Page 55 of Backstage with a Billionaire Rockstar

It’s hard to put this nervous side of Mia to the woman who’s been at my side while on tour. “She’s going to love you,” I say softly. “Mainly because I do, but also because you’re amazing, and she’s going to see that.”

“Are we there yet?” Liam asks from the backseat, pulling us from the moment.

I clear my throat and push away from Mia, then throw her a wink before climbing out of the car.

“Evan,” my mother says, her arms immediately wrapping around me as I shut the door. “Seems like you’ve got a lot to talk to me about. Like, for instance, how you managed to snag this beautiful woman?”

My cheeks heat, and I run a hand through my hair. “Uh, yeah, that’s not the only thing I’ve got to tell you.”

She raises her brows. “Oh?”

Mia gives my mother a polite smile before pulling the back door open and allowing Liam to jump out of the back seat.

When I glance at my mom, she’s looking at Liam with tears glistening in her eyes, and she darts her attention to me. “E–Evan, who is this?”

Liam clutches his mother’s hand, a big smile on his face as he waves to my mom and says, “I’m Liam!”

“Mom,” I say, tugging the two of the most important people in my life against my side. “This is Mia, my girlfriend, and our son, Liam.”

My mother gasps, and she’s silent for a moment before a smile spreads on her face. “Well then, I bet you’d enjoy some of my famous homemade cookies, huh?”

Mia is silent, but my mother gives her the attention she deserves and wraps her frail arms around Mia’s stiff shoulders. “Hi, dear, it’s lovely to finally meet you. I’m Lucille, but you can call me Lucy.”

Liam bounces excitedly between us, then looks at both me and Mia. “Can I have cookies? Please please please.”

As Liam follows my mom inside, I catch a glimpse of wonder in his eyes. He looks back at me, his smile wide. "Dad," he whispers, the word still new and exciting on his lips, "are these really my grandma and grandpa?"

I nod, my heart swelling. "Yeah, buddy. They are."

His eyes light up even more. "Cool! Do you think they'll like me?"

"They're going to love you," I assure him, watching as he practically skips into the house, eager to explore this new world of extended family.

I chuckle and ruffle his hair. “Go get ‘em, little man.”

Before he pulls her away, my mother leans into me and levels me with a stern frown. “We’re going to discuss this.”

When they disappear through the front door, Mia sighs heavily next to me. “We should’ve told her before coming. She’s upset.”

I pull Mia aside for a moment, out of earshot of my parents.

"Hey," I say softly, cupping her face. "I know this is a lot. The break, meeting my parents... Are you okay?"

Mia leans into my touch, her eyes meeting mine. "It's overwhelming," she admits. "But we're here, together. That's what matters."

I press a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Together," I agree. "Whatever comes next, we'll face it as a family."

She nods, a small smile playing on her lips. "Let's go meet your parents properly, then."

Hand in hand, we walk towards the house.

“If there’s anything you should know about Lucille Knight, it’s that she’s always walking around this town telling everyone how much she wishes her only son would meet a nice woman.” I look toward the front door. “Trust me, Mia, she’s not upset.”

She’s more upset about the fact that I never said anything to her than she is about the news in general. My mother and I were close until everything started blowing up with this stalker. I’m going to have to explain myself to her, but her time will likely be filled with fattening Liam up with her homemade cooking.

My dad is standing at the end of the steps silently, his eyes casting over Mia carefully, before he finally gives me his attention. “Well, it’s about damn time, son.”

I chuckle and let him pull me into a hug before backing away. “Dad, this is Mia.”

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