I lifted a curious brow as she pulled herself on top of me, placing a leg on either side of me. My eyes roved up and down her body, growing hard again. She was the best business partner ever.
Chapter 51
Gabriella
“So, when do I get to meet the guy?” asked my mother, clutching her cup of coffee as she looked at me coyly.
I was surprised by how perfectly calm she was at the news of my pregnancy by a man she had never met. As soon as she got back into town after helping my grandmother for what felt like forever, I insisted on getting coffee. It had been months of keeping the pregnancy and everything with Chandler out of our phone calls. I figured it was best to tell her everything in person.
I just didn’t realize how long she would be gone. Not only did she help my grandmother settle in at the nursing home, but she went through her childhood home to see what she should keep and what she should sell before ultimately listing the house itself. Iknew it had been a lot on her, which was why I didn’t want to add to the stress.
“You’re being way cooler about this than I thought you would be…” I said, raising a brow before bringing my mug of tea to my lips, breathing in the herby aroma. I wondered if my father had tipped her off, even though he swore to me he hadn’t. I wasn’t able to tell him about my pregnancy before someone beat me to it, so I wanted that moment with my mother.
“Oh, honey.” She waved me off as she leaned back in her chair and looked at me with a knowing smile. “Life is unexpected. It throws curveballs you never see coming, no matter how much you think you’re prepared or careful.”
I nodded, sipping my tea and thinking about just how right she was. I had thought I had my life planned to a tee, but the last couple of months reminded me that I was in control of very little. It was scary, but at some point I realized I just had to trust what life was throwing at me.
“You were a surprise, you know…” said my mother, her fingers drumming around her coffee mug.
“Really?” I asked, eyes widening. She had never told me about how I came to exist, and I had never asked, wanting to spare myself the visuals of my mother and father doing the deed.
“Mhmm. Your father and I had been together for only a few months before I had a positive pregnancy test on my hands.”
“Were you scared?” I asked.
“Terrified.”
“What did you do?”
“I freaked out at first, convinced we weren’t ready for a baby. We weren’t young by any means, but our relationship was young. I wasn’t sure how your father was going to take it. Would he run? Would he feel obligated to stay? We hadn’t even said I love you by that point.”
I shook my head, wondering how I had never known about this and why my father hadn’t told me this when I was going through it myself. I supposed he was too mad at me at the time to think straight.
“How did he take it?”
“He was as scared as I was. Harold Enterprises was already an established business, continuing its skyrocket to the top. Your father didn’t have as much as help then as he does now. A baby would change everything…” Her voice drifted slightly, as if she were lost in the memories. After a moment, she looked at me. “Your father was determined to make it work, though. He gave me the reassurance I needed to become a mother. And really, there was no looking back when we had our first doctor’s appointment.”
“That heartbeat gets you, doesn’t it?” I asked, laughing softly.
“You had us hooked around your finger before we even knew you,” she said knowingly, taking another sip of coffee.
“I wonder why dad didn’t tell me any of this…”
“I think he thought it was my story to tell.”
“I’m glad I got to hear it from you.” I smiled softly at her.
“I’m thrilled for you, Gabriella. It might not be traditional or what you expected, but you have a beautiful blessing and a man who sounds like he loves you.”
“He does,” I said, blinking back tears as I thought about Chandler. “He really does.”
“I’m glad you two figured out your differences to see what was right in front of you, despite it probably almost giving your father a heart attack. Did he go ballistic?”
“I’ve never seen someone’s face turn that red.” I thought back to that day at my apartment when he confronted me.
My mother tilted her head back and laughed. It was music to my ears. I really had missed her these past few months.
“It’s only because he loves you,” she said, looking back at me. “You’ll understand when you have your daughter or son. Do you know?”
