“I am going to hold you to this. Next week.”
“What are you going to do with the tree?” he asks as we pull into his mom’s driveway.
Icicle lights hang from the front porch. Large inflatables fill the yard. A giant snowman. Santa. A Christmas tree. There are even reindeer on the roof.
“I can take it to work,” I say, hopping out of the truck.
“Of course you will.”
Walking up the sidewalk, my nerves grow.
Damn it.I thought I wouldn’t be as worried about this. I mean, it’s fake. I shouldn’t stress about this. But stressing about things is my baseline. I’m not immune to it.
“Hey.” Hunter stops me, grabbing my elbow and giving it a squeeze. “It’ll be okay.”
The reassuring smile he gives me does funny things to my insides. That doesn’t make things easier for me not to worry about this. Now I’m thinking about why my stomach is swooping and swirling at my best friend’s smile.
“I know,” I say.
My smile wavers, but I take a deep breath as Hunter opens the front door and I follow him inside.
“Mom. We’re here.”
Sweeping into the living room, his mom is wearing an oversized ugly Christmas sweater covered in snowmen with carrots sticking out from the front. Her grayish-brown hair falls in wavy curls around her shoulders. Her smile lights up her face.
Hunter is the spitting image of her.
“There is my baby boy.” She pecks him on the cheek. “And…Ollie?”
“Mom.” Hunter rests a hand on my lower back. “You know Ollie, but let me introduce you to him as my boyfriend.”
“This is for you, Mrs. Wells.” I shove the poinsettia at her in a rush of nerves.
“You’re dating Ollie? When did this happen?” She looks from Hunter to me. “And how many times have I told you to call me Karen?”
“I-i-it’s new,” I stutter.
“I’ve told you this. It’s why we weren’t telling people, Mom,” he reiterates.
“I’m not people, Hunter. I’m your mother.”
She shakes her head as she heads back into the kitchen.
“Are you doing okay?” Hunter asks as he helps me out of my coat.
“Good. Fine. Great. Good.”
He smiles down at me. “One too many goods, Ol.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. C’mon, I’ll get you a drink and that’ll help.”
“Not too many though.” I point at him, following him into the kitchen.
“Are you going to tell me how this happened?” Karen asks as we push open the door into the kitchen.
“I got sick one time and Hunter brought me soup to make me feel better.” I spit it out a little too fast. But my nerves are still getting the best of me.
