Another sign that he was all in.
They arrived at her mother’s house right before lunch, her mom coming out of the front door to greet her before she could get out of the rental car.
“Oh, my, look at you, Nora. You’re glowing with happiness.”
She hugged her mother tight, then turned to Ethan, who’d come next to them. “Mom, this is Ethan Bond. Ethan, my mother, Lynda, and her husband, Felix.” Who had just come outside to greet them.
She almost added in, “my boss” when introducing Ethan, but caught herself in time.
He was that, but she had to keep telling herself that wasn’t as important.
It was Sunday. Not Monday through Friday.
For them to get to the next stage, she had to keep reminding herself that being the man she was in love with was higher up than the guy who paid her.
If spending another day with his family hadn’t proven that they didn’t see her as an employee, then she didn’t know what more could be done.
One of the most powerful families in Boston looked at her as Ethan’s girlfriend yesterday, so she had to tell herself there was no reason she couldn’t start seeing it herself.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” her mother said. “I faintly remember seeing you as a kid at a summer picnic.”
“The same,” Ethan said, shaking hands.
“Come in,” her mother said. “I’ve got lunch set. We can sit and chat. I wish you were staying longer but understand it’s not easy.”
“We took tomorrow off of work.”
Ethan wasn’t able to get them a flight back today, so they would be home after lunch tomorrow. They’d get some work done in the morning and then when they returned.
It worried her that both she and Ethan were off the same day and if anyone would put it together, but he’d laughed and said that no one would think anything of it. Especially since his calendar was marked with meetings if anyone looked.
Hers was just being off.
If he wasn’t concerned over these things, then she just had to stop.
Felix and Ethan went to the deck to chat and have a beer and she was in the kitchen with her mother.
“So, how are things going? You really do look so good. Not just because it’s been so long since I’ve seen you, but there is this glow in your eyes.”
“Things are great. Had a tiny minor bump yesterday.”
She turned her head to see Ethan outside and heard his voice. Since she’d known he’d caught her talking to her mother before, she wanted to make sure it didn’t happen this time.
“What happened?”
She explained it to her mother. “Did I overreact?”
“I don’t think so. You know his personality more than me, but you have to put yourself in his shoes. He’s used to not caring what people think. If he’s not concerned, he’s telling you he has you without words. Did you look at it that way?”
“No. I should, but he hasn’t come out with those words and maybe I need them. Mitchell has said more than Ethan.”
“Which still says a lot. It means they support the relationship. Could it get messy? Yep. But it’s not the first time in your life you’ve been exposed to a messy situation.”
“I know. I’m waiting for everyone to find out I’m Norris’s daughter first. That could be a good practice run for the other information.”
Her mother smiled. “Good point. But it sounds as if your father is accepting of that. How are things with you two? You haven’t said much.”
“There hasn’t been much to say. Before I went to his office and told him my plan, we really hadn’t talked.”
