Chapter Twenty-Six

Cliff

“Yeah, your dad’s out fishing with her,” Mom says, peeking out the window. I grumble.

“He better not get any ideas,” I say, and Mom looks at me, laughter in her eyes. She sits down in a chair facing the fireplace, and I stretch out on the couch at an angle where I can see Addie sitting beside my father on the dock. She’s amused, judging by the set of her lips, and I know they’re having a grand old time as they fish.

“I wanted to talk to you,” Mom says, her expression thoughtful, as if she’s remembering something from a long time ago and wondering how to explain it to me. Giving her my full attention, I wonder what’s on her mind. It’s not like my mother to be unsure. So whatever it is, it must be important.

“Earlier I asked what you were going to do about it,” she says, her lips pursing.

I nod, remembering the flash of panic I’d felt that I had to do anything about it. Because all of this is so new, I haven’t really thought ahead, not yet. For now, I kind of want to see how Addie feels before I do anything that might scare her off.

“I had a reason,” Mom says, still sounding rather hesitant. She pulls something from her pocket and studies it, but I can’ t see what it is. “You remember your great-grandma Mona, right?” she asks, and I nod. Of course I remember her. I’d been a child when she’d passed, but the memories I do have are warm and filled with love and unconditional acceptance. She’d been a kind soul, someone who was loving and sweet right up to her last breath.

Mom seems lost in her thoughts as she continues. “Well, she left an heirloom and told me to pass it to you when the time was right.” Mom looks up at me, her eyes damp.

“All these years I’ve been waiting, but you never brought any girls home, never mentioned a special someone, and while I have to admit this was an odd route to take, this girl seems perfect for you,” she says, finally taking a breath as she studies the thing in her hands for a moment more in silence.

“I’m sorry,” I say, realizing how hard this has been on her. I’ve never been someone who’s just casual letting people meet my parents. I see now that I’ve shut her out of a part of my life she wanted to be more involved in though never knew how to ask.

She looks up at me with a gentle smile. “Don’t be. Anyway, I think it’s time to pass this on.” She reaches the item out to me, and I see it’s a ring. I take it and study the exquisite craftsmanship.

The band becomes two leaves that create a bed for the center diamond that’s set to look like it’s floating. Around it leaves close around, giving it the appearance of a rose cast in white gold. A rose bud opening to reveal a diamond.

It’s perfect.

“Thank you,” I say softly. I never even knew that this heirloom existed. I look up and see Mom’s smiling. Joy shines in her eyes, and there’s a curve to her lips that’s all pride and excitement.

“Don’t mess this up,” she teases, and I can’t help but grin. “She’s a wonderful girl.”

“I’m glad you like her,” I say, and I truly am glad.

“She’s been through a lot,” Mom says, looking over shoulder and out the window at Addie and Dad, still fishing and clearly talking about something much more serious than they had been before.

I nod.

Mom glances at me again, her expression unreadable. “I also saw that her ex got attacked by some guy. Would you happen to know anything about that?”

Leave it to Mom to make me feel like a kid who’s been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Of course not,” I say, feigning innocence. I know she’s not buying it for an instant, though, and her lips curve upward a little more.

“Well, good. Whoever attacked him should get a medal, though.”

I feel my eyebrows lift. “My mother is condoning violence on an innocent man?” I ask, my tone falsely incredulous.

She shakes her head. “There was nothing innocent about that man. What he did was criminal, and he deserves to be locked up.”

I nod in agreement as I look out the window at Addie and my father again. She’s pulling in a fish, and he scoops it out of the water with a net. And I realize she needs her dad. And her mom. She needs her family, the people who love her, who support her no matter what.

“Thank you,” I tell Mom as I look down at the ring again. “What are you going to do now?” I ask, wondering if they’re planning to stay for a while or if they’re going to go back home.

“I think we’ll head back and give you kids some time to yourselves,” she says, her meaning all too clear. I glance sharply at her and see the twinkle in her eyes. “I’m getting old. Don’t make me wait too long for grandkids,” she says, and I shake my head.

“You’re not old,” I say, “and don’t count on grandkids anytime soon. We haven’t had those discussions.” But I have to admit, the thought of Addie big and pregnant makes me smile. I imagine she’d be fucking sexy with a swollen belly.

But Mom is giving me a look that says she’s not buying my excuses. The door opens, and I tuck the ring in my pocket really quick as I see my father and Addie come in.

“How was the fishing?” I ask, recovering quickly.

“Not biting,” Dad says, sounding sullen as Addie grins and tells us she caught one.

She elbows my father. “They weren’t biting for you,” she teases and looks at me. “So what’s up? You going to come fishing with us?”

My mom clears her throat.

“We were actually going to head home and give you guys some time to enjoy yourselves.”

Addie seems genuinely sad. “Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Robin.”

My mom stands up and pulls Addie into a tight hug. “Call me Mom,” she says, winking at me over Addie’s shoulder. When she backs off, she takes Addie’s shoulders and looks her in the eyes. “You’re part of the family now, hear?”

And I realize the ring was more than the passing of a family heirloom. It was my mother giving me her blessing. It was her way of telling me she approves of Addie.

Addie nods, and Mom continues talking to her. “No matter what happens. And I need you to keep this guy in line.” She nods at me without ever taking her eyes off Addie.

“I’ll do my best,” Addie says, and I hear the humor in her voice. She looks over her shoulder at me, and I see the sparkle of amusement in her eyes. “It’s not easy,” she says out of the corner of her mouth to my mother, and I arch an eyebrow at her.

We walk out with my parents, and Addie seems sad to see them go. “They’re really sweet,” she says as they get in the car after hugs and goodbyes.

“I like them a little,” I tell her as my parents pull away. I think about the ring in my pocket and the fact that I wanted her parents to come see her.

“I’m scared of my parents,” she confides, her voice low. “I’m scared they’re disappointed in me, that they’re going to be upset and ashamed of me.” Her voice sounds broken, and I pull her into a hug as we wave at my parents and they disappear down the drive.

“They’re not going to be ashamed or disappointed,” I say, and she looks up at me, her face trusting.

“How can you be so sure?”

I shrug. “I just am,” I say, deciding now is not the time to tell her I’ve already talked with her parents and they’re only worried about her and love her. I decide that I’ll put off the proposal and will have them come down to see her before I ask.

Because she needs them. She needs them like I’d thought she did, but it’s more dire than I’d even considered. It cuts like a knife that she’s worried what her parents—who love her unconditionally—think of her.

I wish I could tell her that no one blames her. Arlo is a bastard, and no one thinks she’s what he claimed. Well, no one other than stupid people on the internet who’ve never met her and don’t know the real her.

I pull her into a hug, and she tilts her face up.

Lowering my head, I press my lips to hers, thinking about how sweet and perfect she is. And I decide I can wait. I’ll wait for her forever if I have to.