Wes’s mother greeted us at the door when we arrived at her house a little after nine PM that night.
He let out a nervous breath. “Mom, this is Juliette.”
She looked me up and down and smiled. “Juliette, very nice to meet you. I’m Joanna.” After she reached out to hug me, her eyes lingered on me for a bit.
“Stop staring, Ma.” Wes laughed. “That’s creepy.”
Joanna shook her head. “I’m sorry. I just never thought I’d see the day you brought someone home, let alone someone as absolutely gorgeous as this raven-haired beauty.”
Wes’s face turned red. “Ma…”
“Thank you so much. You’re very kind,” I said. “It’s so wonderful to meet Wes’s family.”
The house was cozy and warm. She had jarred candles lit on the mantel and the coffee table. It smelled like something made with cinnamon was baking.
Family photos covered the walls. There was one of Wes that must’ve been taken when he was about thirteen. His cheeks were a bit chubby, and he hadn’t developed the beautiful angles of his manly face yet. I smiled as I took it all in. I also noticed photos of another boy, who must have been his brother. He looked a lot like Wes. That made me so very sad.
There was a tan sectional with colorful pillows and a big ceiling fan in the center of the living room, which opened to the small kitchen. A hallway led to what looked like a couple of bedrooms.
“I made your favorite cinnamon rolls, Wes,” she said. “You guys must be hungry. But it’s also late, so I wasn’t sure if you’d already eaten. I can also heat up the lasagna I made earlier…”
Wes looked over at me. “You hungry?”
“Not too much.”
He rubbed his stomach. “Maybe I’ll just have a cinnamon roll before bed.” He smiled at me. “You need to try one, Juliette.”
I nodded in agreement. “They smell delicious.”
As we sat in the kitchen, Joanna served us cinnamon rolls. She placed a tall glass of milk in front of Wes without even asking what he wanted, which I thought was adorable. I opted for water, since it was too late for anything else.
Joanna leaned her elbows against the table. “What do you eat for breakfast, Juliette? I want to be prepared in the morning.”
“Oh, I’m pretty easy. Anything is fine.”
She crossed her arms. “I know California girls like fruity-nutty stuff.”
Wes’s eyes widened as he chuckled. “You’re fruity-nutty, Ma.”
Joanna laughed. “You know what I mean. People from California tend to be health conscious.” She snapped her fingers. “What do they drink over there? Wheatgrass shots? Tried that once and almost heaved. Burped up grass for three days.” She yawned. “I don’t have much in the house because I was planning on shopping tomorrow. But I do have eggs and bacon. And coffee, of course. We drink lots of coffee around here.”
“My kind of place.” I grinned. “And all of that sounds perfect.”
I hadn’t had a chance yet to explain that I was a New York girl and not a “fruity-nutty” chick from California. I did like clean eating, but I could enjoy greasy food with the best of them.
Joanna grinned. “I know it’s late, so feel free to ditch me and head to bed. We can get to know each other more over breakfast and coffee in the morning.” She turned to Wes. “How was Grandma tonight?”
His smile faded. “As sick as I imagined, but she said a few words and knew I was there. That was probably the best I could hope for.”
“It’s been hard.” She shook her head slowly. “Your grandmother loves you so much. I’m so happy you made it back.”
Wes reached for my hand in a way that seemed genuine. “Well, you can thank Juliette. She was the one who encouraged me to hop on the plane as fast as we did.”
“Really?” Joanna turned to me. “Well, you’re a sweetheart for that. Wes is lucky to have you.”
A warm feeling came over me. “I’m the lucky one. Your son is the most protective and kind man I’ve ever met. I know the circumstances aren’t ideal, but it’s truly an honor to get to see where he came from.”
Our relationship may have been a lie, but there was nothing disingenuous about that statement. Both his mom and grandmother had made me feel special in the brief time I’d known them. It was hard not to wish this experience was genuine. I felt safe here. And I felt the love his family had for each other. It created a deep longing inside of me for the same.
