Fran was plastered. I mean completely shit-faced. Talking nonstop, smiling more than usual, and smoking like a train.

She’d never been a drinker, but at weddings, something inside her shifted. She’d consume more than her fair share of alcohol and suddenly turn into a chain smoker.

It was the perfect time to drop the news that I’d be moving in her lap. Maybe her drunkenness would extend her reaction time and give me a chance to escape before she tried to beat me to death.

That was the thing about her.

She loved me, and often she was overbearing, melodramatic, and fiercely protective. Not only would she beat the crap out of anyone who hurt me, she’d willingly do the same to me if she thought it was for my own good.

No matter how many times Ma had hit me, I’d never thought about striking her back. She’d raised me to respect women, and I knew that, if I ever did raise a hand to her, my uncle would end my life.

My size made her ability to actually hurt me impossible, but I knew that it was how she’d react. She wouldn’t throw a right hook, but she’d pound on my chest and beg me not to leave. Hopefully, giving her the news at the wedding would stop her from causing a scene.

“Hey, Ma,” I said as I pulled out the chair next to her. I glanced at Uncle Sal, who was kicked back and just enjoying life now that his only daughter was married off.

“Hey, baby.” She looked up at me with a sloppy smile, a cigarette between her fingers with ash an inch too long hanging from the end. “Whatcha doin’?” she asked as she hiccupped.

“I wanted to talk to you about something.” I sat down and pulled my chair close to her.

Uncle Sal cleared his throat, standing quickly. “I’m going to leave you two alone.”

“Thanks, Uncle.” I nodded.

“Sal,” Ma said as she reached out and grabbed his hand. “Be a dear and get me another one of those fruity things.” She looked up at him, grinning.

He nodded, patting her hand before he disappeared through the crowd and left us to talk.

I fidgeted with my drink as I thought about how to break the news to her. There wasn’t an easy way to say it. I needed to man up and just…

“Just spill it, Morgan.” She took a long, slow drag of her cigarette and let the smoke waft out of her mouth.

“I found a job,” I blurted out, figuring it was best to lead with something positive.

“Does it have anything to do with those criminals back home?” She rested her elbow on the table, holding the cigarette in the air like an old-school Hollywood actress as the ash tumbled to the plate in front of her.

“No. Thomas actually asked me to come work for him.”

A smile crept across her face. “Thank God, honest work. I didn’t know he was opening a Chicago branch.” She took another drag, almost missing her mouth in the process.

Uncle Sal stood behind her, listening to our conversation. I nodded at him before he set the drink in front of her.

She grabbed the glass and took a sip. “Thank you, brother.”

He walked away quickly, knowing that the real bomb hadn’t been dropped yet.

“He’s not opening an office in Chicago, Ma.” I swallowed hard as I looked around the backyard.

Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?” she asked as she set the drink on the table too hard, making some of the liquid slosh out of the glass.

“I’m going to move here as soon as we get back and I pack up my things.” I leaned back in the chair and out of arm’s reach.

The narrowness of her eyes evaporated as they grew larger than saucers. “Move?” she asked, placing her hand on her chest. “You can’t move.”

“I am.” I crossed my arms over my chest, standing my ground.

Here we go.

I braced myself and waited for her to embarrass the hell out of me in front of my entire family. Big Fran was ready to blow.

“You have nowhere to live,” she argued.

“I’m going to rent Joe’s guesthouse until I find a place.”

“You’re going to leave me all alone in Chicago?”

There was the guilt trip—right on cue.

“Seriously, Ma. You’ve been alone for years. I promise to come visit all the time.” I sighed, knowing that this was going to be a battle.

“Alone,” she whined. “Don’t leave me alone.” She face-planted on the table, one hand on the drink and the other still holding the cigarette.

If I hadn’t been trying to avoid a battle, I’d have laughed. Drunk Ma was funny as hell and kind of cute, although I’d never admit it.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. “You have a bunch of friends. You’ll be fine.”

She sat upright and tapped her cigarette against the ashtray. “If you’re moving here, then so am I,” she said, looking really happy about the situation.

Oh my God.

No.

She was following me.

I wanted to face-plant now, but instead I took it in an entirely different direction.

I looked up toward the starry sky and cursed under my breath before I said, “That’s a great idea, Ma.”

Please, please God, tomorrow when the drinks had worn off, make her see the error of her ways.

If she decided to follow me, she’d at least have Uncle Sal and Auntie Mar to keep her busy and out of my hair. Maybe being around the family would take some of the heat off me.

It could end up being a good thing in the end.

What the hell was I thinking? It was going to be a clusterfuck of awesomeness.

“It’s settled, then.” She stubbed her cigarette out. “When are you going to get married?” she threw at me out of left field.

“I have to find a woman first,” I shot back.

“You’re getting old, baby. Don’t wait too long, or you’ll be alone forever.”

“Hold up, woman.” I held my hand up, shushing her. “Look around. Joe was older when he married. All of my cousins were older than I am now when they found love and settled down.”

“Not Izzy,” she replied, pursing her lips.

“Izzy’s a girl.”

“So? I want to be a grandmother before I’m dead.”

There it was. The baby topic. I had known it was coming. Being around the kids all week had put her in baby mode.

How freaking lucky was I?

I swear she’d been dying since I was a kid. Every time she wanted to get her way, she’d talk about how her end was near.

“It’ll be years before I have a kid. I’m not ready. So you’ll have to hold off on dying.”

“I just look around and see how happy Sal and Mar are with their grandbabies, and it makes my womb ache.”

“Then maybe you should adopt. Think of all the fun and happiness you could have raising another child.”

Never mind the fact that she’d have someone else to pester all the time.

“You were enough to last a lifetime. You weren’t the easiest child to raise.”

“Womb isn’t aching that bad, is it?” I teased her.

“Everything okay?” Auntie Mar mouthed as she approached the table.

I nodded to her. “Hey, Auntie Mar. I just told Ma that I’m moving to Florida.”

“Oh,” she said, trying to act surprised. “Are you okay, Frannie?” Aunt Mar sat down next to her, placing her hand on Ma’s arm.

“I couldn’t be better, Maria. I’ve decided I’m going to move here too. I’ve spent too long away from you guys.” Ma laid her hand over Aunt Mar’s, both women plastered but sharing a moment.

“That makes me a happy woman. Sunday dinners at my house just got a whole lot more fun,” Aunt Mar sang, swaying in her chair.

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Ma answered for us both.

Normally it would have pissed me off, but I loved Aunt Mar’s food too much to ever miss out on a Sunday dinner, and Ma was just too damn drunk to be angry with her.

“Are you two enjoying the wedding?” Aunt Mar asked, glancing around the backyard.

“It was a beautiful ceremony, and the yard looks amazing,” Ma said as she skimmed the crowd, trying to focus.

It really did look spectacular. Tables lined the perimeter of the grass, with a dance floor in the center. Lanterns and candles illuminated the backyard, creating a warm glow for the guests. Everyone seemed to be having a great time; most people were sufficiently drunk by now anyway.

“It’s been a busy few days, but everything turned out perfectly,” Aunt Mar replied.

“Izzy has turned into quite the beauty. You have to be so proud of her,” Ma added as her eyes landed on Izzy, who was on the dance floor, dancing in her father’s arms.

“She was the hardest of my children to raise. She’s so full of piss and vinegar, and naturally the last to get married.”

“She’s like you, Mar. Headstrong and tough.”

“Well, ladies, I’m going to let you two gab a bit while I find my cousins.”

“They’re at the bar,” my aunt replied as I stood.

“Perfect,” I said. Then I leaned down and gave them each a kiss on the cheek.

As I started to walk away, Aunt Mar asked, “Does he have a girlfriend?”

“No, and he isn’t getting any younger, either,” Ma complained as her voice trailed off.

I shook the insult off. I wasn’t even thirty yet and they wanted me to settle down. The last thing I was thinking about now was a relationship.

Winding my way through the crowd, I spotted Thomas and James at the bar doing shots.

“Gentlemen,” I said as I approached. “Care if I join you?”

“Have a drink,” James replied as he held a shot glass out. “Let’s celebrate!”

“Thanks. What are we drinking to?” I asked as I took the shot from his hands.

“The future,” Thomas said, raising his glass. “Both in love and success in work.”

“I’ll drink to that.”

“Thinking about joining us?” James asked.

“I put some thought into it and I’ve decided I want to work for you. I love Florida, and I’m sick of the shitty weather in Chicago anyway. I’d like to give it a try.”

“Fantastic,” Thomas said, pumping his fist. “Let’s drink to another important member of our team. We’re going to kick some major ass, men.” He held his glass high in the air as we tapped ours to his and drank.

I winced as the liquid slid down my throat, burning a path to my stomach. “What the hell was that?”

“Moonshine.” James wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Fuck,” I coughed, trying to fill my lungs with air as my throat felt like it was closing.

“It’ll wear off.” James slapped me on the back.

I coughed again, trying to clear my throat, but with no luck. I swallowed it down, trying to cool the burn with my saliva.

“Another?” James asked with a cocky grin and a raised eyebrow.

“I think I’ll stick with vodka. It’s a bit smoother,” I whispered.

“Pussy,” James teased before he called over to the bartender. “We’ll take a bottle of vodka.”

“A bottle, sir?” the man asked with a perplexed look on his face.

James nodded, holding his hand out. “Yes. The entire bottle and six shot glasses.”

“It’s going to be one of those nights, isn’t it?” I asked, realizing I’d probably have a pounding headache tomorrow. “Do you want to be drunk on your wedding night?”

“It’s going to take more than splitting a bottle of vodka with the guys to get me drunk.” He grabbed the bottle, leaving us standing there.

“Okay, then,” I said to Thomas as we grabbed the shot glasses and followed James toward a table where Joe, Mike, and Anthony were sitting.

“Hey, boys,” James greeted them as he placed the bottle in the center of the table. “It’s time to celebrate.”

Joe pulled his bow tie off and tossed it before cracking his neck. “Finally. Is it after ten yet?” he asked.

“Yeah, dude. It’s way after ten,” Anthony answered.

“Thank fuck,” Joe mumbled. “Pour me a shot.”

“What the hell does ten have to do with anything?” I asked, completely confused.

“Ma made us all promise not to have more than two drinks before ten,” Joe replied. “None of us felt like hearing her bullshit if we didn’t follow her rules.”

“Mothers.”

“They’re a pisser.” James grabbed the bottle and poured us each a shot.

We toasted to various things, drinking shot after shot until the bottle was empty. I listened to my cousins talk. They’d never been so happy in their entire lives.

I didn’t know if I’d ever feel that way. Finding a woman who was willing to put up with my shit would be a difficult endeavor. I hadn’t given up on love, but I didn’t think I was ready.

For now, I’d bury myself in my work and enjoy learning the Floridian way of life. Everything moved slower here, and it would take some getting used to.

The rest of the evening breezed by. We danced and drank until most of the guests left. When I’d had enough, I found Ma still sipping on a “fruity drink.” She was too drunk to care.

“Night, baby,” she slurred.

“Night, Ma. Love you.” I gave her a kiss.

“Love you too,” she whispered.

I wandered to the front yard and grabbed a taxi. Auntie Mar, in all of her wisdom, had hired a horde of them to take guests home who were too smashed to drive home.

Tomorrow was a new beginning. I’d make a plan and meet with Thomas at the office while James and Izzy jetted off to their honeymoon.

Life was looking up, and change was on the horizon.