Page 66 of Capitally Unexpected

“If so, I haven’t found it yet,” Jax says. “Hunter, Margaret wants to ask you something, too.” She nods to where his stepmom sits with his dad, Spencer, and Duncan.

“Okay,” he says. He turns to me and says, “See you in a minute?” before placing a kiss right at the corner of my mouth.

I nod and get up, making my way slowly to the bathroom, my hand on my lower back as I walk across the hall.

Pinching my cheeks to bring a bit of color to them after I wash my hands, I meet my eyes in the mirror and steel myself.A little bit longer, and then you can go home, put on sweatpants, and ask Hunter to rub your feet.I give myself a nod and am checking my purse for my Chapstick when I run into the door, hitting someone standing too close to the entrance.

“Oh, shit, sorry ...” I trail off, swallowing and pulling my chin up when I see who’s waiting for me. I should have seen this coming. “Okay, Mom. Let’s have it. Why are you here?”

She rolls her eyes, like I’m the one who confronted her in a hallway. “No need to be so dramatic. Am I not allowed to come to town to see my daughter?”

“Of course you are. I thought we were passed the whole showing up unannounced thing, though. You said you had plans for Thanksgiving, so I didn’t expect you to make a trip anytime soon.”

Her hand waves in the air like she’s trying to brush away cigarette smoke. “Oh, Ed’s long gone. The girls and I spent the day at the casino. I suppose you and your little boy toy were with his family in there?”

Ah. That helps explain why her words have extra venom today. She and her latest fling split up. It’s probably uncharitable to think about your mother, but I’m guessing he left her.

“Yes, Preston and his partner hosted in their building’s club house. It seems to be a new family tradition. I made your apple pie.” I offer up an olive branch.

She snorts. “What, an apple pie from the supermarket?”

I nod. “Don’t tell Hunter. He’s a chef and might die a little. I told him I baked it while he was out, though he might not believe me. I did take it out of the Wegmans container and put it in a baking dish.” I watch as my mother’s face shutters. Shit, why did I say the store?

“Wegmans, huh? Guess that rich boy and you share that healthy food habit you always went on about growing up? Is that where you met him, in the aisles? Your organic baguettes cross?”

Once I finish processing this new entry into the mom trauma diaries, I need to make a note to tell Jax that one as a meet cute for one of her stories. “No, we didn’t meet at the supermarket.” I dread telling her where we did meet.

“So, where then? Bar? A club? Online? Hot Yoga?” She keeps going as I catch Jax standing behind her. Her face is full of questions about whether she should interrupt. I shake my head no and she looks pained, but walks away.

My shake isn’t as subtle as I thought.

“Okay, fine, it doesn’t matter where you met him. What’s your plan when he leaves? You can come home, live with me, and run your little weather internet videos from Kansas.” She seems sincere in this offer, but I can’t believe she’s this delusional.

“What? I haven’t lived in the Midwest in almost twenty years, Mom. And besides”—I shake my head, angry that’s the part I addressed first—“he’s not going to leave. What Hunter and I have is strong. It’s real. I know you don’t like to trust things can last, but this is different. We can.”

She rolls her eyes again. “That’s what they all say.”

My mind catches up to the other thing she said when suggesting I move home. “Wait, you’ve seen my weather videos? You said you hate how scientific I make everything.” Probablyanother reason it hurt so much when the station made me adjust my on-air forecasts.

“Oh, I still think it sounds like you’re making up words. But my friends kept sending me those links, so I finally watched some, and then went back and watched some more. And you know what I noticed? Your curves changing. I’m your mother. Of course I knew.”

I reel back like she slapped me. “So, you came here knowing I’m pregnant? You planned to ambush me and give me a hard time about this?”

She shrugs. “Maybe. Crashing your baby shower made getting the lay of the land easier. I can tell, Michelle, these are not our people. His family will abandon you when he does.”

“No, they won’t.” Hunter appears suddenly at my side. Where the fuck did he come from? “Even if something happens between Michelle and me, which I don’t plan to ever let happen, my family would still love and care for Michelle and our daughter, because that’s what loving someone is. It’s not something you have to seek out or chase but given freely.”

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen my mother look more offended. “I’m her mother. You think I don’t love her? I’m the only family she has.”

“I’m not saying you don’t, but what I’m watching right now? This isn’t love. And you’re not the only family she has anymore.” Hunter nods to the small crowd gathered at the other end of the hallway—his siblings and partners, Laurel and Caitlin. “She’s one of us now. If she decides to let you, we’ll welcome you in and love you, too. But it’s going to be up to her.”

He wraps his arm around me and pulls me close. “Now, for the well-being of the woman I love and our daughter, I need you to leave.”

The same blue eyes I see in the mirror every day meet mine, a question in them. Am I going to let this man send her away? I keep eye contact, but don’t say anything.

“Fine,” she huffs. “The food here tastes disgusting anyway. I guess I’ll wait for a birth announcement.”

“We’ll be in touch,” Hunter says, and I squeeze his waist.

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