A few minutes later she was back with steaming, large mugs of hot chocolate. When he and Liam were kids it was a weekly secret, when Dad worked late. Mom would make three towering mugs of hot chocolate, with lashings of whipped cream, an entire bag of marshmallows, chocolate shavings, and a knob of salted butter – her secret to the best hot chocolate in the world.
His throat tightened at the visual, but he dragged a fingertip through the cream and savored the taste. “I’m not a match. I’m sorry.” He pulled the letter out from his back pocket and smoothed it out in front of her. “Here. In case you need proof. I—”
She closed her hand over his. “I don’t need proof, Finn. Even if you were a match and you didn’t want to donate your kidney, I’d have understood. It’s not a small ask.” After a beat of silence, she took a sip of her drink. “So…”
Finn searched her face for any clue to her next move. “I guess you’ll be going.”
“Going?” She almost choked on the marshmallow she’d popped into her mouth. “I just got here. Why would I leave?”
A clawing at his throat stopped him from answering.
“Finn, did you think because you’re not a match I wouldn’t want to see you anymore?”
He tried to snort his derision at the absurd idea but the noise that escaped him sounded more like a whimper. She took another sip of her drink. “I see. I don’t blame you. I show up in your life after years of absence and I ask you for help to save another child I had while we were apart. Pretty classless, eh?”
When he didn’t answer, she continued. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. For… your father… for leaving, for coming back in such a crappy way… but I need you to know.” She cupped both her hands around one of his and paused until he met her eyes. “I didn’t come back into your life because I wanted your kidney, Finn.”
The words seeped into his skin, like lip balm into chapped lips.
“I guess it gave me the courage to reach out. The timing was unfortunate, I’ll grant you. But I came back because I love you, I miss you, and while I’d never dare hope we could be a family again, and I know for sure things will never be the same… I just… I hoped maybe we could start over in some way. Maybe I could convince you to give me a second chance. Maybe I could check in with you sometimes, learn about who you are as a man. Maybe someday meet your friends. If that’s not what you want…” She shrugged. “It’s probably what I deserve after everything you’ve been through. But I needed to try, before it’s too late.” She rubbed at the fabric over her heart. “I couldn’t take it anymore.”
Finn knew that feeling. The feeling of needing to act before the inaction tore your chest wide open. He nodded and took a long, comforting drink of molten chocolate. “Someone needs to tell them about the butter thing.”
With a smile, his mother reached across the table and swiped a speck of whipped cream off his nose. After wiping it on a napkin, she clapped her hands together. “Tell me something about yourself. Anything. Something I’ve missed out on. Something I don’t know.”
He skimmed his fingertip around the rim of the mug, collecting tiny shards of grated chocolate and whipped cream residue. “Well, there’s this girl…”
***
Mom clutched her hand over her chest. “Again? The three of you here, together… again? The apocalypse is upon us. Quick – to the bunker!” She waved her towel toward the front door. “Can you believe this? They’re all back.”
Mr. Mo grabbed the end of the towel and tugged her toward him, slipping his arms around her waist. “It’s your disarming wit, they can’t get enough of your funnies.”
She giggled, her cheeks turning pink. “Well obviously. Molly? You wanted to talk to everyone?” Mom gestured at her to go ahead.
Molly’s pale face was punctuated by dark circles under her eyes, and she twisted at the hem on her tank top. Dad had the heating turned up to somewhere around “Beelzebub’s living room” level of heat. Sweat prickled Finn’s forehead and neck, he was a few minutes away from peeling his shirt off. Molly had already ditched her hoodie and tee. Thankfully she wore a bra under her tank, but it did little to steer his thoughts from wanting to bury his head between her delicious titties and blow. He could just imagine the look on her face if he motorboated her boobs – and added it to his to-do list when he eventually got her alone.
It had been days –days– since he’d stood in her living room itching to touch her creamy skin and delve into the warm depths of her delectable pussy. But they had both been busy since and their texts had been casual, friendly, platonic. Maybe Molly hadn’t been busy, maybe she’d been taking space to process, or maybe she was pulling away. He needed to know which. He needed to find a way for them to get together. His dick semi-hardened in agreement.
“Here Finn, take this to the table for me?”
“Sure thing, Mrs. Mo.” Finn accepted the dish of mashed potatoes.
“Holy shit, Molly. What the hell happened to your boob?” Will pointed his fork at the Titanium Titty bruising that peeked over the edge of her tank.
Molly dropped the fork she was placing on the table. “That’s… that’s kind of what I wanted to talk to everyone about.”
With stern faces, and silent movements, everyone took their seats at the table.
“I wanted to wait until after we’d eaten. But I can see from all the probing eyes around the table, that’s not going to happen.” She steeled herself right in front of Finn. Strength straightening her spine. He ached to reach out and squeeze her hand, or thigh, to offer some form of physical comfort. He had to settle for stroking her calf with his, under the table to let her know he was there for her.
“I found a lump.” She barely paused when Mom gasped. “It’s fine. I’m fine.” She pulled down the side of her tank top and flashed the side of her boob. Dad’s face went crimson and he averted his eyes. “They did a biopsy – hence the multicolored boob Will got a glimpse of because it’s hotter than hades in this freakin’ house.”
Dad chuckled, Mom smacked his forearm as though she’d asked him to turn down the heating a million times.
“What can I say, I’m a heat lover. One of these days your mom will get so sick of our heating bill that she’ll cave and agree to move to Florida.”
Finn’s stomach lurched at the idea, Will frowned, and it was Molly’s turn to gasp.
