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“First, I want to see that ink.”
Ainsley giggled and began laying back her seat. She unbuttoned her pants, and a white bandage became visible.
I stopped her. “Let me.”
She dropped her hands to the side. When I pulled the white gauze back, there were two As, one delicate and one more masculine, interwoven together below her hipbone.
She was watching me closely as she explained, “It’s for us, two As coming together as one. I hope you like it.” Her eyes got wide. “Oh, man, I really hope you like it since it’s permanent.”
I covered up her fresh ink and then kissed her roughly. “I love it. Eventually, we’ll get an R on there.”
The thought of Ainsley being permanently mine was something I was going to want to do sooner rather than later. Waiting until she was out of school was going to be hell.
“I like that idea.”
We were both smiling at each other like two crazy people in love. I moved back to my side of the car as Ainsley buttoned her pants up.
“So, where are we going to now that you’ve seen my ink?”
“I talked to my mom while you were getting your tattoo. I told her about you, about us, and what you mean to me. She wanted to know if it was okay to do lunch. We can do it some other time, but you mentioned wanting to meet them prior to the surprise party.”
Ainsley’s face lit up. “I would love to.”
“Perfect. We’re going to our favorite deli.” My world was falling into place perfectly. It was as if the puzzle pieces all started to make sense and the picture of my future came into focus.
We went across town to the deli about twenty minutes away. Her ring was moving at an unprecedented speed.
“What’s on that mind of yours?” I asked.
“Do you think that it’s going to bother them that I come from a broken home? Sometimes, parents can have ideals of what they want their kids to end up with. Our relationship must appear rushed to them, considering they just found out about me. I’m not nearly as accomplished as you.”
Guilt crept in my mind for giving Ainsley any feeling of insecurity about us. That was a reason I had kept her from my family.
“They’re going to adore and love you because I do. My parents are like your mom. They want what makes me happy. They don’t care about any of that other shit.”
“Okay.” She gave me a tentative smile.
“It’ll be fine, and honestly, it doesn’t matter.”
Her mouth gaped open. “Of course it matters. They’re you’re family.”
I merged onto the highway. “No, it doesn’t because I love you regardless. No one can change that fact. Would it have changed your mind about me if your mom didn’t like tattoos?”
“No.” She didn’t hesitate, and her voice was confident.
That confirmed what I already knew.
We love each other.
Before long, we were pulling into the deli. Ainsley was staring ahead at the red awning. I got out of the car and opened her door. My parents were near the window, watching us. I could see my mom touching my dad on the shoulder.
Ainsley shielded her eyes from the bright sun as she’d left her sunglasses on the dashboard. A family passed us with two little ones. As I let my mind go down the road, a world of possibilities was opening up for me, and I enjoyed every thought.
Ainsley gave me a big smile. “Here we go.”
I gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Here we go. This is our story—no one else’s. Don’t worry.”
We began walking as she reflectively said, “I like that. This is our story. I love our story.”
“Me, too.”
We walked into the deli. My mom had to force herself to stay seated until we were a few feet away. She rose, wearing a white lace top and black capris. As suspected, my father was not wearing his Falcons T-shirt. He was in a green polo.
“Mom, Dad, this is Ainsley Pearson. Ainsley, this is my mom, Melanie, and my dad, Tom.”
Ainsley reached out her hand, but my mom pulled her into a hug.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ainsley. We’ve been waiting for this day for Adam for a long time.”
My dad stepped up and gave her a hug. “Welcome to the family, sweetie.”
Ainsley’s blue eyes danced with happiness.
The waitress came up. “Is everyone having the usual?”
My parents and I responded, “Yes.”
The waitress looked toward Ainsley. “What can I get you, sweetie?”
“Turkey sandwich and chips.”
“Will do.”
The waitress turned and headed back to the counter to place our orders. The sweet smells from the dessert counter were mouthwatering. We all took our seats, and I grabbed Ainsley’s hand under the table, giving her a reassuring squeeze. I was surprisingly not nervous. This felt right, which further confirmed it was the right step for us.
My mom started it off, “Adam says you’re finishing school. What’s your major?”
From that point forward, we all lapsed into easy conversation as our food was delivered, and we began to eat. My mom and Ainsley hit it off immediately, talking about my mother’s love for quilting. I came to find out that Ainsley had always wanted to learn how to do that. My father seemed captivated with her, too, like she was already a daughter. My world seemed complete.
I paid for lunch, and we began making our way to the door.
My mom grabbed Ainsley’s hand. “I’m so glad he has someone as wonderful as you. Let me know when you want to start your quilting lessons.”
Ainsley gave a small little jump. “I will. I was thinking that would be a good Christmas break project.”
“Perfect. I’ll start gathering some fabrics.” My mom gave her a hug. “Thank you for loving our son. I can see it in your eyes and actions.”
Ainsley looked straight at me. “I do. I really do.”
I had all I needed right here.
I was with my mom at our next therapy session as I filled her in on the ups and downs of my week. We were meeting in the same room with Doctor Jacobs. Being able to talk honestly and openly with her was a breath of fresh air. My mom was wearing shorts again, which was going to take a little bit to get used to.
“Oh, Ainsley, I’m glad you and Adam worked it out. When I get my new place, I’d like to have you guys both over, if you are willing to try it again.” There was worry in her voice as her eyes cast downward.
“Mom…” I waited for her to look at me.
I could only imagine how intimidating the next meeting would be with Adam after having an almost complete stranger witness her breakdown. She looked up at me, and regret filled her eyes. My heart broke for her. She had so much to deal with, and I should be the last of her worries.
“Mom, we would love to come. Just let us know when would be good for you, and we’ll work it out. Adam understands. He went through this with his friend, Brandt, who gave us Jason’s number.”
She nodded, but she still didn’t look convinced. “Okay, good. I’m glad, sweetie. The one thing I’ve always wanted was to be a part of your life. I’m still anxious about everything, but I will try not to stress.”
“Well, you are a part of my life, Mom. You always will be. I promise. I like how you tell me how you feel now.” My words were warm and gentle.
My mom smiled as if she had won some sort of prize. “Doctor Jacobs has been working with me on self-expression since I was always pretending my world was perfect. I’m feeling things I haven’t felt in a very long time. It’s refreshing and scary.”
I beamed back at her. “Well, I love it.”
“Me, too, sweetie.”
The tranquil blue walls were still as soothing as the last time we had been here.
Doctor Jacobs was writing a few notes, and then she addressed me, “You seem to be doing well with all this, Ainsley. Are you finding these sessions helpful?”
I smoothed down my skirt as I faced the doctor. “I am. I probably should ha
ve done counseling a long time ago. It’s helped my mom, and we’ve found our way back to each other by dealing with the hand we were dealt. For that, I’ll be forever grateful. I want to continue coming with my mom.”
Doctor Jacobs adjusted her dark-rimmed glasses. “That’s wonderful, Ainsley, and very insightful. Christine, would you like to share what decision you’ve come to this last week?”
“Yes.” My mom bit her lip as she thought about something for a minute.
I loved seeing my mom act natural instead of like a robot.
“I’ve decided that I’m going to do a halfway program here at A New Beginning. With that, I’ll be able to do some part-time work. I sent my resume to a bookstore when I was looking through the classifieds section of the paper. They called and want me to work there part-time. After talking with Doctor Jacobs, I decided I’m going to take it. For the next few weeks, I’ll be working three days a week for four hours a day. I think it’s going to help me adjust as I start finding a new niche in this world.”
I gave her a hug. “Oh, Mom, that’s wonderful. Did you hear back from the realtor?”
“Yes, the house is officially on the market as of yesterday. I’m selling far below market value, so I think it’s going to go quickly.” She took a cleansing deep breath. “It feels good to do all this. It’s also intimidating, not knowing what’s going to happen, but that’s good. I think that means I’m finally living.”
“I’m so proud of you, Mom.”
