AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Well done, Reese. Well done,” Cheryl muttered not so discreetly, and strode straight up to Decker—her assumption hitting me with all the subtle news of a wrecking ball. “Hi there. I’m Cheryl, a good friend of the family.”
“Decker.” He tipped his chin. “Pleasure.”
“Oh, it most certainly will be.” She patted his shoulder with a devious grin. “Now, I’ve got to scoot, but I can’t wait to hear all about how you and Reese met. Don’t give Arlene all the good stuff before I get back.”
He blinked once and then it clicked. Our gazes connected over Cheryl’s head, and I mouthed an apology as Mom’s best friend rushed past him and out the door.
“I’m so sorry,” I repeated the words out loud as soon as she was gone.
He laughed, and I almost got a full sigh of relief before I heard my name.
“Reese? Is that you?” I spun just as Mom shuffled into the living room with her walker. She was in black stretch pants and a massive sweater, and if she saw what her hair looked like, she’d have a heart attack. As soon as she saw me, her shoulders slumped and her lip quivered, tears instantly pooling in her eyes. “Oh, Reese. Thank God. I was afraid you weren’t going to make it—”
Oh boy.I closed my eyes and stifled a groan.Mom was knee-deep…or maybe it was sky-high…in those pain meds.
“It’s me, safe and sound.” I managed to give Decker theone-minutefinger before jogging over to my mom and pulling her in for a big hug. “I’m here, ready to wait on you hand and foot.”
“I’m just so glad you’re here. I thought I’d never see you again.” Her shoulders shook underneath me.
Dammit, Cheryl.I huffed but held my mom tighter.
“You know you can’t get rid of me that easily,” I joked, trying to get her to snap out of this delusional crying fit. “Now, let’s get you back to your lounger so you can rest.”
I tried to guide her to her new recliner waiting in the corner of the room, but she wouldn’t budge, holding on to me like her life depended on it.
“You already left me once for New York. You rarely come home…”
My head dropped back, and I exhaled slowly. Of course, she’d been upset when I told her I was moving to New York for my residency, but this…this was the drugs talking.
“Mom, you know I went there for work—for my career—”
“Who’s that?”And…squirrel.Or, in this case, dreamboat Decker.
I waved my hand in Decker’s direction to stop him from coming closer, but he’d already stepped into the living room instead of waiting in the hall like I’d asked.
“Mom, this is Decker. He’s the—”
“He’s the one.”
No.
She beamed, her eyes dancing and her tears switching teams from sad to happy. “You have a boyfriend, and you brought him here. To meet me. To your home.”
She practically gurgled with glee, and I found myself speechless to try and correct her.This couldn’t be happening. What kind of world did we live in that a man walks through the front door with me and that must mean he’s my boyfriend?Sure, my need for independence was renowned, especially with Mom. Which was why I’d told Decker to leave my stuff in his car and that I’d come back out for it.
He was the one who hadn’t listened.
He was the one who put me in this position.
“No, Mom, wait—”
“You have no idea, Reese. I didn’t think I would make it out of surgery.” She framed my face between her hands, smushing my cheeks so hard because suddenly, my head was the replacement support for her walker.
“Mom, no—oww.” I winced as she squeezed harder.
“I thought they’d put me under, and I’d never wake up. Never wake up to know you’d found someone—to know you’d found love. That I’d never see you happy.”
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
