Chapter 18
“Are you ready?” Brooke shouted down the hall.
“Not yet,” Drew called back.
Drew had always been the kind of woman who could effortlessly get ready.
She’d never needed much prep time. Tonight, she was introducing Drew to her mom and her mom’s new boyfriend.
Seemingly, this was causing Drew more anxiety than Brooke had anticipated.
Drew had tried on six outfits before Brooke had given up on waiting in the bedroom.
She’d decided that pacing the living room would make Drew less panicked than pacing in front of while she chose an outfit.
Brooke wasn’t the sort who felt the crushing need to be on time everywhere.
She did feel the need to be punctual with her mother.
No one else was likely to call her out for her occasional lateness.
Her mother absolutely would remind her of what time she was supposed to be there.
When Brooke couldn’t handle another moment of waiting she crept back into the bedroom.
Drew was examining herself in the mirror.
Brooke’s breath caught in her chest. Frozen in place by how stunning Drew was.
This had happened on and off since Brooke had moved in with Drew.
It had happened enough times that she had been referring to it as the “Drew effect.” No other woman had ever been able to bring her to her knees just by existing. But Drew certainly could.
Drew wore a thick black sweater with curve-hugging jeans. She saw Brooke in the mirror and turned to face her.
“Do you think it’s okay?” Drew asked.
Brooke allowed her eyes to travel up Drew’s body, stopping when she locked eyes with her.
Drew’s eyes were perfect. Brooke could always tell exactly what Drew was feeling by her eyes.
The color always remained the warm hazel that Brooke loved.
But somehow, Drew’s eyes held all of her emotions.
When Drew was happy, they gleamed a little brighter.
Tonight, there was an uncertainty behind Drew’s eyes.
Brooke offered Drew a smile before stepping forward, close enough for their toes to bump.
“More than okay.”
“Are you sure?” Drew asked, biting a corner of her bottom lip. Brooke sucked in a breath.
“I am positive that the only thing Susan Foster is going to care about is whether or not we show up on time,” Brooke chuckled.
“Understood,” Drew laughed.
Brooke leaned in and gave Drew a kiss, then took Drew by the hand, practically dragging her from the apartment.
Brooke’s mom had insisted on cooking for the occasion.
That was one way that Brooke knew her mom must be serious about her new flame.
Brooke didn’t think that her mother had committed to cooking for anyone since her divorce.
If she was willing to give up the convenience of restaurants Susan must be smitten.
Drew had been downright giddy ever since Brooke had invited her to dinner with her mom.
Brooke didn’t think she could fully explain how much she loved this woman.
“What do you think this guy your mom is dating is like?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. I know his name and a little bit of back story. Things must be kind of serious if she’s cooking for this,” Brooke teased.
“I think it’s great that you and her have been able to reconnect,” Drew smiled.
Brooke felt a pull deep inside her. There had been questions that she’d wanted to ask Drew for weeks.
Now that she was restoring her relationship with her mom, Brooke couldn’t help but to be curious about Drew’s.
It never seemed to be the right time to bring up Drew’s family history.
Let alone her current relationship with her mother.
But Brooke wanted to know more. She wanted to know everything about Drew.
“Do you and your mom talk much?” Brooke hated how hesitant the question sounded.
If the question upset Drew she didn’t show any signs.
“I probably should get together with her more than I do. Or at least call more,” Drew admitted. Brooke smiled and placed her hand gently on Drew’s knee.
“Families are complicated. I wouldn’t give yourself a lot of grief over it.”
“True. My family has definitely had some tough years. But my mom went out of her way to get my uncle to rent me the shop. So I definitely want to take her out for a thank you dinner some time soon. And if you’re up for it, I’d love to take you with me.”
Brooke’s heart was flying somewhere above her body.
“I would love that,” Brooke said simply.
Brooke’s mom had lived in a brick ranch-style house off of Miller Street in Nashville ever since the divorce.
The first thing she had done post-divorce was buy a home for the sake of stability.
She’d been living in the same home ever since.
The move had proven to be a good investment.
Through the years the house had more than tripled in value as Tennessee real estate steadily climbed upwards.
Drew pulled into the driveway and Brooke smiled to herself.
It wasn’t lost on Brooke that she’d never had a woman that was worth introducing to her mom before.
She’d never been in a relationship, let alone in love.
Now here she was with Drew. Once she had stopped fighting her connection with Drew, everything really had just fallen into place.
Everyone had always told her that she’d know when she met the right person.
Brooke had never believed them. But now she knew that they had been right.
All Brooke had to do was look at Drew and she just knew she was right.
Her mom yelled for them to come in when they knocked on the door.
“Mom, you live too close to downtown to just leave your door open to the world,” Brooke chided.
“And yet here I am unmurdered,” Susan quipped.
“Mom, that is not a good metric to use,” Brooke scolded.
“You must be Drew,” Susan’s eyes moved to Drew.
“I must be,” Drew laughed.
Susan pulled Drew in for an uncustomary hug. She shot Brooke a thumbs up over Drew’s back. Brooke’s mind was officially blown. Had Susan Foster just given Brooke her approval? Words failed her.
“Why don’t the two of you make yourselves comfy in the dining room? Frank should be here any minute.”
Brooke showed Drew to the dining room. They sat at the same table Brooke had spent her childhood eating at.
Her mother wasn’t an overly emotional woman, but she had a way of holding onto things with memories attached to them.
The sound of the screen door opening and closing caused both of them to glance towards the kitchen.
“You’re here. Come to the dining room and meet Brooke and her girlfriend,” Susan was saying.
A tall man with broad shoulders and a greying beard stepped into the doorway.
Brooke watched as Drew went still as a statue.
From the doorway the man mimicked the motion.
Brooke couldn’t put her finger on what the trouble could be.
Drew was usually the more extroverted of the two of them.
Brooke didn’t mind taking the initiative this time around.
She rose from her chair, sparing Drew an uneasy look.
“Hi, I’m Brooke,” she offered her hand. The man seemed to regain his senses and his smile widened.
“I’m Frank,” he took Brooke’s hand, shaking it.
“And this is my girlfriend….”
“Oh Frank and I already know each other,” Drew interrupted.
Brooke watched as Frank shifted his weight awkwardly from one foot to the other.
“Isn’t that right, Dad,” Drew added.
“Dad?” Brooke asked, she could feel her own shock beginning to set in. She couldn’t even imagine what Drew must be feeling.
“Hi, sweetie,” Frank offered. He rubbed the back of his neck with a hand.
Brooke saw the look of shock on her mother’s face and was glad she wasn’t the only one.
“I didn’t know you were back in Nashville,” Drew stated, there was ice lining every word.
“I haven’t been back long. Less than a year.” Frank’s nerves seemed well deserved. Brooke had never heard Drew use this tone with anyone.
Drew pushed up from her seat so suddenly that Brooke startled.
“Thank you for the invitation, Ms. Foster. I think I’m going to excuse myself from dinner.”
Drew was moving towards the door before Brooke had a chance to form a sentence. She caught up to Drew on the porch.
“Drew, stop. Wait,” Brooke called out.
Drew halted, her hand already on the handle to her car’s door. Brooke stopped in front of her.
“Are you okay?” Brooke asked.
Drew looked at her as if she’d asked why it was dark outside.
“I don’t know,” Drew finally admitted.
“Let me drive you home,” Brooke offered.
“I don’t want to mess things up between you and your mom,” Drew said.
“My mom will understand.”
“I think I need to be alone for a while. I’m not going to be good company right now,” Drew stated. Her tone was so flat that it was almost unrecognizable.
Brooke couldn’t hide the sting she felt from the words. Drew was hurting and Brooke wanted to be the person that she turned to, not the one Drew wanted space from.
“Okay,” Brooke whispered.
“Can you get a ride home?” Drew asked.
“Of course,” Brooke answered.
“Maybe you should sleep at your place tonight. Like I said…”
“You need to be alone. Yeah, I heard you loud and clear,” Brooke cut Drew off. Her words came out more terse and emotional than she would have liked.
“Thanks. I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Drew offered her a half smile before getting in her car and driving away.
The whole event happened so fast that Brooke found herself staring after the car.
She stood in the driveway for several seconds.
What the hell had just happened? The night had gone from wonderful to shit in no time at all.
Brooke glanced back towards the house where her mom waited on the porch.
Brooke took step after painful step until she reached her mom.
When she did, Susan wrapped her arms around Brooke and held her tight.
This was the same kind of hug her mom had offered to her as a child, when Brooke had skinned her knee, or fallen on the playground.
But there was no hug to heal the hurt currently residing in her heart.