Page 131 of Choosing Forever
I nod when Abbie looks to me for confirmation.
“Be right back!” she announces while hopping out of her chair and racing for the back door.
The second it swings shut behind her and we hear Abbie call out for my dad, I take a seat at the table and prepare for the questions.
Mom takes the seat opposite me. “Why didn’t you tell me that Delaney was her teacher this year? It’s already October.”
“Would you have cared who the teacher was if it wasn’t her?”
“Probably,” she declares before shifting in her seat. “Maybe. If I thought about it, I would have.”
“I didn’t want to tell you until I knew what exactly I’d be sharing.”
“And? You know that now?”
Her enthusiasm is welcome, even if I’m acting like a hard-ass. I’ve missed seeing her happy while talking about Delaney.
“She came over last night for dinner.”
Mom jumps out of her chair and whips open the fridge. She pulls out the same jug of juice she offered me and bypasses a glass, opting to drink right from the spout instead. I laugh under my breath and watch her have a mini-freak-out.
“Sorry, I’m overwhelmed,” she announces.
Waving a hand, I say, “Oh, go ahead and let it out. It’s just us here.”
If my sister were here, then I’d be hauling Abbie out immediately. I can deal with both women separately with things like this, but together? My dad and I run for the hills as soon as we can.
The juice gets slid into the fridge again before Mom spins back to face me and breathes in through her nose.
“How is our sweet girl, Darren? Is she okay? Happy?”
“She’s good. More beautiful than ever and just as witty. There are extra freckles on her nose, even with it being fall, so I think they’ve just multiplied. And— Why do you look like that?”
Mom scoffs, cutting a hand through the air before turning away from me. “I’m not looking at you like anything. I’m listening to you talk about the woman you love. Stop bothering me.”
“Are you going to cry? Should I get some tissues?”
“Don’t make fun of me, Darren!”
“I’m not, Mom. I’m just asking if you’re going to be okay before I say anything that’s going to send you over the edge,” I explain, teasing just a bit.
She gasps, diving right in. “And do you have something to share of that calibre?”
“It’s for real, Mom. I got my chance, and that’s that. No wrong turns this time.”
“If you’re teasing me, I’m going to punch you in the face.”
I choke on a laugh. “Pretty sure you’re not allowed to say that to your son.”
“You can when they’re thirty years old. It’s an unwritten rule,” she argues before huffing and swerving back on topic. “Don’t distract me. I need to hear you say all of that one more time.”
“The whole ‘I have my person back, and I won’t let her go again’ thing? Do you mean that?”
Despite thinking I was ready for this, her sob takes me aback.It rattles me, creating a glitch in my brain that leaves an opening for her to attack me with another hug. She kisses the side of my head over and over.
“I’ve been waiting for this for years. This is the way it was always supposed to be. Our Delaney is back.”
“Not officially, Mom. I’m still working on it, but it’s looking good. She wants to be careful, and I don’t blame her. We’re keeping this from Abbie for now.”
