Page 69 of Homebody
“Oh, did I tell you?—”
“Mom,” Dean interrupted his mother. “I’m not sure I can handle anymore news.”
“Don’t be silly. This isgoodnews. We bought a new bedroom set and gave Tessa our old bed for her apartment.”
“The king-sized bed from your room?” he asked, hopefully.
“That’s the one. That bed she had in there was much too small. I don’t know how you two did anything in it.”
Oh, God. His mother was talking to him about sex.
He felt the color drain from his face. “Mom!”
“What? You’re adults.”
Dean shook his head and noticed his father doing the same. He’d never felt closer to the man.
“Oh, and…” she began again.
Dean drew in a breath and braced himself for whatever this news might be.
“…isn’t it exciting that Tessa finished all that stuff with her thesis? She now officially has her master’s degree.”
“Really?” he asked, surprised she hadn’t mentioned what was definitely good news.
“She didn’t tell you?” his mother asked, sounding equally surprised as he felt.
“No,” he answered as he pulled out his cell to text her.
“Probably because she was hoping tosurprisehim, dear,” his father said pointedly, finally speaking up.
“Oh. Oops,” his mother said.
Dean punched in a text, shaking his head once again as he did.
You’re totally done with your thesis?
Tessa
Who told you?!?
Who do you think?
Susan
He hit the thumbs up as a reply to her correct guess.
I wanted to surprise you.
I am surprised and happy. Can’t wait to celebrate in your new big bed
Darn it! The bed was a surprise too!
Can’t beat Mom at her own game, baby. Get used to it.
And Dean couldn’t complain about that. It was his mom playing in other people’s lives that had brought him Tessa. It might have been his mother’s game, but he and Tessa were the clear winners.
That was evident when he stepped out of the car in his parents’ driveway and Tessa, waiting there, rushed to him.
