When I got home, I used the topic of Aurora and Chris to steer the conversation toward Johnny, trying to subtly gauge if mom still had feelings for him.

Mom caught on quickly. "You want me to put in a good word for this younger colleague of yours?"

"Is Aurora serious about him? Has she completely cut things off with Mason?"

I couldn't help but smile, shaking my head. "No, that's not it. It's still uncertain."

I shifted gears, "Derek and I were thinking of having a ...