Silence fell as we sipped our coffee.
I heard the morning birds chirping outside the kitchen window. My mom had placed a bird feeder there when I was fifteen, and we would sit and watch it for hours, waiting for the birds to find the treats we put out for them. As I looked at that piece of plastic pressed against the glass, I wondered if Damien was the type to enjoy sitting and watching the birds.
Elijah never would. It was too stationary a task. He’d be bored out of his mind, get annoyed with the lack of activity, and lash out.
“You know,” Mom said, breaking me out of my trance. “A very similar thing happened with me and your father. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great father to you, and I’m not saying anything bad about him. But he put me in a box, and I was there for a long time. One day, I met someone and saw that I didn’t have to live like that anymore. I could find out who I was again and be happy.”
“You met a guy?”
She nodded as a blush crept onto her cheeks. “I did. And just so we are clear, I never cheated on your father. It wasn’t like that. But long story short, I found a deeper meaning to my life through that someone and realized I had the power to change my circumstances. I set fire to my paper box, and honestly, I’ve never looked back.”
“Where is he now?” I’d never heard this before. My mom barely dated anyone since she and my dad divorced.Meanwhile, my dad had already re-married and divorced again.
My mom gazed up dreamily at the ceiling. “He was in the military and relocated. A common thing here in Fayetteville.”
“You mean, you didn’t keep in touch?”
“Honey, this was years ago. We didn’t have all this social media crap you have these days.”
“Okay, fair. But have you looked him up recently? Did he get married? What if he is still single? Mom!”
She laughed. “No, I haven’t done any of that. And I probably won’t. He helped me through the toughest time in my life, and I’ll always be grateful for that. I’d hate to tarnish the memory of him with reality. He could very well be a total ass now. Who knows?”
“You never know. He could be your soul mate.”
“And you believe in soul mates? You? Since when?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Hey, hey. We changed the subject. We are talking about you now. What’s his name? I’ll look him up.”
She laughed again. “How about you just go get ready for your lunch? Take a long hot shower and get all dolled up.”
I looked at the clock on the wall above the table. “Fine. I’ll take the hot shower, but no promises with the getting dolled up part. I’m recovering from a night of drinking.”
“Which is why you need to cover up those bags under your eyes.”
I scoffed as I stood. “Gee, thanks, Mom. And I am not letting this conversation about the mystery guy go.”
“You wouldn’t be my daughter if you did. And you look beautiful, sweetie. You always do.”
“Hmph.”
I gave my mom a last, curious glance from the corner of my eye before heading into my room and grabbing my clothes for the shower. The older I got, the more I learned about my mother and the trials she faced, creating a greater appreciation for the bond we shared.
Despite the drunken night at Stadium Club, I couldn’t wait to see my friends again. We’d had so much fun hanging out with Rebel Rebellion, and each of them genuinely seemed to like the band.
Of course, Blake kept an extra close eye on Damien, but her wink as she’d left with Jamie told me everything.
She approved of whatever it was we were.
When I hugged Damien last night, it felt different from before. Things between us were changing.
It was the first time we had the opportunity to talk alone in person alone without any distractions and solidified our friendship, and once I added in the insane chemistry between us…
The way he’d leaned into me outside had been so intoxicating I’d momentarily lost all sense of reality.
I hadn’t allowed myself to dwell on it or process it yet. I’d been a bit on the drunk side last night, and this morning I hadn’t wanted to think about it at all.
Remembering would complicate things even more, like how his scent had lingered around me, how his body seemed to awaken a dormant part of me, or the warmth of his hands as his fingers interlaced with mine.
