AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My heart beats wildly as we approach her, and Cassidy calls my mother's name.
"Valerie."
Mom turns around and immediately beams when she sees Cassidy. "Honey! Where did you go? I've been looking all over for you."
She spots me next and her brows furrow in confusion. "Is everything all right?"
"We need to talk to you," I say with finality in my voice, clearing my throat a bit awkwardly. I can't say I'm looking forward to this conversation, but it has to be done so both Cassidy and I can have peace of mind.
"Can it wait?" Mom asks, and when she sees our worried expressions, she excuses herself from her husband, who is grinning widely.
Mom leads us into the back of the venue, to the exact room where I had my conversation with her before the wedding. The room is pleasantly cool, but it does nothing to calm my nerves. The scent of lilies is so heavy in the air, it feels suffocating.
"What is this about?" Mom asks worriedly, sitting down in the chair next to the vanity table. She dabs at her forehead with a handkerchief as Cassidy and I exchange guilty glances.
"We wanted to speak to you about something," I speak up, my words heavy with what I'm about to say. "I don't even know where to start…"
"I'll help," Cassidy cuts in, the confident woman I remember her to be. She steps right up to my mother, her expression a mix of defiance and worry as she kneels in front of her.
"Valerie," she begins with a serious voice. "Your son and I are in love. We have been since that first summer at the beach, and we were too afraid of what you might think… we never told you for that reason."
My mother's eyes become as wide as saucers as Cassidy takes her hand in her own trembling one, soothing her skin. "I'm sorry if this is a shock to you, but we wanted to have your blessing before we took this further."
"Where… where are you taking it?" my mother asks with a shaky voice.
It's my turn, so I step up and let her know confidently. "I'm going to make her mine," I say, and there's so much confusion in Cassidy's eyes, I have to smirk. "Someday… soon. And it would mean a lot to have your blessing on our relationship."
My gaze turns darker as I go on. "But even if we don't have your blessing, we wanted to let you know we're seeing one another."
The silence in the air is so tense you could cut it with a knife. Mom's hand flutters to her chest as she stares at us, and for once in my life, I wonder if she'll understand.
Cassidy reaches for my hand as she gets back up, and we stand in front of Mom like she's a judge, the silence palpable as we wait for her to comment.
"Well," she heaves a sigh. "Well, isn't that a piece of news."
"So, what do you say, Valerie?" Cassidy's voice is soft and gentle, but we need an answer. "Do we have your blessing?"
My mother gets up from her chair, her motions shaky as she comes closer to us. So, I guess this is it – the moment of truth.
"Cassidy," she says, her fingers stroking Cassidy's cheek. "Dom."
She turns toward me, her gaze mischievous. My heart skips a beat in anticipation.
"You are both my children, but you are not brother and sister. I'd be lying if I said I never noticed the attraction between you, and I always knew we'd be having this conversation someday."
My stomach twists and I don't dare look at Cassidy.
"But…" Mom continues, "I know that together, you two are stronger. You're the best versions of yourselves you can be. And I will always be in full support of you being yourselves."
We stare at her in shock, but Cassidy is the first to react, breathing a heavy sigh of relief as she envelops my mother in a tight hug. Her laugh is the sweetest sound I've ever heard.
I'm grinning like a fool as Mom hugs me too, whispering in my ear that she's proud of me for finding the right way. I've never been this happy.
And we say our goodbyes quickly, Mom eager to get back to her wedding, and me, with plenty of dirty things on my mind…
The drive back to the house takes ages, and Cassidy complains the whole time about missing my bike. It apparently made it easy for us to touch when we were driving. I laugh at her eagerness and regret every time I have to push her hands off me, focusing on driving.
Finally, we arrive back at the beach house, and suddenly, the air becomes heavy with anticipation. We get out of the car silently and Cassidy's hands shake as she unlocks the door.
