I numbly pull it open, and Mom throws her hands up in greeting. “My Theo!” she cries, wrapping her arms around me and depositing a kiss to my cheek. She pulls back and, seemingly taking in my disheveled appearance, adds, “Oh, honey, did I wake you?”
I shake my head. “No, I was …”About to kiss Cora.
Jesus, the first five minutes of this day have been a rollercoaster.
“It is past ten in the morning, sweetheart,” she chuckles. “So I suppose the wakeup is warranted.” She pats my cheek before passing me and entering the foyer. “I thought you had a friend over or something—there’s a new car in your driveaway.”
I freeze. Cora’s SUV.
“Yeah, that’s um … uh …”
Just then Cora appears at the top of the stairs—thankfully having put sweatpants on—her hair pulled back in a messy bun. She looks much more put together than I do.
Mom’s gaze flits up to her, then back to me, her eyes wide. “Oh,” she squeaks. “You have …a girlhere.” She looks a bit mortified now, probably wishing she had called first.
“Yeah, Mom, this is Cora,” I say as Cora descends the stairs with a timid smile.
Mom’s eyes widen even more at this. “TheCora?”
“Mom,” I hiss. I certainly haven’t spoken about Corathatmuch to her. It’s not like she knows I’m in love with her. Right?
“Oh my gosh, I’ve heard so much about you,” Mom gushes, rushing forward to pull a somewhat bewildered Cora into a hug. Cora searches my eyes over my mom’s shoulder, trying to figure out what to do, but I’m at just as much of a loss.
“Are you two finally—” Mom starts.
“Dating,” I interrupt, catching Cora’s gaze briefly with a pointed look. “Yes. We’re dating now.” Although I don’t love the insinuation that Cora and I wouldfinallybe doing anything. Yes, I’ve spoken to my mom about Cora before—but not in a romantic way.
Cora nods quickly as she exits the hug. “Yes, it’s very new,” she says with a smile. Thankfully, neither of us are wearing our rings. Honestly, we don’t wear them all that much—with ranch work not exactly the safest place for fine jewelry.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Mom asks me with a playful swat to the arm.
“It—just happened fast,” I stammer. “And we didn’t want to say anything until it felt official.”
Mom nods, beaming, all previous grievance superseded by the fact that her baby boy finally has a girlfriend. “Oh, I am so happy for you two.” She clasps her hands together. “But I’m so sorry for barging in! I should have called. Theo doesn’t normally have company, so I—”
“Oh, please don’t feel bad,” Cora says quickly, ushering her down the hallway and toward the kitchen and living space. “We didn’t have plans for the day anyway.”
Mom smiles wider as the two of them walk off, while I battle a thousand different emotions in the foyer. Anxiety, heartache, and just a twinge of something warm and fuzzy at the way Cora so quickly welcomed Mom into the house. From the sound of my espresso maker in the kitchen, it sounds like she’s even started making her coffee.
I numbly follow after them to find the two of them giggling about something while Cora pours a cup of coffee and hands it to my mom. “Theo, you want one too?” she asks.
I nod, clearing my throat. “Yeah, thanks.”
She smiles and turns back to the machine.
And suddenly my mind is doing that stupid fucking thing again—where it imagines what life with Cora would really be like. Her making coffee in the kitchen while she bonds with my mom, how much my dad would like her, how he’d treat her just like his own daughter, how cute our kids would look running around this massive house.
I need to stop fucking thinking about this or I’m going to suffocate. Right here in this kitchen, in front of the two women I love most in the world.
Just then I realize both of those aforementioned women are looking at me. I blink.
“Milk?” Cora asks, seemingly having repeated it.
“Oh, uh, yeah, milk please,” I say quickly.
She smiles and adds some before holding out the mug for me. I cross the kitchen and take it with a smile, offering a small thanks before taking a sip. Cora makes herself a cup while Mom simply watches us with what can only be described as glee.
Ugh. The news of our breakup might be just as bad as the news of our divorce. I don’t know if I’m really saving her from much heartache here.
