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I reached out for my mother’s hand and squeezed it. “I get it now,” I said. She nodded and squeezed back.
“Yeah,” she said. “Me, too.”
* * *
Mom and I stayed there for a few hours more, watching my father, relaying the past. It was stilted, at first. It’s hard to know what lines can’t be crossed with a person when you spent a lifetime avoiding each other. Soon, though, we invited Andrew in the room, and that made all the difference. He would ask her a question, and she would answer it, and he would bring me into it, forging a connection. The fibers of the connection strengthened the more he stuck around, and soon, we were laughing and joking in a room infused with warmth and love. When we left, I felt lighter, though it was a somber occasion.
“We’ll do something together, you and me,” Mom said. She smiled when I frowned. “Not wedding-related.”
We laughed.
“Who knew my mother had it in her,” I said happily as Andrew walked me back to my apartment.
“Had what?” he asked.
“A sense of humor.”
Andrew smiled as I sighed again. My heart was so full, I was ready to burst. When we stopped in front of my apartment, I hugged him spontaneously. He laughed, the sound bursting forth in a startled bark. “What’s that for?”
“For being you, for helping me to see my mom in a new light,” I said. “For being here.”
“Here for what?”
Andrew and I turned to see Michael’s stony face.
Andrew looked at me, and then glanced at Michael. “I’ll go.” He reached out to shake Michael’s hand. “Good to see you again, man.” Michael looked at Andrew’s hand but didn’t shake it, so Andrew dropped it. “See you later, Ace.”
“See ya.”
“Ace?” Michael said as he watched Andrew walk away. “What’s that?”
I sighed. I could tell I was in for a long night.
“So your dad’s in the hospital, and you call him? Why didn’t you tell me?”
I sighed for what felt like the millionth time. “He was with me when I got the call, Michael. I didn’t want to bother you, especially in the middle of the day when you could be working or at practice.”
“Why was he with you?”
“I was getting the final fitting done on my wedding dress. You know, for that big event we’re having in a little over a month?”
“Well, I don’t like you hanging out with him so much, babe. Something’s off about him.”
I laughed. “Something’s off about Andrew? Really?”
“Really. You can’t hang out with him anymore.”
“You’re telling me who I can and cannot hang out with now? What is this, a monarchy?”
“I’m your husband now. I’m the head of our household. Something doesn’t feel right about him. I think he has feelings for you, and I don’t want you getting caught up in that. I don’t want him to even have the chance of making a move on you.”
“What happens when we go back on tour?”
“You’re not going back.”
“What?”
“Alicia, he’s not safe.” Michael frowned. “He’s trying to get between us. And he’s starting to.”
