surprisingly sad even as she smiled at me. Her hand came up to cup the side of my face.
"Sweet girl," she said, rubbing her thumb over my cheekbone. "You couldn't be terrible at something if you tried."
My eyes pricked hot, and I blinked quickly. "I'd be terrible at running sprints."
She laughed, unsurprised by my humor after five years, then dropped her hand back to the counter. "How did he act after he saw you today?"
My teeth worried against my bottom lip. "He was shocked but professional. No flirty vibe today, that's for sure."
Mrs. B nodded. "Well, I think you should just get to know him better. If he was flirting with you at the bakery, it means he's a man of exceptional taste."
"You're only a little biased."
She was smiling as she started dropping the frosting over the top of the strawberry cake. Just as I'd taught her, she spun the turntable that held the cake in order to smooth the frosting easier. Her eyes stayed trained on what she was doing when she spoke next. "Have you talked to Levi about this?"
Her voice sounded a little strained.
I shrugged. "Not yet. It felt … I don't know … awkward to bring it up."
She swallowed. "I can understand that. One of those times when you just want a woman's opinion."
"Exactly." I exhaled. "But he's my best friend, so I should talk to him about it, shouldn't I? Maybe he could give me guy tips. Tell me if I'm crazy for thinking Girl in the Wheelchair has a shot. No offense to the general male population, but they do have a bit of a harder time overlooking allll this," I said, waving my hand in the vicinity of my chair and legs.
Mrs. B stopped spinning the cake and took a deep breath.
"What's with the sad eyes?" I asked, suddenly uncomfortable for a reason I couldn't quite pinpoint. "I sure hope you're not starting to pity me after five years."
Immediately, she set down the spatula and came to stand in front of me. With both hands, she grabbed my face. Her hazel eyes, exactly like her son's, weren't sad. They were blazing.
"No one in this family pities you, Jocelyn Marie," she said fiercely. "I pity anyone who overlooks or underestimates you. Do you understand me?"
I nodded, inhaling shakily. This time, I didn't try to blink away the moisture pooling in my eyes. She wrapped me in a rib-crushing hug, and I exhaled into her embrace.
When she pulled away, her eyes were bright with tears too. "Good. Now, I need to get this cake done and hidden in the fridge before the boys come home and think they can eat it."
Laughing at the truth of that, I slid off the stool and back into my chair. "Okay. I think I'm going to lie down for a little bit. I'm tired."
She kissed the top of my head. "I'll tell Levi to be quiet when he gets back."
"Love you, Mrs. B," I told her as I pushed my chair back.
Damn it, and that gave her sad eyes again. "We love you too, honey. More than you know."
Her words settled sweet and heavy in my chest as I rolled out of the garage and over the driveway to Levi's apartment. In my head, I turned them over and over as I lifted my tired body out of my chair and up onto Levi's couch.
The air conditioning kicked on, and I reached back