42. Chapter 41
Chapter 41
Jemima
A month later
“We need to make sure the table is set before everyone arrives,” Harvey says, fussing with the tableware. I swallow a laugh; I’ve never seen him so wired.
“Where do you want the cake, Chad?” he asks, and Chad helps him. The two of them together turn me into a puddle. Harvey lowers the cake to the podium in the corner, then grabs Chad's shoulders and squats down to his level. “Are you okay? Is there anything else you want for your party?”
His words and actions are killing me. I’m frozen in place, just wanting to watch this exchange forever. When Harvey babysat Chad while I was away, they grew closer. Chad couldn’t stop talking about all the awesome things Harvey can do, and then Harvey would tell me how amazing Chad was.
“No, but when are people coming?” Chad asks.
Harvey grins and checks his watch. “Any minute.”
“Cool.” Chad wanders over to me, and Harvey straightens up, adjusting his shirt with a soft smile. “Mom, everyone will be here soon,” Chad says.
“I know.” I smile. “I’m so excited.”
“It’s my first party,” he says, before greeting a school friend. Harvey slips beside me, his pinky grazing the back of my hand.
“You, okay?” he asks.
“I will be,” I reply.
“Stop stressing.”
“I could say the same thing about you.” We laugh together, both of us wanting Chad to have the best day. But we know it's a big day for us too. Harvey met my mom, and I’m about to meet his whole family.
My mom is already here helping set up. Jade and Pedro and Butch’s parents declined to come to the party, instead choosing to meet on another date.
I think I have it worse, though, because there's so many people I have to meet, while he only has to meet one. He tells me they’ll love me, but I’m older than him and have a kid. It's a lot to take in.
As I welcome the parents of Chad’s school friends, I say hello to an older familiar guy with dark hair and an unreadable face. He’s holding the hand of a pretty, tall brunette.
“Hi,” I greet them.
“This is my older brother Evan and his fiancée Chelsea,” Harvey cuts in. I’m relieved by his presence because I didn’t see them enter with a child, so I knew they weren’t school friends.
“I’ve heard about you. You own a studio?” I ramble, instantly regretting it. Why am I so weird right now? My composed self is completely gone, replaced by a nervous wreck.
She reveals a dazzling smile. “I do. I’m Chelsea, it’s lovely to meet you….”
“Jemima. Sorry, bad host,” I say, holding out my hand.
Chelsea slips her hand into mine and shakes it gently. “Not at all. And Harvey mentioned my yoga classes to you?”
“Yeah, I hate running, so I didn’t want high impact. He suggested trying out your studio.”
“Definitely come down. I’ll give you free trials, in case it’s not for you,” she beams, her face lighting up.
“Thank you,” I say, smiling back.
“Oh, hello, hello,” another familiar deep voice calls out. He has dark hair and a light beard. It’s another brother.
“Hi, come in,” I greet.
Evan and Chelsea make room for them, and Chelsea says hi to the other woman.
“This is my brother Jeremy and his fiancée Nova,” Harvey introduces.
“Hi, nice to see you again,” I say, feeling overwhelmed with everyone, and there is still more to come.
“Make yourself comfortable,” Harvey encourages them, and they move away, leaving us alone.
“Do you need water?” Harvey whispers.
“Please.”
When he returns with a bottle, I quickly drink half of it at once.
“You only have Oliver and my parents left.”
“That's me,” Oliver’s deep voice says as he approaches, shaking Harvey’s hand.
“Nice to see you again, Jem,” he says before joining the group, which allows me to greet the final three who have walked up behind Oliver. I’m grateful I just had water because I’m shaking as I look at them.
“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln,” I say.
“Call us Eliza and Sebastian. You don’t need to be formal with us.” Eliza smiles.
“I told her not to worry,” Harvey adds, his hand touching the top of my jeans. The small gesture makes my body relax a little.
“It’s nerve-wracking meeting family, isn't it, dear?” the older woman says beside Sebastian.
“Yes,” I say with a light laugh.
“Don't worry about us, we don't bite. We’re just thrilled to be here. Where’s your little one?” the older woman speaks again.
“Yes, we’ve been asking Harvey all about him,” Eliza says.
I wave Chad over, and he stands beside me, looking up at the three people in front of him. He hides behind my leg slightly, like he did when he first met Harvey. He’s waiting for me to introduce him, but Harvey beats me to it.
“Chad, these people here are my mom, dad, and my grams.”
“Hi,” Chad says in a soft voice, but he steps out from behind my leg and looks over at Harvey. He must see something that brightens his face, and then he runs off to go play with his friends.
“He’s lovely,” Sebastion says.
“Thank you. Could I introduce you to my mom? She’s been asking about you all.”
“Yes, please,” Grams says, holding her walker.
“Do you want to sit down first?” I ask.
“No, don’t be silly. We’ll be fine. Bring her here where it’s quiet. I can't hear much in big crowds,” Grams says.
I nod and go grab Mom, bringing her over. She says hello before they take a seat and start talking about her travels. I can’t help but glance over, wishing Dad was here to meet them.
“Are you okay?” Harvey asks.
“Yeah, I just wish my dad was here to meet everyone.”
“He would've loved me, right?” Harvey jokes.
I roll my eyes, and the lightness in my heart returns. He’s magnetic in how he does that in such a short time.
“Yes, he would have,” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck.
His breath tickles my ear as he leans in close, making goosebumps rise on my body. “I would’ve loved him too.”
My eyes prick with tears, and I go to speak, but a throat clears behind him. It’s my mom.
As we pull apart, he says, “I’m going to check on Chad and make sure he doesn’t need a drink.”
Harvey slips away, and I tear my gaze from his navy sweater to my mom’s gleaming eyes. She knows. I walk over to her.
“What do you think?” I ask her, nibbling my lip as I gaze over at Harvey talking with Chad.
“He’s handsome,” she says, a little too loudly for my liking, but I am too eager to hear what else she thinks.
“What about him being good enough for me and Chad?”
Her warm smile makes my heart beat out of my chest. “He’s absolutely wonderful! Watching him fuss over Chad today makes me forget he’s not actually his father. Honestly darling, it’s like he’s already part of the family.”
“Do you think Dad would’ve approved?”
“No question. The brains, the family, the heart. God, what's not to love?”
“How was his family?” I ask, still needing to talk to them more, but the bundle of nerves in my stomach holds me back.
“Wonderful. I can see why he’s such a gem. They’ve raised him right, with all the love and care a person could ask for.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I say, hugging her.
“What will you do about your living situation?”
“He wants to live together. But I want to make sure Chad is okay with every step.”
She nods knowingly. “He will be. If he didn’t like Harvey, you’d know by now.”
I hope so.
“I just want him to know he can always come to me and that he’ll always be my baby.”
She gives me a warm smile, her eyes soft with affection. “He knows, sweetheart. And how lucky is he to have two people who love and care about him so much”
“True. I’ll go mingle before the food is served.”
I swallow the lump in my throat and start with his family.
“His brothers are hot,” Molly whisper-shouts, leaning closer to me at Chad’s party.
“I know, and they’re nice,” I say as I glance toward Harvey’s brothers, who are chatting across the room.
“And of course, they’re all taken,” she says with a dramatic sigh, rolling her eyes.
“Oliver is single.”
She raises an eyebrow at me. “No, I don’t think so. They were all whispering about a girl.”
I wince, my smile faltering. “Sorry.”
“Not your fault. The good ones are always taken,” she says shrugging.
“Did you go out with that one guy from the app again?”
“Yeah,” she says with a wrinkle of her nose. “He was alright, but not husband or father figure material.”
I nod, understanding what she means. Not all men can be good stepparents; it takes a special kind of person.
Her words make me think about how easily Harvey has stepped into this role. And then I think of Butch. We finalized our divorce. I’m surprised he didn’t contest it, but I’m relieved to put that chapter behind me. I haven’t heard from him since, and honestly, I’m fine with that. He’s in for a very long time. Danny’s in there too, arrested and charged for criminal possession of a controlled substance and grand larceny in the 3rd degree. It still feels unreal, but at least I’m free to move on.
“Yeah, don’t rush it. Have some fun.”
She turns to face me. “Did you talk to the therapist about the baby plan?”
I look around, making sure no one overhears.
“I did. She said as long as I feel ready and we keep communicating our needs, there’s no reason not to move forward. She also mentioned that trust is something that has to be worked on daily.”
She nods slowly, her expression softening. “Do you feel ready?”
I sigh and run a hand through my hair. “About having another baby? No. I have a business, so I’m secure financially, and I know Chad and I will be fine. I just don’t want him to break my heart.”
Her lips curve into a small smile as she tilts her head. “You love him.”
“I do,” I admit, my voice dropping to a whisper, “and it scares me.”
“That’s normal,” she says gently, resting a hand on my arm. “Keep going to therapy. You’ll get through it. It just takes time.”
I chuckle softly and shake my head. “You know, that's exactly what she says.”
Her grin widens. “I know because she tells me the same thing.”
I laugh, the tension in my chest easing a little. “It’s always easier to give advice than to believe it yourself, huh?”
“Exactly,” she says with a knowing smile, squeezing my arm lightly.
It’s time for the cake, and Harvey steps off to the side to give Chad the spotlight. But to everyone's surprise, Chad pulls Harvey and me closer. We exchange glances over his head before smiling for a family picture.
Everything feels right. It’s one of those rare moments when I realize that I’m not alone in this world, there’s a family behind me. As the flash of the camera goes off, I feel a weight lift off my shoulders.
Maybe the next step in my life, whatever it is, doesn’t need to be perfect. Maybe it just needs to be real. And with this moment, I feel ready to move forward with Chad and Harvey by my side.