Page 132 of Family Bonds: Coy & Angel

“Really?” she asked, her eyes getting a little teary.

“Oh, honey,” Helena said, moving over and hugging her. “It’s okay. I went through it four times with Scott. By the time Coy came around, he’d settled down some. They don’t realize we women are tougher than they think.”

“He’s driving me nuts,” she said. “I know we don’t know each other well or for as long as other couples.”

“You know the right things about each other and that is what matters,” Helena said. “But Coy should know how you hated to be watched over and babied by your father and brother more than anyone else. You’d think I raised a smarter child than that if he’s doing it to you.”

“Sorry, but I guess you didn’t,” she said, laughing. “Can I get you a cup of coffee or tea?”

“Tea would be lovely,” Helena said, “and we can have a nice little chat about my stubborn son.”

“I love him so much,” she said. “Please never doubt it.”

“Never,” Helena said, patting her hand. “Between us, I saw it the first time I met you. Why do you think my other sons were giving me grief that I said you had a crush on Coy? The fact Coy didn’t see it tells me he was blind as a bat.”

She snorted. “I thought so too, but I realized it had more to do with him not wanting to feel that way rather than not seeing it.”

“Because of Spencer?” Helena asked.

“Yes,” she said, putting the cups under the hot water at the coffee station. Coy did like some of the finer things and she had to admit this was a nice perk. God only knows how much it cost for this setup.

“But he got over that easily enough,” Helena said.

“They had a rough road for a day or so. I know they are good now,” Angel said. “But that weekend, it was pretty touch and go.”

“Understandably,” Helena said, reaching for her tea. “Thanks.”

“Would you like some cookies? I tried to make some this morning. I’m not sure how good they are, but Coy ate four of them.”

Angel pulled the lid off and searched around for some that didn’t have a crisp bottom.

Helena took it and bit in, the crunching of the chocolate chip cookie not lost on her.

Her mother-in-law just dunked it in her tea and went with the flow. “It’s like a biscotti. Learn to adapt. At least that is what I tried to teach my boys.”

“Coy is probably down there sick to his stomach after eating that many.”

“He most likely deserves it,” Helena said. “I hope all is okay now?”

“It is,” she said. “He’s babying me like you guessed. He won’t even let me carry in a bag of groceries. I pointed out that I lift weights with him that are more than groceries.”

“Good for you. I bet he didn’t have a response for it.”

“It’s as if it didn’t occur to him. Can I ask…has he always been so particular about things?”

“You mean like the way his clothing has to be folded, his toothbrush stored, and his food labels facing in the same direction when you open the cabinet door? That kind of particular?”

She burst out laughing. “I should have talked to you before.”

Helena reached her hand over and rubbed Angel’s arm. “I’m here any time you need an ear or want to vent. If I think my son is wrong, I’ll be the first in line to say it. I’ve had a lot of conversations with Sam. Bode is wronga lot. They got through it too. Drew isn’t too bad, as he’s laid back and Amanda is such a nurturing person that those two just have a different dynamic.”

“I’m learning everyone has a different relationship. I think I’m laid back. I’m adapting or changing to the way Coy likes things. I don’t care enough about the creases being a certain way in my clothing. I just started to fold mine like his. I pointed that out too. I won’t even talk about the fact I can’t pay for anything.”

“Get used to that. It did bother me at first. I didn’t work after Bode was born. Times were different when my kids were younger. Maybe I didn’t want to work either and wanted to be a mother.”

“You are so involved in the community though,” she said. “I don’t have time for that and worry that I’m not going to be able to do it and if it will be expected.”

“It’s not expected,” Helena assured her. “There might be a time you have to do an event or so, but you’ll have plenty of notice. Sam has a career also. Even Amanda owns a business though she doesn’t work full time. You be you and do whatworks. Not what I did or anyone else does. I mean that. It could be because I didn’t work for long and wanted to feel as if I brought value to the marriage that I volunteered so much in the community. Then I came to love it.”

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