by RJ Heaton
The second Shad dropped me off I called the manager and made an appointment to look at the building tomorrow morning. This week is chopping up to having a very full and busy schedule. In less than two hours Ethan will be here to get me to meet his mother. My stomach flutters with nerves, but I should be able to handle the situation considering some of the tougher things I have to face this week. Tomorrow is Wednesday and then I will only have one more day left of being Mrs. Sean Cooper. I am not sure why I have the impulse, but I will go look at the building and then I will go see Sean in jail, before we have our end. I have words I need to say to him, some may include gloating.
What does one wear to meet a boyfriend’s mother? Everything I own is scattered over the bed before me. There should be no reason to be so nervous, but my insides are trying to claw their way out. Ethan has accepted me with all my baggage, including my age, but I still can’t shake my jitters. I decide to keep it casual with a soft cream and floral spring dress with spaghetti straps. I have a light sweater that matches and I will bring it if it gets cool. I get ready and wait in my room for Ethan to show up.
“You look beautiful.” His boyish charm has me melting into my wheelchair. He showed up leaving very little time to get to his mothers if we are to meet her at six, so he quickly helps me into his van and goes to the driver’s side.
My fingers twist and wrap around each other nervously in my lap when he pulls away from my sister’s house. “Stop worrying so much. My mom will love you.”
“That’s easy for you to say.” I glare at him from the passenger seat and then slouch like a child that just got caught lying about their homework. I am acting like an immature little girl, and I can’t explain my behavior. Ethan’s hand snakes over mine and he intertwines our fingers interrupting my anxious fidgeting. The small gesture eases my mind. Ethan likes me for who I am and it doesn’t matter what his mother thinks of me. I squeeze his hand in a reassuring way that I may be grumpy, but I am still here with him.
We pull into a very nice neighborhood where large residents with beautifully manicured lawns and shrubs line the streets. I swallow hard. Joe and Heather’s home is moderate, and even the home Sean and I built together is a nice home, but these … It smells of old money—lot’s of old money. It’s hard to fathom Ethan grew up like this and he is content on driving a minivan.
Ethan doesn’t knock when we get to the door. He just opens it and when we get in the doorway he yells, “Mom, we’re here.” I wait for her response while Ethan looks down at me in my wheelchair, and shrugs. He turns me and we leave the massive foyer into what looks like a formal sitting area. As we enter I can’t shut my gaping mouth. The elements in the house scream museum. Large vases almost as tall as me when I stand are artfully placed next to a fireplace wrapped with marble all the way to the ceiling. Two wine colored wing backed chairs face the fire place while another seating arrangement sits in the center of the room. The two off-white couches with rich merlot colored throw pillows perfectly arranged face each other with a wooden coffee table between them. Artwork I know nothing about lines the walls, but if I had to guess they are worth more than I make in a year—maybe more. My eyes scan over the space, but movement from another entrance way catches me attention. A petite woman with blonde hair cut into a sharp bob, wearing a sky blue pant suit enters gracefully.
“Ethan,” she coos and comes to his side kissing his cheeks. He smiles adorningly at his mother, and then glances down to me. “Mom, this is the amazing woman I have been telling you about. Nikki Cooper, the one that I am starting the clinic with.” Of course it is not lost on me that Ethan didn’t once in his nice little introduction mention anything about us dating. I take the lack of … as indication of him being embarrassed to tell his parents about his much older girlfriend. It stings that it will always be this way. The always and ever judging eyes of those who disagree with our age gap. I can’t really blame them; it is something even I am uncomfortable with.
Ethan smiles at me nervously clearly afraid I will accidently say something. “It’s very nice to meet you Mrs. Clark,” I say reaching my hand out to shake hers.
“Oh, please call me Andrea. I feel like an old lady when people call me Mrs. Clark” I smile in a knowing comrade kind of way. I hate being called Mrs. Cooper or Ma’am. Her earlier scrutinizing look lightens as she really takes me in. We are probably closer in age than me and her son. I’m not real sure what she thinks of me, her face is now mostly unreadable. “How long have you worked with my son?” She asks straight lipped. Ethan could have schooled me on our way here, but since he didn’t I can only go with the truth to answer.
“Truthfully, we have never worked together in an actual job. Ethan was or is my physical therapist. I was in a terrible car accident and have had to relearn to walk and move my right arm again. It has been during our sessions that we connected and decided to open our own … not clinic, but more a place to relearn and grow. Your son is a wonderful therapist. He will be managing the physical aspect of our endeavor, and I will be doing cooking classes.”
“Yeah, and mom we have two counselors, and for now two life coaches on board.” I raise my eyebrows at him, I knew we had a few contenders, but I didn’t know we actually sealed the deal with any of them. He doesn’t mention anything about my surprised reaction, he just continues. “When the clinic expands we hope to offer more life skill classes for those who need to either just learn how to care for themselves or for those who have had life altering changes and need to find a skill they are capable of doing. Like Nikki here now, she can move both her hands now, but before, she could have used our services to learn how to cook one handed. We are opening this to give people a hope, a chance, a reason to not give up.” His enthusiasm mirrors my own. He truly does care about people and helping them. I watch as his mother’s lips lift into a full toothy grin, her entire face beaming with joy for her son.
“What the two of you are doing is wonderful. Although, I am sorry you had to endure an accident to get this project rolling.” She says.
“Thank you. I am still coming to grip with some of the physical impairments that hinder what I used to be able to do, but without the accident I would have never have been enlightened to the things so many have to go through on a daily basis. The simple things for some are the most difficult for others.” She nods at me like she understands my need to help others less fortunate.
“I don’t know if my son has mentioned that I am an event planner.” She must read my confusion as my eyebrows lift at her words. “When we were talking about this little business you two are working on I told him we should hold a gala event for the grand opening. Bring in the glitz and glamour to gather attention of some of the more … how should I say it—fortunate? It could be a great fund raiser for the cause.” I look at Ethan with a big O adorning my lips. The possibilities dangle in front of my eyes.
“Would there be a catch? An auction of some sort or something like that?”
“For some it’s the glory of having their name stamped on something they claim good and then others it’s to keep up with the other-half.” She laughs. “But yes we could do an auction or drawing of some sort to draw them in.”
I’m dumbfounded how a simple idea has spun into something truly wonderful. The more the plan comes along the more real this laid out scheme settles into my heart. I look at Ethan awestruck, by the willingness of people to come together and help us. He winks at me with a beaming smile adorning his face. He is so handsome and if his mother wasn’t sitting in front of us I would grab his cheeks and crash my lips over his. I haven’t felt this happy for a long time, and it evokes my spunky side to flitter to life. Right now, I want Ethan to drag me to his house so that I can show him just how happy I really am. He must sense my emotions.
“Umm, mom we don’t have time to go over the plans today, but I can bring Nikki back sometime next week and we can start devising a plan. I just wanted you two to meet.” He says sheepishly, but I don’t think she catches his shy dem
eanor. Maybe he wants to ease them into the idea of us dating. Let them meet me first and then break the news … I’m not as offended now.
“Baby steps,” I let slip in a low whisper. Ethan looks at me quizzically and I shrug my shoulders.
I wanted to hang out with Ethan longer than we do. He had said he had to meet up with someone or another. My unwanted thoughts travel to Simone, his ex- fiancé. I doubt he would be sneaking off to meet her. He has told me many times that she hurt him and that she was just a part of his past not part of his future. Still, I stare at the bubbles on my hands wondering. It’s the silly things like doing dishes by hand that makes me feel as human and normal as I can be. I scrub at a baked on chunk of yellow ... possibly cheese, however, I am not one-hundred percent positive what it is. For some reason I can’t shake off the introduction to Ethan’s mother earlier today. I stare off into space scrubbing mindlessly. If two people really care about each other should there ever be shame in announcing who we are to each other? I have done the same thing—what is it that holds us back from being who we need to be to one another? A shiver of impeding doom to our relationship pricks my soul. I’m scared that before too long things between us will falter, and where will that leave us as business partners? I shake my head not wanting to think like that. If we both truly do care about each other than we will get over our little hitches and move on. Who cares that I’m almost the same age as his mother. I cringe when I say the thought silently in my mind. It sounds easy enough to say; get over it and who cares what everyone else thinks, but when the reality is smacking me in the face, the bruises are ever present.
Ten
“Are you stealing bites of my eggs?”
“No!” I snap. The accusation has every muscle in my body going rigid.
“Whoa, chill. I was just joking around.” His smile seems genuine, but for too long I lived on the precipice with the fear of being pushed over the edge.
“I’m sorry,” I mumble and turn my walker out of the kitchen. I need some fresh air to calm my wits. I am so on edge with everything hanging over the abyss.
“What did I do?” I hear the concern etched in Ethan’s question as I leave the kitchen.
“Don’t worry it wasn’t you. That asshole husband of hers did a real number on her.” Heather answers.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, when you whittle and whittle away at anything; metal, wood, a human mind … for so long it breaks down eventually. Sean, mentally abused Nikki for years. He belittled her, made her feel like everything she did was always wrong and unworthy … even though Nikki is the only reason that household ran as well as it did. But in the end after being degraded and yelled at for years … let’s just say, Nik has a lot of growing to do. She needs to find her self-worth again and to realize how much she means to the rest of us. She was needed in all the wrong ways and in the end was used by a horrible person.”
“Heather what can I do?” I hear the pity lacing his words.
I don’t hang around to listen to anymore. I don’t need a pity party. Besides, Sean wasn’t that bad. I mean yes he had his faults, but he didn’t whittle me away to nothing. Heather is making it sound so much more dramatic than it really is. Really, I only snapped at Ethan, because … why did I snap at him? He was just teasing me. I chalk up my bad attitude to my lack of sleep last night. I had terrible nightmares riddling my mind while I tried to sleep. Just when I was dozing off, another would start … And I have decided to torture myself willingly by going to see Sean today.
My hand turns the knob of the front door and I swing the door open wide—to find Shad and Aaron my best friend’s husband standing on the other side. Perfect the Bain of my existence is the last thing I need this morning.
“Hey there Sugar lips. Where you off to in such a hurry?”
I take Shad in wearing a tight, white shirt that hides absolutely none of his perfectly sculpted, square, chest muscles or his bulging arms and a pair of dark navy blue Hawaiian board shorts and a pair of flip flops. The ensemble is meant to be comfortable I’m sure, but to me it’s complete sin. “I sensed you coming and decided that I needed to take off.” His million-watt smile causes his whole face to light up.
“Maybe I sensed you would try to run once you knew I was coming so I showed up early just so I could see that beautiful face of yours.”
Aaron groans behind us, “Would you two just get a room already?”
I look up to see Aaron smirking at me, “Not happening,” I add as Aaron squeezes past us.
“Joe!” Aaron bellows. Unfortunately, Shad lingers behind. Although … the plus part for me is seeing his roguishly, I’ll-beat-the hell-out-of-anyone for you face distracts me from my own demons momentarily.
“What are you doing here?” My question is breathy and accusatory simultaneously. Right now it’s Ramp standing before me not Shad. A devilish gleam sparkling over his eyes, he steps forward until we are mere inches apart.
“Why can’t you admit you’re happy to see me Nikki?” My body squirms at the luscious tone of his voice. My stomach jumps in a circus frenzy by his closeness, but I don’t pull away. Both of our breaths quicken. His deep chocolate eyes look down at my lips and his tongue darts out wetting his own in anticipation.
“I’m almost ready. I just need to grab my pole and tackle box from the garage.” Joe’s booming voice pulls me from my hypnotic trance. I turn my head before our lips can meet. An overwhelming ache of longing crashes over my heart—bereft. “Ramp did you happen to get the wedding rings and cowbells you were raving about?”
“Wedding rings?” I question. My mind whirls in confusion at the thought of him giving anyone a wedding ring. Shad’s smirk makes me blush. He knows exactly where my thoughts had just gone.
“I did. Don’t worry all the fish in the lake will go crazy over them. We’ll have our limit caught in the matter of hours.”
“That’s good, it leaves us the rest of the time to sit and drink beer,” Aaron chides. For the first time my eyes look outside past Shad and I see the boat being pulled behind his big truck parked against the curb lining Heather and Joe’s house. Fishing gear they’re talking about fishing gear.
“You guys are going fishing?” I ask.
“You jealous sweet thing?”
I can’t immediately remember when I went fishing last. Last summer we took our boat out only a handful of times, but we were tubing for most of the time. We hadn’t gone fishing once during any of those outings. I miss it. “Maybe,” I reply. “But you wouldn’t want me to come along. I’d out-fish all of you and it would be a sad sight to see a bunch of full grown men licking their wounded prides.”
“Do I sense a threat?” He smirks pulling up those full pink lips.
“No threat just a full-frontal promise.” I quip.
“Why don’t you tag along and put your money where your mouth is?” The heat radiating off of him has me dizzying. If he doesn’t stop talking about mouths and putting them places we may just have a problem.
I swallow hard, “Sorry I have plans with Ethan.” The sound of Ethan’s name has Shad stiffening. His recoil is instant.
“Whatever you tell yourself to sleep at night Sugar. My boat, my pole, and my secret fishing spot, equals your humiliation.” He slows the last word down pronouncing every syllable. “You’re just throwing out excuses because you can’t hang with the big dogs.”
I throw my head back and laugh, “Another day perhaps we will see who will truly champion the challenge.”
“Nik, are you ready to go?” Ethan stops midstride when he walks into the living room and notices the close proximity of Shad. I step back.
“Yeah, babe I am.” Ethan steps forward and lifts his lips into a half-grin. I can tell he likes my title of endearment, but he’s still uneasy with Shad so near. With strong purposeful strides he reaches me and plants a kiss on my lips. I hear a low growl emit from Shad.
“Aw, where are the two of you going? Does little Ethan have a Boy Scout meeting
?”
“Ramp!” I chastise.
Ethan surprisingly doesn’t back down. “Nikki and I have a meeting to see a potential building for our business, and then I’m going to take her to my house and make sweet love to her for hours.” Shad’s eyes fly to meet mine his whole body tightening hearing Ethan’s words, but he tries to play it cool.
“You mean the building we saw when we went on our little drive?” Shad retorts with hot coals to add to the fire. I feel Ethan’s eyes slide over me as I glare Shad down. I hadn’t told Ethan how I noticed the empty building. I told him I saw it and called the number from the real estate ad in the window.
“Come on baby, before we’re late. Some of us have to work for a living and not get to play and go fishing all day.” I say the words more as a slam to Shad, because I have no clue if he works. Joe I know does, but he has the next week off until the doctor clears him to return to the fire station from his injury sustained from Sean. Ethan’s warm caring hand caresses my low back as we move forward to the door. At first, I don’t think Shad will let us pass as he stands there, arms crossed, but eventually he steps to the side and adds a dramatic sweep of his arm to show us our way. I roll my eyes, and once we’re passed I feel a light slap across my rear end. I don’t turn back to look.
The entire ride to the building my stomach flips and flops like a tidal wave.
“I broke down the list of Government grants and scholarships to best fit our business proposal. I hope it doesn’t bother you, but I did a shout out to one of my old classmates.” I look at him, confusion lacing my face.
