Page 63 of Beauty Of Her

“Let’s get through the rest of this meal and then go home. What do you say?” He cupped my face, brushing his soft lips against mine.

“I want to go home. Now.”

“Okay, fair enough.” Brett nodded. “Let’s at least say goodbye.”

“Fine. And you’re not staying over tonight.” I pointed a finger an inch from his eye.

“Why not?” Brett squeezed my hand.

“Are you serious right now?”

“Okay, okay.” He backed off quickly but never let go of my fingers.

“Oh, wait. Let me put my face back on.” I stopped abruptly and pivoted toward the bathroom when Brett stopped me.

“You don’t need any makeup.” Brett’s hulking body blocked me from moving. “You look beautiful.”

“How could you bring up Libby like that?” I shouted at my mom in the back office. Twenty-four hours after the gala dinner, my blood boiled even harder at the sight of Mom. She betrayed me in every way possible the other night when it came time to meet Julia, and she could play the innocent card all she wanted. My mom knew exactly what she was doing. She didn’t operate by chance. Always had to be in control. Always had to appear like everything was perfect. Well, her only son, me, was far from perfect and absolutely in love with a woman whom my mom didn’t love.

Well, tough shit for Mom. I was going to keep Julia at all costs.

“I didn’t do anything wrong, Brett. You were in the wrong. You left out a very pertinent detail of your past.” Mom held up a knowing finger. And if she wasn’t my parent, I’d snap that digit right off.

“You had no right saying anything about Libby. Even if I had told Julia beforehand, you still don’t bring up serious past relationships when I’m trying to introduce my current girlfriend to my family. Oh, and don’t worry. Your message was received with how you feel about Julia.”

“Honey, I’m sorry, but I come from a place where I view meaningful relationships as inherently complicated. There are too many things working against you here with this woman.”

“I love this woman.” I leaned on the desk as Mom leaned back in her swivel chair.

What ensued next was a strange staring contest, and I won. Mom blinked, shaking off the defeat. “Your feelings are valid. That’s not what I’m challenging.”

“Then what exactly are you trying to do?” I threw my hands in the air.

“Have you thought about a serious future with Julia? Seriously, just take a breath and consider what the two of you want a year from now. Five years from now.”

“What does it matter to you?” I begged, clasping my hands. “I’m happy and believe I’m making her happy.” I exhaled, throwing my head back. “Don’t you want to see me happy?”

“Of course I do, Brett. But I also don’t want to see you sacrifice having certain things of your own for someone who has already lived through it.”

I clicked my jaw, knowing exactly what Mom meant. And what I hated to admit even more was she did have a point. Julia had already experienced so much in life—the pain, the heartbreak, the responsibilities of being a single mother. And here I was, barely starting to figure out my own path, still trying to navigate the uncertainties and insecurities of my twenties. But fuck all that noise. I had found love and wouldn’t let it go over an unsettled conversation.

“I know you’re talking about me having kids of my own. And I’m convinced that if I wanted a child, she’d have one with me because we love each other.”

An accidental laugh escaped through Mom’s lips. “You’re so young, you know that, right?” She got up from her chair and walked around the desk until we were toe to toe. “I’ll be honest with you. If I were in Julia’s shoes and met a younger man like yourself, I’m not sure I could go through it again. She’s had to live under a lot of pressure between going through a divorce, working full-time, and being a full-time mom. To think about resetting the clock.” Mom shrugged. “I’m not even sure if I could do it, even if I found a soul mate.”

“But Julia wouldn’t do this alone. I’d be there with her to help raise a baby.”

“And who’s going to be working? Someone has to work. Yes, you’ll come home at night but won’t be there during the day. You need to talk to Julia about these things because it sounds like you want to have at least one child, but you can’t assume love will make all these things happen.”

I swallowed an impossibly large lump in my throat, and for a second, I felt the weight of a single tear threatening to fall from my eye.

“Look, if you want to be with Julia and act like a father to her children, I’ll accept your decision. I’d hate to see you give up something you really wanted.” Mom gently touched my shoulder and leaned in for a cautious hug.

I pulled away from my mom's embrace, an uncertainty swirling within me. She had planted a seed of doubt in my mind, questioning whether my relationship with Julia was sustainable in the long run. The thought of sacrificing my own desires for the sake of someone else's past weighed heavily on me suddenly. I had to speak to Julia about this. It didn’t need to be this week, but it had to be soon.

A quiet knock interrupted my daze, and my head whipped to the door. All the saliva evaporated from my mouth, and I stood frozen. It must have been at least six years since I had last seen Libby, but she was in the doorway, six feet away from me, looking the same. Her stick-straight blonde hair with bangs swept to the side framed her cherry-shaped face and those piercing green eyes that garnered my attention the first day I met her. A simple pair of blue skinny jeans and a purple cashmere sweater hugged her skinny frame. She stood awkwardly, shifting, unable to find a comfortable stance. When our eyes finally locked, she bit her bottom lip, the telltale sign of her shaky nerves.

What was happening was not a coincidence. It only took one glance at Mom to know this was her plan, except I wasn’t angry. If anything, it was almost nice to see Libby. She was always easygoing, not complicated, just there for whatever was our next move.

---