“Come in,” Mom said.
Edging around the door, I found her with her arms crossed and lips pursed studying Zayden’s bed. I came up to stand beside her and gave her a half hug.
“We did change the sheets last night. Do you not remember, since you were being a lush?”
“What about just now?” she asked with a wicked grin.
Turning away from her, I stuffed my hands into my pockets, then made myself face her again. “Does it make you happy to learn we didn’t have a chance to create any… issues?”
Mom laughed and waved her hands at me. “No, that’s just sad!”
We stood in silence for an eternity. Her lips twitched and she stared at me, and I felt proud of myself for being able to keep my head high. “Aren’t you going to ask about… what you saw?”
Mom stifled a giggle with the back of her hand, and when she was done, she let out a long, amused sigh that grated on my nerves. “Honey, I teach art. I’ve seen the human form in all its beauty a thousand times. I used to go to any art exhibition within a two-hundred-mile drive. Your father and I used to have so much fun.” The warm smile that settled on her lips had me internally cheering for Dad. She couldn’t look like that and kick his ass to the curb. “We have nude models in my figure-drawing class. Plus, I teach college kids. All those young people are walking hormones.” She smirked. “Not unlike yourself.”
“Please don’t elaborate onanyof that,” I said, fighting down a nervous laugh.
She eyed up the door as if she thought Zayden might be hiding on the other side of it, then stepped closer. “Did you two really just start dating?”
Her intent look was too much for me, and I turned to Z’s dresser to go on the hunt for those clothes I’d threatened him with. I found cute little white shorts I didn’t think I’d ever seen on him in the bottom drawer, and there was a stack of tank tops beside the pile of shorts, so I sorted through until I had a soft black cotton one with a rainbow on the front. I made sure to grab socks for him, and even picked up a leather cuff bracelet from the top of the dresser that he sometimes liked to wear when we weren’t at work.
“Fern?”
“Yeah, Mom, this is a recent development. I had a bit of an identity crisis about it, too, if you care, but… I don’t know. It’s Zayden.” I shrugged. “I’m mostly worried I’ll hurt him, but I already know everything important.”
“That you love him, you mean?” she asked.
I froze, then nodded once.
She made a sound of encouragement, as if she wanted me to keep talking.
What else could I say about that?
She came up behind me and hugged me, letting out a little shriek that made me jump. “That’s so fantastic! How are things going?”
“Amazing.” I smiled and glanced back at her. “But don’t pry. Keep calm. Don’t make this weird for him. I’mbeggingyou.” She let go of me and flitted over to where she’d set down the bag of books on the floor. I was already shaking my head when she came toward me with the brand-new copy of theKama Sutra. It was a hardback book with curly gold script on the front, a red leather cover, and gilded page edges. She thrust the book at me and I had no choice except to take it.
“You’re not reading this because you’re trading in Dad, are you?” I asked, my face heating until it was uncomfortable.
“No.” She grabbed the skirt of her dress and swished it back dramatically. “I’m planning to teach an old dog new tricks.”
Flinching, I clutched the book and clothes to my chest. “Good talk. That’s my cue to leave.”
Her laughter became more of a cackle as I practically flew from the room. Z had the baby belly off and was hunched on the bed in his cute underwear with his phone in his hand when I came in and tossed my haul of goods from the other room down behind him. I plopped at his side and pulled him into my arms until I had him dragged onto my lap with my hands resting on his middle. He was so slim. I loved holding him this way. He let out a happy little hum.
“Promise me you won’t engage my mother on the topic of theKama Sutra. Ever.”
He leaned his shoulder against my chest, a smile playing around his lips. “Why? I’ve read it,” he said absently, and I leaned back from him to get a better look at his face. “The Gay Kama Sutrais more fun. The real one doesn’t actually do any positions for two men.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I was curious. I’m ready to be your bad boy, Daddy.” He cuddled against me, but his smile slipped away as his phone vibrated, and there was a pinched little furrow between his brows now, too.
“Are you okay? Are you upset because Mom knows?”
“What?” He wrinkled his nose at me. “No. Half the people who know us already thought we were dating.” He turned the phone screen toward me.
Olivia:We’re dying here. There is so much work. More work than five people could do. Please, please, please, please, please come help us. I’ll buy you dinner. I’ll give you the good half of my liver and my best kidney. I’d offer my firstborn, but she punches and swears.
