I stare at my phone for a moment and don’t bother to hide the smile on my face, until I feel a hand on my back.
“Who is she?” My dad’s voice is rough, but not in a bad way. More in the way that he’s probably smoked too many cigars tonight and had a few too many glasses of scotch. Lying to my parents about Abby isn’t something I think I’m prepared to do, especially when I plan on actually introducing her to them as my girlfriend and the woman I plan to spend forever with one day.
“Someone I’ve met.” Keeping it honest, but vague will have to do for now. My mother, God love her, is a gossip and I know if I tell my dad, he’ll say something to her and somehow the whole city will know before I even get home from this evening. My dad doesn’t press the subject, he simply nods his head before walking back into the house.
After a few more empty conversations, I say goodnight to my parents. Chase invited me and Nate over for brunch tomorrow, and I’m not passing up the opportunity to see Abby.
When Ford said his parents were having a big party for Christmas Eve, it instantly reminded me of Andrew’s parents and the big over the top parties they would throw. Although, unlike Andrew, Ford hated the idea of making pointless small talk with a bunch of strangers, whereas Andrew thrived off of it. It’s one thing to just be polite, but Andrew was so fake with everyone at those things. It used to drive me nuts.
“Merry Christmas, honey.” Mom taps on my bedroom door, edging it open slightly. Summer and I passed out so early last night, probably from all the margaritas we decided to make.
“Hi, mom. Merry Christmas!” I push the comforter off of my legs and turn to see Summer still passed out to my right. Quietly, I get up and meet my mom in the kitchen. The house is quiet and it looks like the sun just came up. Mom and I grab cups of coffee and head outside to sit on the balcony. My mom pulls a blanket over her legs and brings the coffee up to her lips, softly blowing on it as steam drifts off the top.
“We have about an hour before we should start getting brunch together. Summer will be up by then won’t she?” Mom laughs as she takes a sip and I nod my head.
“Yeah, I’ll give her thirty more minutes before I jump on the bed.”
We both laugh and then settle in silence for a few moments, just taking in the sun and the way it sparkles on the water. Any time I’m out here now I picture the first night Ford and I met. It’s like a moment that’s engraved in my mind, something I never want to forget considering all of the wonderful memories he’s given me since then.
“What’s that look?” My mom is staring at me with her eyebrows raised.
“What look?” I try to play dumb, but I’ve never been able to pull a fast one on my mom. She’s like Summer, she knows me too well, which is both a blessing and a curse.
“Hm. You’re happy,” Mom says quietly with a smirk, directing her attention back to the water. “I see it. You’re happy again.” My eyes begin to sting with tears, but I don’t let them bubble over. Not yet.
“It’s all I ever wanted for you. For both of you. To be able to look at you one day and just see my kids happy again.” She swipes a tear from her face and that releases one of my own. I blink my eyes quickly and wipe my cheek.
“I’m happy,” I say, my throat feeling thick like there’s something stuck in it. She grabs my hand and squeezes, giving me a reassuring look that only a mom can.
“Merry Christmas! Should we add some Baileys to our coffees?” Summer comes barreling through the sliding glass door holding a coffee cup and a bottle of Baileys.
“And that’s my cue to start cooking!” Mom gets up and kisses me on the cheek and hugs Summer before she walks in.
“No Baileys for me,” I say, holding up my hand.
Summer pours some in her coffee and turns around to walk back inside. “Go get dressed. Your man’s coming over for brunch. Maybe you’ll be his first course.” I throw a pillow from the chair in her direction, but she dodges it and closes the door as it hits the corner.
That doesn’t sound half bad, come to think of it.
The smell of French toast, pancakes and bacon waft through the apartment as I make my way inside. Mom’s been busy in the last thirty minutes. I start cutting up some of the fruits for the French toast casserole and Summer is mixing eggs in a bowl next to me.
“Smells good in here!” Chase says as he finally emerges from his room.
“You know, once you have a baby, your days of sleeping in like this are long gone.” Summer has mentioned his upcoming role as ‘dad’ every chance she’s gotten since she’s been here.
Chase rolls his eyes at her and kisses mom and I both on the cheek before pinching Summer on the back of her arm.
“Ouch!” she squeals like it’s the first time he’s done that and she wasn’t expecting it, but he’d do it to us as kids all the time. He just stopped with me and not her.
Once mom officially says she doesn’t need our help anymore, Summer and I make our way into my room to get ready. I reach in my closet and grab an emerald green off-the-shoulder top, holding it up for Summer to take a look.
“Thoughts?”
She twists her head, looking at the shirt and back at me.
“What about…” She walks past me and grabs a black long sleeve bodysuit from my closet. I’ve never worn it because the neckline goes a little deeper than I’d normally like. “This. Wear this.”
My eyes go wide at her. “It’s brunch, Summer. I’m not going to a club. It feels like too much for a brunch.”
