I can do this,I told myself, a silent pep talk running through my mind.
Gathering my resolve, I smiled faintly at the screen. “Thanks for taking the time to chat. I’ve got some news I wanted to share... and it might surprise you.”
“Oh boy,” Jacob said.
He stopped typing to give me his full attention. He lifted his eyebrows as he leaned closer to the screen.
“You’re coming back home?” Mom asked sharply.
I shook my head, a small, nervous smile tugging at my lips. “Not exactly,” I said, then gestured toward Austin.
He stepped into the frame, his broad shoulders filling the view as he gave an awkward wave.
“Hi,” he said.
Jacob’s eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. He blinked, clearly processing what he was seeing. He knew I’d been dating from what I told him last week, but this was something else entirely.
Mom’s expression remained carefully neutral, but she pursed her lips slightly as she darted her eyes between us.
Clearing my throat, I forced myself to speak. “Mom, Jacob... this is Austin Hart.” I paused for just a second before adding, “My husband.”
Jacob let out a loud laugh, shaking his head as he leaned back in his chair. “Wow, Char, you’ve really outdone yourself this time.”
Mom, on the other hand, didn’t laugh. She pressed her lips into a thin, tight line, narrowing her eyes as she processed the bombshell I’d just dropped. “You’re joking. You have to be.”
“No, I’m not.”
Austin shifted beside me, opening his mouth to say something, but I quickly placed my hand on his thigh out of view of the camera. He caught the message, nodding as he gave me a soft smile.
“When you know, you know.”
Austin picked up on the cue and added, “Yeah, I knew right away that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.”
Jacob glanced between us, his brows raised. “Wait a second. I thought you just started dating?”
Austin didn’t miss a beat. “We’ve actually known each other for a while.” He lied smoothly. “We kept things low-key until we were sure.”
“That’s why I didn’t say anything until last week.”
“This is absurd,” my mom snapped, her composure finally cracking. “Charlotte, we are getting you home right now. I’m booking a flight as we speak.”
“Mom, you’re not booking anything. I’m an adult, and this is my life.”
She had always been like this—dramatic, controlling, and ready to take charge of any situation that didn’t fit her carefully curated plan. To be fair, this was a pretty dramatic reveal, but it wasn’t new territory for her to treat me like a child who was incapable of making my own decisions. Every major moment in my life had been met with her over-the-top reactions, as if I couldn’t possibly navigate adulthood without her interference.
And here we were again.
Jacob, to his credit, sighed heavily, cutting through the tension. “Mom, maybe we should wait and hear Charlie out before we start making flight plans.”
Mom shot him a look. “Hear her out? She just told us she got married out of nowhere, Jacob.”
“Yes, and it’s her life. Let her explain. Jumping straight to crisis mode isn’t helping.”
I shot Jacob a grateful glance, relieved to have at least one person trying to keep the peace.
Austin leaned forward slightly. “I know this is a lot, but I want you to know I’m happily in love with your daughter. I knew it from the moment we met.” He paused, his gaze steady on the screen. “And I get it—you’re probably wondering who I am.” He cleared his throat, his tone easy and confident. “I coach hockey for a kids’ camp here. I used to play in the NHL. Born and raised in Michigan, moved out here to play professionally. I spent abrief stint in California before coming back, and that’s when I met Charlie.”
The room went quiet. Mom’s face remained tight lipped, and even Jacob seemed uncharacteristically still.
