Chapter 17
“For Maya, I’ll do anything. Even risk another embarrassing panic attack.” ~ Caleb
Caleb
M aya clings to my hand as we walk up my parent’s driveway for Sunday lunch. I’ve avoided Sunday lunches since I’ve been home but I’m going to try. For her. I’ll do anything for her.
I want Maya to realize she’s not alone in the world. Her parents are assholes but she’s got me and my family. She has her friends. She is wanted. She is loved.
“There’s no reason to be nervous.”
“Easy for you to say,” she mutters.
I lift an eyebrow.
Her brow furrows before understanding lights her eyes and she gasps. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about how hard this would be for you. We can go back home. Not home. The cabin. I mean the cabin. Your cabin. Not mine. Not ours.”
I enjoy it when she calls the cabin home. I want her to feel she has a home with me. Because she’s my home. My center of gravity. The person I depend on above everyone else. The person I want at my side through all of life’s trials.
She’s my everything. For too long I pushed her away. Kept her firmly in the friend zone. No more.
The door flies open and my sisters – Willow, Abigail, Clara, and Eliza – crowd the entrance.
“Too late to run away now,” I mutter.
“I can cover you while you flee.”
She’s cute. She thinks she can cover me. I kiss her nose. “I’m staying. Being around my family doesn’t make me as anxious as crowds do.”
It costs me to admit to the weakness but Maya’s smile makes it worthwhile. “If you get panicky, give me a signal.”
“Panicky? A signal?”
“Tug on your ear three times and I’ll whisk you away.”
I chuckle. My Maya is cute and adorable. Have I mentioned what an idiot I was for staying away from her?
“I knew it!” Willow shouts.
“Knew what?” I ask as we step onto the porch.
“You two are a couple.”
My brow wrinkles. “Of course, we’re a couple. We had dinner together for you to meet her.”
Abigail rolls her eyes. “You were faking it. We all knew it.”
“You did?” Maya asks. “How?”
Clara sighs. “I’m glad you’re not faking it now. You two are adorable together.”
“Can you imagine how their babies will look?” Eliza asks. “They’ll be beautiful. ”
“B-b-babies?” Maya asks. Her grip on my hand tightens.
“Now, you’ve done it.” Willow frowns. “You’re scaring her.”
“I’m sorry,” Eliza says. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I’m not scared,” Maya claims.
Abigail points to my hand. “Which is why big brother no longer has any blood circulating in his hand.”
Maya glances down at our hands. When she notices mine is white, she releases it and steps back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”
I wrap an arm around her. “You can’t hurt me, Maya.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “Are you saying I’m a wimp? I’ll have you know I took self-defense classes in college.”
I kiss her hair. “I’ve officially been warned, Bunny.”
Clara claps. “He calls her bunny.”
“I warned you my sisters are troublemakers.”
Maya giggles. “I can handle troublemakers. Have you met my friends?”
“Come inside and shut the door! There’s no need to warm the outside,” Dad yells and Maya jumps.
I frown down at her. “Are you sure you’re okay? We can go back home.”
“I’m okay.” Her wide eyes and soft voice contradict her words but I don’t get a chance to question her further before Mom arrives.
“Come in. Come in.” Mom herds everyone inside. “What’s this I hear about the two of you being a couple?”
“Mom,” I grumble. “You knew we were a couple already. ”
She dismisses my words with a flick of her wrist. “Everyone knows you were faking.”
I scan the room. “How does everyone know?”
“Never mind,” Mom says. “Now we can properly welcome Maya to the family.”
Maya’s eyes widen and she shuffles until she’s standing slightly behind me. Mom isn’t having it. She grasps Maya’s hands and pulls her into a hug.
“Welcome to the family, Maya!”
“Mom,” I warn.
“What? I’m being warm and welcoming. This is what a mother does when her son who never visits home finally settles down.”
“I’m not…” I trail off when I hear Maya sniffle.
“You better not have made Maya cry.” I pull Maya away from Mom and scowl at the tears on her face.
“Oh dear,” Mom mutters. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“It’s okay,” Maya says but the tears continue to course down her face. “They’re happy tears.”
I shackle her wrist and lead her down the hallway to the bathroom. I shut and lock the door behind us before lifting Maya onto the vanity.
I frame her face with my hands. “What’s wrong, Bunny? Do you want to leave?”
“I don’t want to leave. These are happy tears.” She smiles up at me but her bottom lip trembles.
I growl. “I don’t want you to cry. I don’t care if the tears are happy tears. ”
She slaps my chest. “Get used to it, soldier. I’ll cry if I want to.”
I groan. “I’ve created a monster.”
“Are you saying I’m a monster? Do I get to wear green paint and have horns? Are you a monster, too? Do you have a tail?”
“What are they talking about?” Willow shouts.
“Shush. I can’t hear them,” Clara claims.
“They’re talking about monsters,” Abigail says.
“Oh, I’ve read about this. It’s called monster romance,” Eliza says.
I lean my forehead against Maya’s. “Welcome to the madhouse.”
“I think it’s wonderful. I always wanted sisters or brothers. Being an only child is boring especially when…”
I pinch her chin. “Especially when what?”
She forces a smile. “Never mind. Shall we get back out there? Your sisters will think we’re having sex in here if we linger any longer.”
“No, we won’t,” Eliza shouts.
“But we will listen in,” Willow adds.
“Did I say I wanted sisters?” Maya mumbles. “I think I was wrong.”
The door flies open and my sisters hurry inside.
“We’re the best sisters,” Abigail claims.
“I don’t think sisters are supposed to barge into the bathroom when the door is locked,” Maya mutters.
Willow snorts. “You don’t understand how sisters work. ”
Clara grabs my wrist and pulls Maya away from me. “Come on. Mom got Caleb’s baby books out.”
Maya perks up and allows Clara to lead her away. “Baby books?”
“Maya,” I call. She glances at me over her shoulder and I pull on my earlobe three times.
“Are you afraid of me looking at your baby books?”
I puff out my chest. “Of course not. I was a beautiful baby.”
“But you gave the signal.”
“I was teasing you.” I wink.
“You’re okay?”
Her cheeks are stained from her tears but she’s worried about me. Warmth hits my chest. This woman is everything.
“I’m okay. Go.” I shoo her away. “Have fun.”
“Awesome,” Willow declares and my sisters herd Maya down the hallway to the living room. I follow. I scowl when I realize Clara wasn’t joking. Mom did get out the baby books.
Dad hands me a beer. “Let’s go watch the game in the basement.”
“What game?”
My dad has never been into sports much. He’d rather be outside fishing or hunting or working on some project.
He shrugs. “No idea but there must be some game on.”
I catch Maya’s eye. You okay? I mouth.
She winks and pulls on her earlobe twice.
“Look at this one,” Abigail declares.
“Ah, little Caleb is in the bath.”
“Not the bath photo.” Abigail taps the page. “This one. ”
Maya bursts into laughter. “Is Caleb wearing a pumpkin outfit?”
Mom joins Maya on the sofa. “He wouldn’t take it off for an entire week. Do you know how awful a baby stinks if he isn’t washed for a week?” She pinches her nose.
“Maybe a hockey game is on,” I mutter to Dad who chuckles as we descend the stairs to the basement.
I’m grumbling but I don’t care. If Maya wants to go through all of my baby pictures, she can have at it. As long as it makes her happy and she feels comfortable with my family, I’m happy.
Because Maya deserves a family of her own. She deserves everything.
And I’m going to do my best to give it to her.