“Really?”
“Yes really. I’d like you to meet him first if you don’t mind…since you would have had that honor if…” I trailed off, but before I could beat myself up about it, Mom’s hand was covering mine, and she gave me an encouraging squeeze.
“I’m honored. I can’t wait to meet my grandson.”
With a twist of my wrist, the Jeep’s engine fired up. I checked my mirrors and pulled out of the space, driving toward Mahone Bay.
“Oh! I’ve been here a few times with Gramps before.” Mom exclaimed when I pulled into the parking lot of The Codfather. “It’s so strange to think, that all these years…they’ve been so close to us. I could have passed them a hundred times.”
I glanced over at her, pocketing my keys. She looked a little nervous, and a whole lot excited, as she reached to release her seat belt.
“Ready?” I asked.
“Yes. No.” My mother laughed, her eyes misting as she pressed her palms to her cheeks. “I can’t figure out what to go by. Nana? Granny? Nan…I know it’s silly, and I haven’t even met him yet. But what if he asks straight away, and I don’t have an answer?”
“Nana,” I said after a moment’s reflection. “Now let’s go, Nana. They’re inside waiting.”
She smiled then, her nervousness slipping away as she took a steadying breath before opening her door and stepping out. I followed suit, locking the Jeep with the key fob as we walked towards the restaurant’s entrance.
I opened the door and held it for her to slip through ahead of me, and when we reached the hostess stand, a woman in her early forties greeted us with a smile.
“Good afternoon. I’m Pricilla, and I’ll take you to your table.” She said with a welcoming, friendly smile. “Right this way.” She headed toward the back of the restaurant, where Harper and Asher were waiting at a table that overlooked the bay.
My mother stopped walking when her eyes landed on Asher. Her hand came up to cover her mouth. They hadn’t noticed our arrival yet, and we weren’t near enough to draw their attention. “He looks just like you.” She gasped, looking at me with astonishment.
“Those Jacobs genes.” I joked, and all she could do is nod in agreement. Placing my palm on her back, we continued forward.
Harper looked up, her brown eyes finding me first. Her rosy lips parted, the corners curling into a soft smile. She stood from her chair when we neared, and Asher watched her before copying.
I wanted to take her in my arms, kiss her in greeting and let the whole goddamn world see that she was mine, and I was hers. Instead, I forced myself to keep a respectable distance, knowing she was nervous enough about seeing my mother for the first time since…well, a lot of things.
But my mother—the sweet, loving woman that she was—practically shoved me aside to embrace Harper in one of her signature hugs. Her embrace made Harper visibly relax, her arms raising to wrap around my mom, returning her hug.
“It’s good to see you again, Mrs. Jacobs.”
“I told you years ago, it’s Maeve to you.” My mother scolded her with a smile, finally releasing her to look at her. “Gosh, you look radiant. Doesn’t she, Calum?”
“She does,” I confirmed, eyes flickering to Harper’s while the corner of my lips twitched up in a smile. I stepped forward, my hand landing on the small of her back, and pressed a kiss her to her temple.
That was all I allowed myself; that chaste kiss on her forehead—before my arm dropped and I walked around her, to our son. Lifting my chin, I held out my arms for him to step into—if he wanted.
He grinned, throwing his arms around me in a tight hug before peering around me. I moved to stand beside him, looking over to my mom. Her emerald eyes landed on Asher, who smiled shyly.
“Asher, this is my mom. Your nana.” I introduced him with a proud smile, my gaze bouncing from my mom to Asher.
“Hello there, Asher. It’s nice to meet you.” She said, her voice full of warmth, her eyes bright and shining with emotion.
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” He replied, politely reaching out to shake her hand. She smiled, clearly impressed with his manners.
“So, who’s hungry?” I proclaimed, realizing that we had acquired the interested gaze of the nearby patrons, all of whom looked away once I’d made eye contact.
“I could eat,” Asher shrugged, sitting down in the chair he’d vacated earlier.
Harper sat back down beside him, and my mom sat in the chair to her right, across from Asher. I tugged out the remaining chair, dropping down into it and sending a wink to my right.
“How was the spelling test?” I asked, and he brightened.
“I aced it. Even the extra credit ones.”
