Keeley couldn't tell her daughter what she needed to hear using herself as an example. She had already said too many partially-true things about the bizarre way she and Aaron had ended up together. But she could invent a fake college friend.
The only college friends of hers Violet actually knew were Valentina, Jennica, and Erica. Explaining her former situation using someone who didn't exist would be simple enough.
"Your situation sounds a bit like one of my old college roommate's," Keeley said lightly. She could tell Violet's interested was piqued so she continued. "She had known this guy for a long time and had a bunch of misunderstandings with him so she thought she could never consider him in a romantic light.