Page 37 of Silver Fake

I can't help but let out a sigh, the weight of my past pressing down on me. "No," I start, "my birth mom..." The words hang in the air, carrying with them the pain and complexity of a childhood memory I had left unspoken.

"Nancy is my real mom," I continue. "She's the mom who's always been there for me and taught me what a real mom should be like. My birth mom was around until I was nine. That's when she decided her dream wasn't to be a mother to Jessica and me. It was to become an actress. So she left for California to pursue her dream."

Lisa reaches out, her hand gently covering mine. "I'm sorry, John," she says softly. "That must've been so hard for you. But how did she try to take the hotel?"

I glance at Lisa, appreciating her empathy. "Three years after she left, she came back," I begin, my voice heavy with the weight of the memory. "After my dad married Nancy. Apparently things hadn't worked out in the acting business. She claimed she owned the majority share of the hotel, and she was right."

A hint of bitterness creeps into my voice as I continue. "My parents fought her for two years and nearly went bankrupt from hiring the most expensive attorneys on the planet. But they won in the end. It was a brutal battle, but it was then that I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. To protect others, to fight for what's fair."

Before I know it, Lisa has rolled over from her side of the bed and cuddled up against my chest. Her warmth seeps through the fabric of my shirt, a comforting presence. I instinctively wrap an arm around her, pulling her closer as her words resonate in the silence of the room.

"I'm sorry that happened to you, John," she murmurs, her voice muffled against my chest. "No one deserves that from their mother."

"Thanks," I say, resting my lips against the top of her hair for a moment. "But it's okay. Nancy is the best mom any kid could hope for. In the end, we lucked out by getting the chance to have her in our life. If my first mom hadn't left, we would have missed out on having Nancy as our mother, and I wouldn't trade her for anyone or anything."

Lisa raises her head from my chest, her sparkling eyes meeting mine. She gives me a soft smile, her hand gently squeezing mine. "I'm pretty sure Nancy wouldn't trade you either."

Her words, simple but packed with meaning, send another strange feeling blooming in my chest. It's the same feeling I had when I'd woken up this morning.

Lisa is a cuddler when she sleeps and when I woke up she was wrapped around me like a warm spider monkey. Her hair was in my mouth, she had taken all the covers, and had practically pushed me off the bed. It was a chaos I found endearing and, to my surprise, comforting. In spite of all the inconvenience, I realized there was nowhere else I would have rather been.

I glance down at my phone, noting the time. "We still have a few hours until Angela's wedding," I say, my voice softening. "How about we take a nap?"

Lisa gives a sleepy yawn, nodding her agreement. "Sounds like a good idea," she murmurs, already half-asleep. "I need to sleep off this food baby anyway." She begins to scoot back to her side of the bed, but I quickly reach out, yanking her towards me.

"Oh no," I say, a playful grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. "You're not going anywhere."

Lisa laughs, giving me a playful shove, her eyes sparkling flirtatiously. "You're not the boss of me, John Barton."

"I beg to differ," I say, my lips quirking into a smirk.

Lisa rolls her eyes playfully, but I don't miss the way she bites her lip when she looks down. "Fine," she concedes. "But only for a little while."

I pull her back until she's completely pressed against me, our bodies molded together like two puzzle pieces. Despite her feigned protest, Lisa settles back in against my chest, her eyes slowly sliding closed.

I take a deep breath, relishing in the warmth and comfort of this moment. It's been a long time since I've felt truly content, but here with Lisa, everything feels right.

---

It's a few hours later, and Lisa and I are getting ready for Angela's wedding.

After we got up from our nap, Lisa and I decided to get some iced coffee from Sugar Breeze. When we got there, Denise and Brett were both behind the counter and looked very amused to see us together.

Now we're back. Lisa has just taken a shower and is standing in the bathroom wrapped in a fluffy white towel, her hair still wet and clinging to her neck. Her makeup bag is spread out on the counter, and she's applying a light layer of foundation to her already flawless skin.

I'm sitting on the edge of the bed in my suit, watching her with a small smile on my face.

I've never been in a relationship with anyone long enough to live together, so I've never really been around another woman getting ready other than my mom. The wedding preparations for women always seemed a bit more complex and time-consuming than for men. I wonder if it's weird how much I like that we're getting ready together right now.

I never expected anything to come out of this pretend romance, but I appreciate how she's slowly letting me in. I decide to seize the moment and ask her something I've been wondering about.

"So there's a rumor going around," I say, breaking the comfortable silence between us. Lisa looks over, her eyebrows raised in question. "That you got accepted into law school a while back. Is it true?"

Lisa blinks in surprise, her brush pausing mid stroke.

"Who told you that?" She asks, a small frown line appearing between her brows as she meets my gaze in the mirror.

"Melissa."

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