Page 106 of Mayhem
They caught up on a few things that had gone on since the last time they’d spoken, which had only been a few days. She told them that she and Ancel were going on a vacation in a few weeks. She said it was nothing special, but they wanted to get away for a few days.
When lunch was ready twenty minutes later, she walked to the kitchen entry and yelled for Ancel to bring Erin back because it was time for lunch. Cruz refrained from rolling his eyes. If he, Paetyn, or Ancel yelled in the house, they would hear her mouth, but it was fine if she was the one doing the yelling.
He and Paetyn were bringing serving dishes to the table when the two walked in a couple of minutes later. Erin shook her head as she laughed, and Ancel looked quite pleased with himself.
“Okay, you old flirt. That’s enough. I’m sure the boys don’t want you monopolizing their girlfriend,” his mother stated.
“Yes, yes,” Ancel responded, letting go of Erin’s hand, and Cruz pulled a chair out for her.
“Thank you, baby,” she stated, taking a seat.
Lena started the conversation when they were seated, passing the dishes around and filling their plates. “I take it the two of you met at the wedding,” she directed towards Erin and Ancel.
“We did, “Erin responded. “I was coming down the hallway and tripped. Ancel was nice enough to catch me.”
“I told her I’d never seen an angel fall from heaven personally, but I was glad I lived to see it,” Ancel added.
His mother laughed while he snorted, and Paetyn shook his head. “How corny, Papa,” he stated.
“Says the man who calls me angel,” Erin supplied.
“She’s got you there,” Cruz stated with a chuckle.
“Our boys have been treating you well, right Erin?” his mother asked.
“They have. Sometimes it still feels like a bit much, but I know their intentions are good, and I’m working on allowing others to help me and do things for me.”
“Good because we didn’t raise them to be dismissive and inattentive,” Ancel stated.
“I can assure you, they are far from those things. If anything, they might be too attentive, but it works because they can alwaystell when I need something, even if I haven’t figured it out yet. You raised excellent men. Trust me.”
“How do you feel about this dynamic? About the relationship the three of you have?” Ancel asked.
“It’s different, but I find myself enjoying it more. It’s a new type of experience, and I suppose when you jump into something like this, you can make mistakes before it begins. Because this was new for me, I appreciate how they went about it, sitting me down and talking to me, answering my questions; it helped make the initial steps easier.”
“It takes patience,” Lena stated. “I was unsure how they would make this work the first time they introduced us to someone they were dating, but I chalked it up to them being young and it being a passing thing. Over time, I realized this works for them. They know what they’re looking for, and if neither of them felt excluded or forgotten, then Ancel and I would support their decisions.”
Cruz listened to Erin hum in acknowledgment. Their parents always liked to ask the women they dated how they felt about the relationship and discuss it with them. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust his and Paetyn’s decisions, but they liked to know for sure that the woman they were with was in it for the same reason they were: to build a future and not just a fun time that could be checked off the bucket list.
“I can see why that would be a concern, but everyone is going to come into this differently or have some idealistic expectations that aren’t reality. These are two different men. For me, excluding one or forgetting one seems impossible.” She paused for a moment, looking between him and Paetyn. “My mindset isn’t to want the same things from them because they aren’t the same person. There are things that I know I’ll get from one and not the other. Things that I know will be different when doing it with one than the other.
I know Cruz will call me on my mess bluntly, while Paetyn will take a different approach. In that same aspect, I know I can get away with it more times with Cruz than with Paetyn.”
The table chuckled at her statement, but she was correct. Cruz assumed she’d figured out those nights in their playrooms that he would give her more chances when she broke the rules and acted like a brat, and she’d probably assumed it would translate outside the bedroom. She wasn’t wrong.
“I also know I can get many of the same things I need from them. So, no worries about me only trying it out,” Erin concluded, smiling at his mother, and she returned it.
“Good,” his mother responded as Ancel nodded. “Tell us more about yourself. Do you have any siblings?”
He and Paetyn moved simultaneously. Cruz placed his hand on her thigh and gave it a soft squeeze while Paetyn grabbed her free hand.
“I did. She passed when we were younger.”
“I’m sorry, Picardias,” Ancel stated, and Erin gave him a small smile.
His mother, sensing the mood change, quickly switched the subject. “So, Erin, have you thought about kids?”
“Mama,” Cruz stated in warning, at the same time Paetyn said, “Really, Lena?”
