Chapter Twenty-Eight Maya
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Maya
Throughout my life, I’d learned the difference between people who had money and people who wanted money.
And as Jordan held my hand, my mother on my other side, walking over to Peter and Melinda Worthington, there were two things I immediately noticed: First, this was a couple who had all the money.
Their clothes, her jewelry, the purse that hung on her shoulder, the veneers in her mouth—those were just some of the signs.
But there was the way she stood, how she maintained her posture, the confidence with which she smiled, the smoothness with which she moved her mouth as she spoke.
This wasn’t a couple who needed.
This was a couple who gave.
As we got closer, something else became apparent: the kindness in Melinda’s eyes.
In so many ways, I felt like I was looking at Bettie.
Which made sense—this was her daughter—but that didn’t necessarily mean that trait would transfer.
Personality-wise, my mother and I were different people; she was the ice that my warmth attempted to melt.
But I sensed that when it came to Bettie and Melinda, they were far more alike.
My stomach flipped with each step, my breathing became labored, my limbs tingled, even more so as Melinda turned toward us, noticing we were approaching, and she headed for us, closing the distance.
She didn’t greet her son first.
She came straight to me.
“Maya”—she reached for my hands and clasped them—“I’ve been waiting for this moment.”
“Me too,” I replied. “It’s so, so amazing to finally meet you.”
She released my fingers and hugged me. This wasn’t like the embraces I got from my mother; this was the type of touch I got from Bettie.
“I never got to properly thank you any of the times that I saw you in passing at the rehab center.” She pulled back to look at me, keeping her hands on my arms. “Admittedly, during those times, I didn’t know you were Mom’s nurse.
I assumed she had many, like the way a hospital is run, the ever-evolving turnover each day.
That is, until I found out Mom had fallen in love with your care and had several strings pulled to make sure you were always assigned to her. ”
I’d briefly seen Melinda in the hallway a few times and hadn’t known she was Bettie’s daughter or Jordan’s mom, either, so I understood her lack of knowing.
But to hear Bettie had pulled strings after she’d transferred to the rehab center to request me as her nurse, that shocked me.
Although she was in the wing I normally worked, I didn’t know she had spoken to management and the assignment had been arranged.
“The care you’ve given to my mom”—emotion popped through Melinda’s voice as she continued—“I’ll never be able to truly thank you for everything you’ve done.”
“No thanks needed. It’s been an honor. Truly,” I told her.
She glanced over at Jordan. “You can’t imagine the way my son talks about you.
You’ve become quite the topic of conversation in our home.
” She was back to holding my hands, and she shook them.
“What a pleasure it is to finally welcome you to our family, Maya.” She looked at my mom.
“I’m assuming you’re Ms. Nolan, Maya’s mom?
How lovely it is to get to meet you too. I’m Melinda, Jordan’s mom.”
“Please call me Debbie.” My mom extended her hand, and Melinda shook it with both of hers. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Melinda.”
“You must be so proud of Maya and everything she’s accomplished,” Melinda said after Jordan kissed her on the cheek. “I can’t speak highly enough of what she’s done for my mom. Our family is so thankful for her.”
“She’s been the star of our family since the moment she was born,” my mom said.
The churning in my stomach hadn’t died down. If anything, it seemed to be moving even faster, and my heart was pounding so hard, I could feel it in my throat.
“I understand you’ll be leading our property-management team,” Melinda said to my mom. “An endeavor we’ve been so thrilled to start, and even more elated that you’ll be joining us.”
“I’m thankful for the opportunity,” my mom said.
Jordan’s father finished his conversation and joined us, and a new wave of emotion passed through me.
I wasn’t sure why, but when I’d been saying the Worthington name in vain for all those years, Peter was who I cursed.
He was who I directed all my anger toward.
I never envisioned his wife or his family. It was only him I blamed.
But I didn’t feel that anger when he said, “Maya,” without needing any introduction, and gave me a fatherly hug.
Or when he added, “I’m sure my wife has already welcomed you to the family, but I would like to too.
” He held my hands between both of his, palms that felt like a catcher’s mitt, and he smiled at me.
“I’ve never seen my son happier.” He winked at Jordan.
While Jordan’s hands rested on my shoulders, I whispered, “Thank you,” to Peter, searching for my voice and a way to respond to everything he’d just said.
“I can say the same about my daughter,” my mom countered.
Peter then introduced himself to my mom while Jordan whispered, “Breathe, it’s going great,” in my ear, one of his hands now gently touching my waist.
I turned toward him, meeting a smile I wasn’t expecting, and one I didn’t realize I needed.
“It did go kinda great, didn’t it.” I barely had the words out when a small set of arms wrapped around me and hugged me from behind.
There was only one person it could be. I put my hands on top of his. “Ben! Hi!”
“Mayaaa!”
I guided him around, positioning him between Jordan and me, giving him a quick hug before Jordan picked him up.
“How’s my boy?”
“I’m the best.” Ben giggled.
The two of them together, with Ben in Jordan’s arms, was the cutest sight I’d ever seen. And as he continued to hold Ben, I couldn’t stop my brain from wondering how a baby would look against Jordan’s broad chest or in his muscular arms, or the amazing father he would be.
“Where’s your dad?” Jordan asked Ben.
Ben pointed toward the podium, where Gavin was standing not far from it, speaking to several men. “He needs to talk to you about work stuuuff. Dad said that and told me to stay with Maya.”
Jordan put Ben down. “I’m going to go speak to Gavin for a minute,” he said softly to me. “Will you be all right here without me?”
“Of course.” I rubbed the outside of his arm while my other hand rested on top of Ben’s head. “Thank you for asking me.”
He kissed my cheek. “I’ll see you in a few.”
As soon as he was gone, I heard, “What do you say, Ben? Should we go find our seats before the ceremony starts?” Melinda held out her hand to her grandson, and Ben clasped it. “We have a section of seats reserved if you’d like to sit with us,” she said to Mom and me.
“We would love to,” I replied.
We were walking to their seats when Peter fell in line next to me.
With my mom talking to Melinda, we’d lagged behind a little, putting enough distance between us and the moms that no one but Peter could hear me when I said, “I’ve thanked Jordan for this, but I want you to know how much it means to me that my mom was offered this job. ”
I stared at the side of Peter’s face, at the deep wrinkles beside his eyes and the ones etched into his forehead and the grooves around his mouth. His salt-and-pepper hair and the way his green shirt matched the color of his irises.
I’d never imagined this moment. What it would feel like. What it would look like. What words would actually make their way out of my mouth. And now that it was here, I was surprised by how calm I suddenly felt.
“When I was discussing the details with Jordan after he brought it to my attention, it became obvious that your mom needed to be in that role. There isn’t anyone I could hire who could offer more insight into our tenants and how to meet their needs better than her. Well, except for you.”
I slowed my pace and came to a stop, looking him in the eyes.
I didn’t regret the hate I had felt for him; it was part of my past that I didn’t want to take back.
But as I looked at him now, that feeling was long gone.
I was about to reply when he continued, “My son is enamored with you, Maya. One day, I’ll be calling you my daughter-in-law, I have no doubt about that. But that’s what got me thinking that there could be even more good that came of this union.”
I nodded. “It already has.”
He dragged his hand down his clean-shaven cheek. “I want you to know I’ve only ever wanted to help—the rich, the poor, and everyone in between. This housing project, I hope it does that in more ways than one.”
“I know that now.” My voice cracked as the emotion came through. “And what happens now is far more important than what happened back then.”
He set his hand on my shoulder and smiled. “I know why my son loves you.” He patted the spot he was holding. “And you’re going to make one hell of a Worthington and bring so much to my family.”
“My darling, it’s such a treat to have you in my home.” Bettie put her hand on top of mine as I sat next to her on the couch. Her cold, thin fingers gave my hot ones a squeeze.
“There was no way I was letting you leave the rehab center without me.”
Although my focus had solely been on her as I’d gotten her out of the back seat of Melinda’s SUV and into the two-story brick town house in Beacon Hill, one of Boston’s oldest and most charming neighborhoods, I couldn’t help but take in the elegance of her home.
Decorated in cheerful and bold colors, with a midcentury-modern aesthetic that was heavy on wood furnishings and simple patterns.
An interior that had been thoughtfully chosen and wasn’t several decades old.