17
Tessa
Damon works today,so we get to spend the whole day with my mom. It has been too long since I’ve seen her, and she’s aged. I can’t believe Damon flew her out for Thanksgiving. Totally caught me off guard. These are examples why I’m falling head over heels for him. He cares and does things for those around him without any benefit to himself. So selfless.
Our morning routine is the same, except I sleep with Damon, and Emily with my mom. Yes, my mom might not be too happy about me sleeping in the same bed with him before we are married—she’s old-school—but she’ll get over it. I didn’t want her to have to sleep on the couch. The pullout is not comfortable at all, and she already has back problems. There is no sense in making matters worse.
We sip on our coffee, snuggle up on the couch, and enjoy the quiet for a little while before they get up. Yesterday really showed me how much Damon cares. For our families to come together and get along means the world to the both of us.
“So, your mom will be here for a couple of days. Got any exciting plans?” he asks.
I haven’t even thought that far ahead yet. She just got in last night. “I don’t know. Maybe get out of the house and go do something. Too bad you have to work today.”
“Um... it’s a girls’ day. I wasn’t sure if you would freak out, but I booked something for you three. You’ve got appointments at Berlin Spa starting at ten.”
“You did not?”
“I wanted you to be able to spend some time with her and vice versa. You never get to treat yourself and now’s the time. It’s all paid for. Just enjoy yourself.”
This man is going to spoil me, and I’m not used to that. Being on my own for so long, I can’t tell you the last time I even got my hair cut, let alone been to a spa. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever been in my life.
Emily comes out yawning and sits beside us.
“You sleep good?”
She nods, and my mom comes out right after her. “Morning, Mom. Coffee’s made.”
The one thing I know is my mom isn’t a morning person, especially without coffee. My dad used to tell us not to speak to her until she finished with her first cup completely.
“Thanks, hon,” she says from the kitchen.
Damon leaves me to get ready for work, and Emily snuggles up to me.
“I can’t believe Grandma’s here.”
The hard part is going to be when she goes home. A couple of days just isn’t long enough. Ugh. In the past, I’ve tried to talk my mom into moving down here, but she doesn’t want to leave Oregon. Maybe I can talk her into it while she’s visiting. Fingers crossed.
She always assumed after college that I’d come back and find a job in Oregon, but after dropping out of TSU, it made more sense to just stay in Texas. At that point, I had met Chris and moving away from him didn’t seem like a viable option. She always brings up me moving back on every phone call, and I’m sure her being here will only warrant more conversations about it. Thankfully, she can see that Emily and I are doing great, and Damon is a wonderful man. She might not even ask about it, knowing I wouldn’t just up and leave him behind. I’d be a fool.
Before Damon leaves for work, he gives me a kiss, Emily a hug, and bids us farewell.
“Well,” my mom says, sitting down on the couch. “That’s quite a man you found there.”
“Tell me about it.”
The thing that drives me nuts about us... we don’t have sex a lot, but he doesn’t complain. I don’t feel comfortable while Emily is in the next room. I’ve given in a couple of times because sometimes he’s too hard to resist. Liam has offered to watch her if we ever need some adult time, but we haven’t taken him up on the offer yet. We just might soon though.
I watch her and Emily giggling and playing with a doll. Seeing them work on repairing their relationship makes me smile. After not seeing her for so long, I’m surprised she takes to her so fast. Emily isn’t exactly shy, but it does take her a little bit to warm up to new people. Three years is a long time to go without seeing family, and I hope we never have to go that long again.
“So, Damon booked us appointments at the spa. Starts at ten.”
“That boy spoils you, dear,” she says, “but that’s not necessarily a bad thing after you-know-who.”
My mom loved Chris when we were together. She used to tell me I’d be crazy not to marry him. This was in our early twenties. We were young and in love, but thank God I didn’t make that mistake. Back then, he was a decent guy. Something changed when I got pregnant, and everything went to hell. It was almost like it was just too much for him. I laugh, thinking back, because every man knows what happens when you have sex without protection. The chance of having a baby was pretty high, but whatever. Closer to the end of my pregnancy, he started drinking a lot. Of course, I confided in my mom but she said that was normal. Some men just need time to adjust and let their fate of becoming a father sink in. So I brushed it off, until it just kept getting worse.
“We don’t say his name around here, Mom,” I say. “Not after what he did.”
My mom nods. “Understandable.”