He hit the entry buzzer. The pace of his heart accelerated, and he tried to laugh while he walked back and forth before the door.
“It’s crazy to be nervous, right? I mean, it’s no big deal.” Yet he couldn’t stop sweating, and everything he’d practiced saying before Blake last night flew out of his head.
The bell rang, and he opened the door. His mother’s familiar face greeted him. “Hello, sweetheart. I’m so glad you invited me over.” She swept into the apartment, her eyes lighting upon the others. “Noah, Oren, I’m so happy you’re here too.” She held out her arms, and they each gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Noah, I got a call back on that print ad I auditioned for. The hairspray one.” Her smile beamed bright with satisfaction.
“Happy for you, Mom.” Noah gave her a thumbs-up. “I knew you could do it.”
“And,” she said, turning to give Blake a full-blown smile, “I’m glad to seeyouagain, Blake. We missed you at the juice-bar opening.”
“Nice to see you too, Elyse.” Blake gave her a kiss, and Jeremy hid a grin at how well Blake sidestepped his mother’s backhanded question. “Why don’t you sit down and have some coffee?”
She handed her coat to Jeremy, who hung it in the hall closet. “Everything looks and smells delicious. It’s so nice to get together and catch up.”
They took their food, and he walked into the living room and sat on the sofa. After setting his plate on the coffee table, Jeremy patted the seat next to him. “Sit by me, Ma.”
Her cheeks turned pink. “Oh, that’s sweet. Thank you. We’ll have to invite Rochelle, Max, and the children to meet Oren and Blake soon.” She perched on the edge and placed her coffee cup and plate next to his. Noah, Oren, and Blake remained behind and took up residence at the table, affording them a chance to talk. His mother, never a fool, quirked a beautifully groomed brow.
“Is there something you want to tell me? Is that the reason everyone is staying in the kitchen? You’re not sick, are you?” She paled. He should’ve known she’d imagine the worst.
“No, I’m fine—we all are.”
Her gaze traveled to everyone at the kitchen table, and her eyes lit up. “You’re getting married. That’s it, right?”
“No, Ma. Please.” He put a hand on her arm. “That’s not it. No one’s getting married.” He took a deep breath. “I thought the time had come, now that Blake and I are settled and you cleared the air with Noah, for me to get some things off my chest.”
At his words, a curious smile tilted the corners of her lips. “Oh? What kind of things? Is that why you invited everyone over—for reinforcement?” She folded her hands in her lap, and Jeremy’s resolve slipped. He didn’t have to do this. He’d lived this long without talking about it. He heard Blake cough and caught his glare. Damn, the man knew him so well.
“Look, Ma. I know you and Noah talked. I thought you and I could do the same.”
“Clear the air? About what?” Genuine confusion creased her smooth forehead. “I didn’t know how Noah felt about modeling, but you’re not hiding anything from me.”
“Uh, well, not quite.” Her brows shot up, and Jeremy shifted on the sofa so he faced her. Shit, this was hard. “Look, Ma. It’s like this. I love you. You know that. But when I was little, I didn’t think you loved me as much as Noah.” At her squeak of dismay, he put up a hand. “Wait. I’m making it clear from the start, I love you and I love Noah. I’m happy now, happier than I ever imagined. But because I have Blake, I figured I could share my feelings. He makes me talk about stuff, and it’s time to get it off my chest and start clean.”
“I never knew, I swear. You never said a word.” Tears streamed from her eyes, smearing her makeup. “I always loved all you children the same. But Rochelle was so involved in the theatre at school and you had your sports. You didn’t need me. Noah was my baby and leaned on me the most.” She dabbed at her eyes. “At least that’s what I thought.”
“I needed you, we all did. You’re our mother. And it hurt to see you always spending time with Noah and making a big deal over his commercials and ads, but when I’d hit the game-winning home run or score the highest on my test, it never seemed to matter. It hurt when only Dad showed up for my games or my school awards, never you. You were so involved with Noah and his modeling career, you sort of took my growing up for granted. And even when I started the gym, you kind of made me feel like I should be doing something else with my life. Something important.”
“I hated to see you struggle. No parent wants that for their child.”
“But I’m not. I love what I’m doing. It makes me happy. Isn’t that good?” At her nod, he continued, the ever-present weight rising from his chest. It spurred him on to unburden himself fully. “And then when you met Blake, you dismissed my abilities, thinking that Blake, because he’s a CPA, would know more than I do about the financial aspect of the gym, despite me having a masters and living and breathing the business. I’m smart, Ma. I have a brain, and I know what I’m doing. But sometimes I feel like a fool when I talk to you. Like you think I’m just a jock.”
“I didn’t know. I swear. I love you, you know that, right?” She grabbed his hands. “Not only because you’re my child, but because of the man you are: so smart and strong, capable, and loving, and protective of your family.”
All his life he’d waited to hear those words. And he might be close to forty, but it still mattered to know his mother was proud of him. “I never knew it. You never told me.”
“Then you have a right to be angry with me. I never doubted your ability to run your business. I wanted you to think big…bigger. My mother used to say, ‘If you think big, you’ll be big.’ It’s because I know how smart you are that I wanted more for you, but I see I didn’t go about it in the right way. Plus”—she sniffled even as she gave him a watery smile—“I really liked Blake when I met him and wanted him to know you were a good catch. I thought if you worked together, maybe you’d fall in love. Anyone could see you two were perfect for each other.”
How the hell was he supposed to respond to that? He should’ve known her matchmaking antenna was at work. Jeremy gave her a moment to fumble in her purse for another tissue, and when he glanced over at the table, Blake’s eyes danced with amusement while Noah, the traitor, had buried his face in Oren’s shoulder, his body shaking with laughter.
“You’re impossible. What am I supposed to say?”
“Say that you’re happy. And that you forgive me. I know you and Noah are in a good place and are the best of friends. It’s all I ever wanted for my children. You know when I’m gone, all you’ll have is each other.”
“Ma,” Jeremy said, rolling his eyes. “You’re not going anywhere, if only so you can torture us like this for a long time to come.” He sobered and waved Blake over to sit next to him, waiting until he’d settled in before speaking again. “It’s all good. Everything’s finally falling into place. The business is doing great, and Blake and I are happy.”
“Happy enough to get married? I wouldn’t mind some more grandchildren. Rochelle lives so far away, it’s hard to spoil Rosie and Ethan.” Her hopeful eyes didn’t work on him.
“Let Blake and I have some time together. I promise, if it happens, you’ll be the first to know.”
