“No. Not even close,” I say, smiling. I know my smile does not reach my eyes. I am freaking out.
“Okay. I will be in the living room.”
“Sounds good,” I say, going back to my hair as he walks away. Finally, I finish getting ready and walk out of the bedroom. I find him asleep on the couch, and this time my smile is genuine. “Babe?” I ask, shaking him awake. He pulls me into his lap.
“Are you ready?”
“Yep. All good to go,” I say, trying to get up, but he stops me. Pulling me closer to him by my chin, he kisses me. “We do not have time for that.” I push up from his lap and move toward the door. We literally just had sex an hour ago. We are pretty insatiable, but there is a time and a place for everything. One thing I’ve discovered about us as a couple is that we are not “date” people. We would both much rather stay home, eat a meal, and watch a movie or something. I don’t need to be taken out and have him waste hard-earned money on trivial things. I just like spending time with him, and we can do that better cuddled up on the couch than out and about.
“I know, but you look damn good in that dress,” he says, groaning. I just have a little yellow sundress on that I paired with a navy-blue pair of Tom’s slide-on shoes. I will take his compliment though.
“Thank you,” I say, leaning in for another kiss. We lock up and head down to his car, hand in hand. We take the Grand Central Parkway all the way to the compound. Using my cell phone, I punch the code in for the gate and give him directions to my parents’ house. Driving past the main house and several others, we finally pull up to the house I grew up in.
“You grew up here? Are you guys hippies or something?” he asks, chuckling.
“No. Nothing like that,” I reply. “What the hell kind of question is that?” I ask, more than a little offended.
“Shit, sorry, Cherry. I was just wondering. The gate. It has a commune vibe. That’s all,” he says, putting the car in park. He leans over and kisses me, and I forget that I was just mad at him. We get out of the car and walk up the steps to the front porch. I open the door and walk in, immediately hit with the scent of my mom’s Bolognese sauce.
“Mamma!” I shout as I walk back to the kitchen.
“Be quiet, Brynn, or you’ll wake the dead,” she says, looking up from the pot she is stirring. I have not seen this woman in almost a year. So, naturally, I burst into tears at the sight of her and rush into her open arms. she is a plump Italian woman with affection for days, just the kind of mother I hope to be. “Shush, baby. You’re home now.” Once my tears start, it takes forever to stop them. It has always been this way. God, I am so overdramatic.
“Mamma,” I whisper.
“You’re alright, Brynn. Now, are you going to introduce me to your man?” she asks.
“Mamma, this is Brendan,” I say, my words are choppy and forced. I am so overwhelmed with emotion, but even I have to admit this seems excessive. They shake hands over my back. I am racked with tears, and I am sure this is super-duper sexy.
“It is nice to meet you, ma’am,” Brendan says. He looks at me concerned but quickly turns back to Mamma.
“None of this ma’am nonsense, Brendan. Mamma or Fawn is fine.”
“Alright, Fawn,” he says, releasing her hand.
“Good, good. Can you hold her while I finish up dinner? She is going to be awhile. I don’t want the pasta to burn. Once her crying jags start, we have no way of knowing when they will end,” my mom tells him because I literally can’t. At least the dinosaur-sized hiccups have not started, and if we’re lucky, they won’t. Those are freaking debilitating.
“That is good information to have,” Brendan says.
“This is the first time you are seeing her cry?” The incredulity in her voice is evident.
“Yes. Why?”
“She cries a lot. Like, a lot. Her brothers run for the hills. Her father just sits and reads the paper while she is getting it all out. Only Bella and I seem to be able to handle it.”
“I can handle it,” he says, causing my mom to laugh.
“You’d be the first,” she says in reply, turning and going back to the kitchen.
“I like being the first,” he says, winking at me. I suck in huge lungful of air to try to calm down. “Where is the bathroom?” he asks me, and I point him down the hall. “Excuse us, Fawn.”