Page 119 of Your Pucking Mom

“You’ve given me so much, Mom. It’s my turn to give you this. Please let me do this for you?”

I ran over toward him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” I cried into his shirt.

“You raised me, Mama.”

I pulled away and dried my tears, then I looked Ledger up and down. “I can’t go out with you when you’re dressed like you’re going to take me to a five-star restaurant and I’ve been crying for two straight weeks.” I threw my hands around my waist, feeling uncomfortable.

Austin had an all-knowing glint in his baby blues before he headed down the hall and came back with a dress that I’d bought years ago along with a pair of heels.

“Aunt Emma packed this.”

I let out a small laugh. “You all are in on this plan? No one decided to let me in on it?”

Austin shook his head.

“You deserve this and much more, Mom,” he said, motioning toward the hallway. “Now go change.” I nodded and began to walk away, but glanced at Ledger, who remained silent in the shadows of the room, his hands still buried in his pockets. His deep, whiskey-colored eyes locked onto me as I moved, a blush creeping across my cheeks.

It wasn’t embarrassment or shame that flushed my face, but rather the tender way he looked at me. He filled a void I hadn’t realized was there, and simply being near him made me yearn to hold him tightly. With Austin’s permission and the fact he finally knew the truth of what happened, I could give the last bit that was missing to Ledger.

I hoped he’d take me back.

62

ledger

“Wait?” Auburn asked, looking up at me with her bright-blue eyes. She was dressed in a long, ribbed black maxi dress and heels, her hair pulled in a ponytail with a few loose strands framing her face. She looked like everything I’d been missing.

“Yeah?” I replied casually, masking the turmoil brewing inside me.

The past two weeks without her had been brutal, like I couldn’t breathe. Between rehabbing my knee and rebuilding things with Austin, it was awkward—especially knowing I wanted to be with his mom. Yesterday’s talk with him, sparked by Emma’s honesty, made it clear how much I love Auburn. He’s not fully there, but he’s trying, and he even suggested I take her out. I gave them space to talk, figuring it was better to let her share on her own terms.

“We’re going upstairs?” she asked, but still got on the elevator with me. God, being in a confined space with her for the first time in weeks felt like I could smell the wildflowers again. It was as if I was having a vision. The world paused momentarily just so I could get another glance at her—to drink her features in.

“Auburn.” I tried, and failed, to get my words to come out normally, but it sounded more like a husky whisper. I wanted so badly to cover the distance between us, to get up close, to smell what was mine, yet again.

She batted her eyelashes a few times, then looked at the door. “I’m so scared,” she whispered.

“Of what?” I asked, matching her tone.

“Everything. Living a life where someone loves me, ruining my relationship with my son, becoming like my mother.” She breathed out a heavy sigh, and I turned to face her as the elevator continued to ascend.

“Don’t be scared, Sunshine.” I reached out, my hand suspended in mid-air. She looked down once before putting her hands in mine.

Just as the elevator dinged to alert that the doors would open, we simultaneously turned toward each other. “We’re in this together.”

Exiting the elevator, we strolled down the hall leading to my apartment, only releasing each other’s hands momentarily for me to unlock the door. I held it ajar, inviting her in. Inside, I had meticulously arranged an assortment of candles in large vases along the floor, casting a soft glow with dimmed lighting to set the mood. Departing from our usual spot at the kitchen island, I’d prepared the formal dining room table with two place settings. As we entered, we veered to the right where the table awaited, already adorned with food.

“You did all this?” Auburn’s eyes widened in astonishment as she surveyed the apartment. “For me?”

“Everything I do is for you,” I affirmed.

“I can’t accept this. I pushed you away. I treated you horribly,” she protested, her frustration evident. Closing the distance between us, I reached out and gently lifted her chin with my fingers, tracing delicate circles along her jawline.

I couldn’t help but notice the softness of her skin beneath my touch, smooth and warm like satin. Her blue eyes, framed by long lashes, held me captive, reflecting a myriad of emotions swirling within her. It was as if I could see the depths of her soul in those azure pools, drawing me in with their magnetic allure.

Leaning in closer, my breath mingled with hers, our proximity electric. “Your smile is the daylight for me after a long, hard night,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. My lips hovered above hers, and if she moved an inch, they’d be touching. Her lips curved into a tentative smile, and for a moment, it was as if the entire world had stopped, leaving the two of us suspended in time.

“I would wait for you until the end of time, Auburn. I fully believe that life brought us together in some fated way. We were always meant to be, there were just pieces of each other both of us had to uncover to find the truth.”

---