“They did?” He scratches his head.
“Pierre punched you and knocked you out. Jo tried to knock Pierre out for it.” Emmett’s eyes widen at my sister’s words. “Everything is sorted.”
“He’s okay with us now?”
“Not exactly,” I tell him. “Come, let’s get you up off the ground and onto something more comfortable. How’s your arm?”
“Sore. Same with my eye.”
“I’ll get some ice,” Collette says as I notice the bruise coming up nicely around his eye.
This is a disaster.
A couple of hours later, there's another knock on the door. I freeze. "If that’s Pierre looking for round two, I’ll kill him.”
"I'll get it," Collette says.
She opens the door. “Mom.” She gasps.
I turn around and see standing behind her are Pierre and Felix, both looking like scolded children with Issy and Harper behind them.
“Mom?” I stand up. "What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here?" She sweeps into the apartment, her eyes landing on Emmett and the black eye.
"Mon Dieu, look at you." She looks heartbroken as she rushes in, with the others following her.
"I'm fine, Mrs. St. Pierre …" Emmett starts to say as he lies on the couch.
"You are not fine. My son punched you." She looks at Pierre. "You punched him? While his arm was in a sling?” She shakes her head.
“Mom …” he tries to argue.
"Sit. All of you. Now." She points at the couch. We all remember that tone, she is not happy. Pierre and Felix exchange glances, but they sit.
She looks at me, her expression softens. "You, too, ma chérie. Sit." I sit beside Emmett and link our fingers together. Mom notices, her eyes flicker to our joined hands, but she says nothing. "Now." She stands before all of us like a general addressing troops. "We are going to have a conversation. A civil one, without punching." She glares at Pierre.
"I was defending our sister’s honor.”
“This isn’t the eighteen hundreds,” Issy tsks.
"I do not care what he was doing. You do not punch people unless it’s on the ice. I taught you that. Especially not people with injuries. What were you thinking?"
"I wasn't." Pierre explains.
"Clearly." She turns to me. "And you. You have been seeing Emmett? For how long?"
"A few months."
"Why did you not tell me?" she asks.
“I don’t know. I thought that maybe you would take the boys’ side.”
She shakes her head. “I love you. I would have supported you.”
Tears well in my eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize, I just wish you had come to me.”
