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I could tell Siena was a little overwhelmed by my mother’s warmth. Even I was surprised. My mother had always been affectionate with me, but she had never been over the top like she was now.
“Thank you so much,” Siena said. “You’re very sweet.”
My mother looked at her stomach. “You don’t look pregnant, but it’s exciting knowing that you are. These next six or seven months will go by so fast. You’ll get more comfortable by the day, but trust me, it’s worth it.”
Siena placed her hand over her stomach. “Thanks for the advice.”
“Excuse me, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Chiara.”
“It’s lovely to meet you, Chiara.”
“The pleasure is mine, dear.” Mother sat down and slid her sunglasses back on.
I pulled out the chair for Siena.
She almost rolled her eyes at me before she sat.
I moved to the other chair.
“It’s nice to see my son behave like a gentleman,” Chiara said.
“I am a gentleman, Mother.”
Siena let out a slight laugh. “Yeah, okay.”
I narrowed my eyes.
Mother turned to Siena, a smile on her face. “I’m not an idiot. I know my son has an ego that’s bigger than a blimp. He thinks the world revolves around him until someone teaches him that it does not.”
“Thanks, Mother,” I said sarcastically.
“I thought you were too busy to join us.” She turned to me, her passive-aggressive tactics kicking in. She was clearly angry with me for not calling her—a second time.
“I cleared my schedule.” I kept my eyes on Siena, hoping she would behave herself so I wouldn’t have to intervene.
Siena turned to my mother. “You’re right. Cato can be very difficult. He’s set in his ways and rarely changes his mind.”
I felt like she had my balls in her hand.
“But I’ve also learned that he’s honest, protective, and has the biggest heart I’ve ever seen,” Siena added. “You just have to get past that cold exterior to see the warmth underneath. It takes a while to see it…but it’s there.”
Mother smiled before she turned back to me. “Seems like she knows the good and the bad.”
“I know the good and the bad too,” I countered.
“There’s no bad,” Siena said. “Cato even told me I was perfect.”
Fuck, I did say that.
“If she’s perfect, then why aren’t you together?” Mother asked.
I didn’t appreciate the personal question. “That’s between Siena and me. We’re having this baby together, but we’re just friends.”
Mother turned to Siena. “Tell me the real reason my son wouldn’t want to be with a stunning woman who’s not afraid of him?”
This lunch was turning into a nightmare. My mother was the one person who could do whatever she wanted without retaliation. If she were Bates, I would slap her upside the head.
Siena shrugged. “It was an unplanned pregnancy, and he’s not looking for a wife.”
“A wife is exactly what he needs,” Mother said. “I see all those pictures of him online and in the tabloids. Always out with those stupid bimbos that are just waiting to get their hands on his money.”
“Mother.” I didn’t want this to go on any longer. Maybe I was her son, but discussing my personal life so candidly was inappropriate. “You barged in here and demanded to have lunch without being invited. You’ve been rude enough for the day. So stop insulting me and play nice.” I didn’t want to be disrespectful to my mother, but I didn’t let anyone talk to me like that.
Mother turned to Siena and rolled her eyes.
Siena laughed back.
I grabbed the glass of wine and took a drink. “Fuck.”
The two of them talked about wine, art, and their love of the countryside. They seemed to get along well, better than my mother and I ever did. I spent most of the time in silence, looking over the landscape of my backyard and thinking about work.
My mother mentioned my father. “Cato’s father left us when he was very young. It was hard on the boys, not just growing up without a father, but knowing they’d been abandoned. I’m proud of my son for not being that way, for standing by you even though this was unplanned.”
It was a compliment, but I didn’t acknowledge it since it wasn’t directly said to me.
“Cato will be a great father,” Siena said. “I’ve never been worried about that. He’s very loyal to you and his brother. In fact, one of the reasons I fell for him in the first place is because of the way he talks about you. There’s so much pride in his voice, that you raised him on your own and did such a great job.”
Mother slowly turned to me, a slight smile on her lips with emotion in her eyes. Her hand reached to mine on the table. “Honey…” She squeezed my hand.
I squeezed it back.
“I love you,” she whispered. “You’ve been my greatest joy.”
“I love you too, Mother.”
