My mom nods as tears brim in her eyes. “I made sure to save all her recipes. I’m not sure whether they’ll turn out as goodas she made them, but I can’t imagine doing Thanksgiving any other way.”
What is happening? My mom is being extremely thoughtful. Is it possible this weekend is going to be smoother than I thought?
“Where did you put your bags?” Mom asks, closing the oven door and standing up to appraise both of us.
“I had Jake drop them off in my room,” I answer, confused by why she’s asking.
Her lips purse tightly, and her brow furrows. “I assume that’s temporary. You don’t plan on sleeping in the same room while you’re here.”
There she is.That’s the version of my mom I was expecting.
“Yeah, totally planned on it. You do realize we live together, right?”
Does she also realize her antiquated views of chastity went out the window a long time ago? Or that I’m an adult in my mid-thirties?
“I’m well aware you’re living out of wedlock,” she replies coolly, cleaning off the kitchen countertop.
Jake turns to look at me and mouths, “What the fuck?” I shrug because I have no idea what the hell is going on. One minute she’s being incredibly kind, the next she’s being, well…my mom. This is exactly why my relationship with her is so complicated.
My mom wipes down the counter as Jake leans over, his lips brushing against my ear. “I hope your mom has earplugs because I’mdefinitelygoing to fuck you tonight.”
As I stare at him, my mouth drops open, knowing he’s not joking. A flood of anticipation hits my nervous system, igniting my body like only he can. I shouldn’t be so turned on by the prospect of having sex with my boyfriend in my childhood bedroom at thirty-five, but I can’t fucking wait.
“Anyway, what’s going on in town?” I ask, hoping she’ll take the bait and bore us with some town gossip until dinner’s ready.
She quickly launches into the last small-town drama. Jake and I take a seat at the kitchen table while she drones on for the next few hours until dinner is finally ready.
As the three of us sit, it’s hard not to feel like someone is missing. It’s been nearly two decades since my mom, Judy, Jake, and I shared a meal, but it also feels oddly like it was yesterday. Maybe it’s because I wish Judy were here. That she could see the incredible man her son has grown into. Hear her opinion about the two of us being together, because in my heart, I know she would’ve supported us.
I reach for Jake’s hand under the table, taking it in mine as I fight back tears, not wanting to cry again. He squeezes my hand and gives me a soft, knowing smile that instantly calms my heart.
During dinner, my mom prattles on about the remaining town gossip because apparently, there’s a lot of it, and she only scratched the surface earlier. While I’m not interested in anything she’s saying, it has kept her from picking on the two of us, so I consider that a huge win. We’re almost through with dinner and onto dessert, making me assume we’re in the clear for prickly comments, when she opens her mouth and destroys my wishful thinking.
“Will I see you at Christmas, Jake? Or will whatever this is be over by then?” Mom asks, gesturing between the two of us.
Did she seriously ask if we’re going to break up before Christmas?
What in the actual fuck?
“We haven’t made Christmas plans yet, Mom,” I reply quickly, trying to de-escalate the situation since the vein in Jake’s neck is about to blow. “I’ll let you know once we’ve figuredout where we’re going to be. Jake has an upcoming album launch, so there are a lot of moving parts to our holiday plans.”
“I see.” She takes a bite of her pumpkin pie. “So, you’re planningyourlife aroundhiscareer? Are you putting your career on the back burner to support him?”
I sigh loudly because she doesn’t understand what Jake and I have. Probably because she’s never been in a healthy relationship with a true partner. “We’re a team, Mom. My career is just as important as his. We make our decisions together. That’s why we can’t commit to holiday plans yet. We don’t fully know what’s on his schedule or mine. And even if we did, we would want to discuss it privately before agreeing to anything with you.”
My mom rapidly blinks like she can’t believe what I’m saying.
“To add to what Kate said, I want to make it clear that I’m not going anywhere. I’m madly in love with your daughter and plan on marrying her, so you can either start treating both of us with respect, or we can leave. It’s that simple.”
The room falls silent as my mom glances back and forth between us. “Why didn’t you say that earlier?”
“Huh?” I ask, unsure what the hell she’s referencing.
My mom scrunches her brow, like I’m the one not making any sense. “Obviously, the fact the two of you are planning to get married, because that changes everything.”
Excuse me, what is happening?
Her face softens as she makes eye contact with Jake. “Do you have a timeline on when you’ll propose? Or have the wedding? I assume the two of you want children, correct?”
