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A life. A future. His pain and his pleasure. I want every single part Braxton is willing to give me.
sixteen
. . .
braxton
Fuck me.My mom is truly happy. It’s not fake. The way she talks about Richard, the way she acts around him…it’s settled. She seems at peace. She isn’t trying to impress him. She isn’t overcompensating or trying to be someone she’s not.
She barely has any makeup on and is wearing jeans and a sweater. But most importantly it’s her smile that I love. It’s not forced. She isn’t tense, worried that if she does one wrong thing this guy will leave her. No, she seems secure in this guy and that’s something. Because I realize that Richard has to be something special to make my mom believe this after a few weeks.
Either he’s a great scam artist or he’s genuine.
And for the first time in my life, I try to be Jimbob about it. I try to think optimistically.
My mom is happy. She’s loving life. She found someone—someone good for her.
It will take time for me to fully believe it, but fuck, I’m gonna try for her and for me.
After dinner, we all move to the living room for coffee and one of Ryan’s pies for dessert. He handed it to me earlier today with a wink and told me this would be good for sexual vitality. I sure hope that’s not the case for my mom and Richard. Makes me shudder to think about that.
I glance over at my mom as we make easy conversation and watch as she leans her head on Richard’s shoulder, looking totally content. And for the first time that I can remember, I feel that way too.
I’m totally and utterly content with Jimbob by my side.
“I think you should move in with him,” I blurt pretty much out of nowhere.
My mom’s eyes go wide with surprise as she places her cup and plate on the coffee table and looks over at me. “You do?”
“I do,” I say, not that she needs my permission, but I can tell my blessing is important to her. “I think you two are good together.”
She takes Richard’s hand in hers and settles back into his side. “Thank you. I do too.” She looks around the living room at the shitty house we’ve been in for years now. It looks so much better since Jimbob and I cleaned it, but it’s still shit. Thank fuck Richard seems to not notice it. No, he seems to only have eyes for my mom.
“What about you? I don’t know if I want you here alone,” my mom asks me.
“Oh, don’t worry about that. He won’t be alone,” Jimbob says, quick to answer, and I huff a small laugh. I haven’t been alone since this guy—this sweet sunshiny guy—came into my life and refused to go anywhere.
“I won’t be,” I say with a smile, but I’m already thinking about how maybe we won’t need to renew the lease when it comes due. Maybe it’s time to let this part of our lives go.
Maybe it’s time to move on to bigger and better things.
I can feel Jimbob watching me, and I wonder if he knows what I’m thinking. If he can see how badly I want to make a life with him. How this last puzzle piece has fallen into place.
My mom is okay. And now so am I.
As long as I have him.
My sunshine.
epilogue
. . .
two months later
braxton
Well,that was fast. I half-expected things to fall apart with Richard and my mom, but they didn’t. They only seemed to grow stronger. Richard spent an entire week at our place after that dinner, and during those days, I could see how happy he makes her. How happy she makes him.
