“Ihavethought about it.”
“For twenty-four whole hours,” I interrupted.
He nodded. “Yes, this whole thing has been quick. I get that. But I’m not like most guys, Jess. I don’t bond easily. So, when I find someone like you—or like Debbie—I don’t take those connections lightly. You know, after the wholeNext in Linefiasco, my dad accused me of not being a finisher. He said I walked away from things right when I got to the good part. I don’t want to be that guy. I don’t want to pull out of life anymore. Especially not now when I have a buzzy band. A record deal. The girl of my dreams. A barista to die for. And a cool little dude who eats science. Noah… he’s not a burden, Jess. He’s a bonus.”
I reached for my purse.
I was all in.
25
Jess: Grape Soda
At my insistence, Quinn prepared his clan for my arrival. Nothing could be worse than bringing a newbie girlfriend unannounced to an intimate family gathering, except maybe bringing a newbie girlfriend unannounced to an intimate family gathering—with a child in tow. And not just any child, but the shed-jumping, celebrity-pimping Noah Ledger.
We stopped in front of the glass doors to the waiting room, and I bent down to address my son. “Listen up,” I said, tilting Noah’s head toward me to get his attention. Bringing him to the hospital with us wasn’t really a choice, nor was leaving him at his after-school program after seven p.m. Knowing that babies were notoriously late to the party, we stopped at his school and pulled him out of his last hour of instruction before heading here.
“I don’t think I have to tell you not to touch anything, not to talk too loud, not to curse, not to climb, not to steal, not to wipe boogers on the chairs…” I paused. Had I covered every scenario? I thought back to everything my son had done over the years to embarrass me. Nope. There were more. “Not to strip naked. Not to pee on a tree. Not to…”
“There aren’t any trees in a hospital, Mom.”
“The point is I don’t want you peeing on anything or anyone.”
“I only peed on Reid that one time and that was only because he got in my way.”
“Noah! Zip it. I’m serious. Any funny business and you can’t play with Quinn for a week.”
“Nice, Jess,” Quinn interjected. “Use me as a punishment.”
“I’ll stoop to any level I have to in order to keep his finger out of his nose in front of your family.”
“You’re worrying too much. Once he meets my dad, all these rules are meaningless anyway.”
“What does that mean?”
“Oh, you’ll see,” Quinn said as he opened the waiting room door for the three of us to pass through. My legs wobbled, and I had a sudden urge to hide behind him. But of course, Quinn wouldn’t allow it, thinking his family was just ‘going to love’ me. Yeah. Right. My step faltered. He grabbed my hand, dragging me along like a cartoon cat that didn’t want to go.
His mother was the first to her feet as she crossed the waiting room to greet us. Her eyes, studying me, were the first thing I saw. So blue. So expressive. Those eyes had lived, and it was immediately clear, they did not trust easily. But like a trooper, she fixed a smile on her face and welcomed me. I took this woman in, nothing about her style vibing with the uppity image of her in the press. Michelle was not your averageThe Real Housewives of Beverly Hillswoman. There was no Botox. No plumped lips. No trendy hairstyle. She was fit but not overly so, and dressed as she was now, in a baggy sweatshirt and leggings, Michelle could be any middle-aged mom in the world, even though she just so happened to have given birth to a superstar as well as the guy to my left, an icon in the making and my newly minted boyfriend.
“Jess. Hello. I’m Michelle. So happy to finally meet you,” she said, shaking my hand before her eyes dropped down to the cute shaggy-haired creature beside me. “And you must be Noah. I’m Quinn’s mom.”
Noah glanced up at Quinn, then at me, pointing up with his thumb. “That’s my mom.”
“I know,” she said, acknowledging me with a smile.
Whew! That wasn’t so bad. Thank god for proactive thinking. Reporting the news of my motherhood to the clan before I arrived gave them time to prepare, as well as for me and Noah to avoid any awkward reactions.
Quinn hugged his mother. “Any baby news yet?”
“Nothing yet, but I don’t think it will be too long because apparently Sam has been in labor all day. She woke up with contractions, and Keith was noting the time between them.”
Quinn flinched.
Michelle instantly picked up on his reaction. “Exactly.”
“How off were his numbers?”
“Off enough that the doctor, using Keith’s calculations, told them Sam wasn’t in labor and not to come to the hospital. So instead, they both went to work at the surf shop, where her water broke right in the middle of the bikini section. By the time they got to the hospital, Sam was fully dilated.”
