“Do you know why?”
“Do I know why what?”
“Why she wants to talk to me.”
He was quiet again. “Based on my reaction, I think you already know. I’m not sure what the problem is.”
“I guess I’m just nervous.”
“I thought the dinner went well.”
“It did. I just…I don’t know.”
Silence stretched across the line like he didn’t know what to say. “Look, my parents mean the world to me, but if they didn’t like you, it wouldn’t change anything. Because I know who you really are, and whatever reason they would have to dislike you would be invalid. But they do like you, so there’s no reason to be uneasy around her. My parents are the kindest people on the planet. I like it when you’re confident and strong. That’s what attracted me to you in the first place. So, don’t lose that for anyone—even my mother.”
I sighed into the phone. “Okay.”
“I have to go. I’ll see you later.” He hung up.
I put the phone back in my pocket and told myself to buck up…and be myself.
When I walked in the door, she rose from her chair to greet me with a warm smile and an affectionate hug, rubbing my back with the same motherly touch my own mother gave me. Her energy was infectious, like she was a genuinely happy person who filled everyone else with happiness. “It’s so nice to see you. Ooh, I love your boots.”
“Thanks,” I said as I pulled away.
“It’s happy hour, so I got you one of their pumpkin drinks.” She took a seat and crossed her legs, sitting upright with perfect posture, like she was a princess.
I sat across from her. “Oh, that’s thoughtful. Thank you.” I tried to drink my coffee black to cut out all the calories and sugar, but I definitely preferred it this way, all sweet and delicious. I took a drink and immediately appreciated the taste. “Wow, that’s good.”
“I know.” She took a drink of hers too. “All we have at home is almond milk and crap like that, so when I go out without Deacon, I get the worst thing I possibly can.”
“That sounds like a good utilization of your time.”
She chuckled.
“Why is he like that?”
She shrugged. “I think it’s because he takes care of sick people all day and he believes diet is directly responsible for your health, so he’s just really particular. When we first got together, it drove me up the wall, but now I’m just used to it. And honestly, I’ve never gained weight, my skin looks good, so I guess I have him to thank for that.”
“Yeah, you’re both hot.”
She grinned at my comment.
“I just mean you look good…” I didn’t want her to think I had the hots for her husband. That would be weird. But Derek and his father looked like brothers, so I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find Deacon attractive…and would love to have a husband who aged like that.
She chuckled. “Thank you.”
“So, what’s new with you?”
“Nothing, really. I work all day and go home to Deacon. Pretty boring. My kids are all out of the house living their lives, and I try not to be one of those helicopter moms who asks for their attention all the time.”
“Yeah…” I wasn’t sure how I would be when Lizzie moved out of the house. Would I be excited to have my own space since I’ve never lived alone before? Or would I miss her all the time and blow up her phone?
“How are things with you and Lizzie?”
A part of me was afraid his parents would think I was an immoral slut who couldn’t keep her legs closed when I was young, but they both seemed nonjudgmental about it. “We’re really close, at least for now. I still have to act like her mother, but sometimes I feel like we’re friends. And when I get too comfortable in that role, I have to pull back and remind myself that I’m her mother…and that’s my job.”
She nodded in understanding. “I had the same problem with Daisy. All of my kids, really. You always love your kids, but you don’t always like them. And I happen to like all my kids. They’re great and interesting people, so it’s easy to let that barrier fall. But I had to keep reminding myself until they were officially adults and out of the house. Deacon and Derek are both busy with their careers, so they don’t have a lot of time, but they’re really close, more like friends than father and son.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed that. They are really cute together.”
“They are,” she said with a smile. “I’m really lucky to have such a beautiful family, and you’re so lucky that you have your daughter.”
It meant a lot to me that she viewed my daughter as a benefit rather than a mistake because Lizzie was far from a mistake. “She’s the best thing that ever happened to me, she just came at the worst time. My parents were really disappointed in me when I told them I was pregnant, and they told me how much it would ruin my life. Maybe my life would have been easier if I didn’t have her, but I wouldn’t change what happened. I still went to college, still got a great job. I still did everything I would have done, regardless… It was just harder to complete.”
She nodded in understanding. “I believe everything happens for a reason, that it’s meant to happen. So, I never look back on life with regret. Deacon was really unhappy in his previous marriage because she was…not a good person, to be honest. But he doesn’t regret it because it gave him Derek. That’s just how we have to look at life.”
“I have to say, I’m really relieved that you and Deacon don’t have a problem with Lizzie.”
“Why would we?” she asked bluntly.
“I don’t know…I don’t think a lot of parents would be too happy about their son dating a woman with a daughter who’s almost a teenager because I was reckless and broke my curfew.”
She shook her head. “A child is a blessing, no matter when they arrive. And Derek is in his thirties now. He’s perfectly capable of making decisions about his life on his own. Even if I did have a problem with Lizzie, it wouldn’t matter because my grown son is capable of handling whatever he chooses to handle. I think parents sometimes forget that their job is done once their children are adults—and you need to accept all their decisions.”
I’d have to remember that myself when Lizzie moved out.
“I know Derek is a bit hesitant about meeting your daughter, but I have no doubt that he would be a great stepfather…once he gets over his reservations. He’s a brilliant man, but he has a lot of insecurities about himself…because he’s had his heart broken a few times. But I think he’ll get over that now that he has you.”
“He told me about his birth mom. That she left.”
Cleo didn’t have a reaction, like just thinking about it made her feel empty inside. “I’m not the kind of person who says bad things about other people, unless it’s to their face, but…she wasn’t a good person. She wasn’t a good mother. She used Derek as leverage to get what she wanted out of Deacon, and once she found another rich man to fall under her spell, she took off…and never came back. There were a few phone calls in the beginning, but then she had a couple more kids and pretty much just forgot about him. No phone calls on his birthday, no presents for Christmas.”