Okay, now he has my attention―but not quite in the best way possible. I jolt up in bed, sitting up in a lurch. I expel a nervous laugh, a sound almost unrecognizable to my ears.

“Um…what?” I ask, needing confirmation that I’m not still dreaming. I’m trying not to freak out, but I’m shocked for sure.

I feel sorry for Daniel. He looks downright freaked out, and his face is stark white like the sheets underneath me.

“I’m so sorry…” He trails off.

I exhale sharply and brush the hair off my cheek, giving him a smile and a reassuring nod.

“It’s okay…really.”

“Wow.” Daniel looks amazed.

“Wow what?” I laugh and scratch my elbow, feeling awkward and waiting for instructions on what I should do next.

Daniel shakes his head and disbelief and glances at my knees with a smile. “Nothing, it’s just…wow…you are completely fucking amazing.”

I stroke his cheek. “What makes you say that?”

“I just told you my mom let herself in and is helping herself to my kitchen to prepare a full on feast for us, and you aren’t even upset.” Daniel glances at me as if I’m his new hero.

I just laugh, taking it all in stride. “Well, you didn’t exactly tell me that she let herself in.”

Daniel feigns sheepishness and rubs the thick hair on his head. “Did I forget to mention that?” he jokes.

“Oh, stop it.” I laugh and tease him by tossing the pillow behind my back at him.

Inside my head, though, the fact that his mother has a key and traipses around whenever she pleases is slightly unnerving, but I choose to keep that information to myself because Daniel looks stressed out enough as it is right now.

“So…” he grins as if he’s getting ready to ask a huge favor for which he’ll be forever in my debt.

“Just go ahead and spit it out.” I sigh, appeasing him with a roll of my eyes.

Daniel pats my knee. “You are so fucking great.”

“So, let me guess, we need to go and eat what she’s cooked for us?” I grin with a twinkle in my eye.

“Pretty much, yeah,” Daniel says.

“Looks like there’s more than one pussy in this room,” I tease him with a wink.

“Oh, now you’re going to get it for that one, missy.” Daniel picks me up by the hips and throws me back down playfully, holding me down as he tickles me, making me giggle and shriek.

“Stop it,” I demand and thrash around, laughing.

He finally lets me go, and we’re both panting―and hungry. I can smell bacon seeping under the door, the scent wafting down the hall from the kitchen.

I throw the blankets off my naked body and pull a modest pink t-shirt over my head and the same jeans I wore the night before.

“Are you ready to get this over with?” Daniel casts me a grin as he jumps into a pair of shorts and throws a black t-shirt over his head that reads ‘Brooklyn Nets’.

“Not quite yet.” I laugh as if he’s insane. “I need to brush my teeth and brush my hair, not to mention blot on some foundation.”

“You don’t have to do all that.” Daniel waves his hand dismissively. “It’s just Mom.”

I clear my throat and raise an eyebrow at him. “Um, are you kidding?”

“What?” He laughs, adorably clueless.

“Correction,” I tell him. “She’s your mom, not mine. I need to look presentable for her.”

Daniel strolls over to my side and wraps his arms around my waist. We sway back and forth as if we’re at a junior prom dance or something, grinning at each other with giddy expressions.

“I think you’re already gorgeous,” he whispers as he tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear.

“Thanks, but I’m still not convinced I don’t need to at least run a comb through my hair,” I tell him and swat him away.

I run to the bathroom to get mildly presentable and then follow Daniel to his kitchen where my heart beats with frantic anxiety.

When we get to the kitchen, Daniel’s mother is wearing a floral print apron (where it came from, I have no fucking idea), and she’s pouring orange juice into tall glasses that sit on the kitchen table.

“Wow, Mom, you really went all out this time,” Daniel says.

This time? So, does that mean this happens often?

I plant a polite smile on my face and wait for introductions. Once we get that over with, his mom beams at us, instructing me and Daniel to sit down and enjoy the lavish spread she’s presenting.

“Everything looks delicious,” I tell her.

Daniel’s mom has been grinning ear-to-ear ever since we walked in the room. Normally, I would find this sort of behavior unnatural and fake, but there’s nothing about Daniel’s mom that seems like she’s faking it right now. She seems lighthearted and genuinely fun.

No wonder he gave her a key with unlimited access to his life.

I bite into the most decadently fluffy mountain of pancakes that I’ve ever seen in my life. They literally melt in my mouth, and I groan with approval.

“Oh, my goodness,” I swallow the amazing bite and dab my mouth with the napkin in my lap. “These are phenomenal.”

“Truly outstanding, Mom.” Daniel smiles and raises his glass for me to do a toast with him.

“Seriously,” I say and cut into a piece of sausage, dipping it into a pond of syrup on my plate. “Can you do this for me every day?” I joke and glance at Daniel who tosses me a flirtatious wink.

“Sweetie, you just sit back and relax, eat to your heart’s content, and I’ll take care of everything.” She pats my shoulder with amusement.

“Thank you,” I say and continue to dive in, gobbling the food down just as she’s instructing.

“So…” she begins. “What’s your name?”

She means no harm by the question. I know she’s just making polite and friendly conversation. Even still, I involuntarily tense up and toss a subtle glance at Daniel who coaxes me along with a nod.

“Um…” I clear my throat and wipe my mouth on the napkin again. “I’m Rose.” I smile up at her with a mouthful of food, feeling embarrassed.

“Rose,” his mom says as she closes the fridge behind us and walks back over to the table. “I like that name. Very classic. A beauty, just like you.”

I blush at her compliment and bow my head. “Thank you.”

“How did you two meet each other? What’s the story there?” She looks between us, and I imagine that the question is up for grabs.

I’ll let Daniel cover this one.

“Mom,” he says and casually points the fork in his hand in my direction. “You remember Rose.”

His mom glances at me with a furrowed brow, investigating me while she tries to rack her memory. “I do?”

“Yeah…” he says. “Well, you remember me telling you about her, anyway.” He laughs and takes a bite of egg. “She’s the one I met at the tea shop.”

He told her about me? I feel my chest swell, knowing that he’s been talking about me to his mother.

“Oh right.” She flicks her forehead as if she’s a scatterbrain.

“How long have you two been together?” She eyes me, and I know this one is directed at me, so I have no choice but to answer.

I shift uncomfortably in my seat, but try to make the act as subtle as possible. “Um…one month.”

Regardless of all the answers, his mom seems positively delighted. “Well,” she states and sits down next to me, “I have to say it’s such a pleasure to meet you, Rose. I just hate that it’s under these circumstances.”

She gives her son a lecturing glance, and he shrugs with a grin.

“It’s lovely to meet you, too,” I say shyly and look down at my plate which is now swimming in syrup.

“I do genuinely apologize,” she says again and places a heartfelt hand to her chest. “I show up unannounced sometimes, and that gets on Daniel’s nerves.”

“It’s really fine.” I dismiss her apology politely with a wave of my hand.

“I usually try to drop by when I most suspect that Daniel won’t have anyone with him,” she explains. “Ah, well.” She claps her hands together and makes me jump. “I thought I’d make the best of a sticky situation,” she laughs.

“No pun intended, eh, Ma?” Daniel chuckles and points his knife to his plate that’s also drowning in syrup.

“Oh, you kids just eat and don’t fuss over me.” She waves a hand at all the food and stands up again to clear some of the empty dishes off the table.

I eat as much as I can, under the circumstances, because let’s face it…I’m nervous as hell.

This isn’t exactly the way I wanted to meet Daniel’s mother. I haven’t even showered yet. Internally, I struggle with self-doubt.

What if his mom is just being polite? What if she really thinks I’m a whore and I should leave her son alone?

It’s an answer I want to know but have no true way to ask.

Once we finish eating, Daniel stretches and yawns, rubbing his full belly. He has all but recovered from the awkwardness.

I just roll my eyes. It’s a typical male thing to do. As soon as their mommies come around with food, they become different people.

They’re all the same, but I just brush it off in my head. He’s perfect in so many other ways, and besides, he’s just…well, normal, actually. It’s nice to see that.

Daniel brings his plate to the kitchen along with mine. “Thank you for that amazing breakfast, Mom,” he tells her gratefully and plants a kiss on her forehead. “You outdid yourself this time.”

“Darling, it was nothing…and my pleasure.” She squeezes him into a gentle hug.

“Well, I hate to kick you out,” he laughs, “but we have to get ready for work now.”

“Oh, right,” his mom says as she continues to wash up and load the dishwasher.

As she finishes up and grabs her bag, I walk over to say goodbye. “It was so nice to meet you,” I tell her.

She’s still smiling as she addresses her son. “Daniel, you should join us for dinner.”

Daniel looks at me first. I just shrug because I don’t want to come across as rude.

“Yes!” his mother exclaims as if she’s just proclaimed the most elaborately seamless plan ever. “Bring her over to the house. That way, she can meet the family, too.”

Daniel’s eyes widen in horror, but he nods, knowing there’s no way out of this one.

“Sure,” I tell her with a smile. “That sounds wonderful. Count us in.”

Daniel’s shoulders relax slightly. I don’t mind coming to his rescue once in a while. Besides, he’s already been a champ and met my family. Maybe it’s time for me to return the favor and oblige him with a meeting of his own kind.

After all, if he’s going to be the father of my baby, might as well be on good terms with the grandparents.