Chapter 29 - Cooper
Cooper
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay home today?” Teddy asks as I hand him his travel mug.
“I’m sure. Yesterday was hard, I won’t lie, but I’m doing just fine. I don’t need a babysitter.”
“That’s not what I meant, LB.”
“No… I know. I shouldn’t have said it like that. What I mean is that you and Max held me together through the hard part. Then Dr. K helped me decompress after. Am I still a little raw? Absolutely, but I’m managing. If it gets bad, I’ll call someone, but I’m…okay. At least, okay enough to be alone.”
Teddy nods before he steps closer to me and wraps an arm around my waist. I burrow into his chest and lock my arms around him. We stand there, just holding each other. No more words are needed.
I feel him kiss the top of my head before he takes a step back. “I’ll be home around eight tonight. I was thinking I’d pick up dinner on the way home unless you had other plans.”
“D’Maggio’s?” I ask while giving my best puppy dog eyes.
“We’ll see,” he says, rolling his eyes at my antics, but the small smile he tries to hide says I’ve already won.
I walk him to the front door, where he leans down and kisses me so gently my knees threaten to give out.
When he starts to pull back, I grab his face, stopping him before he gets too far away.
He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t try to move.
Looking into his beautiful blue eyes, making sure he can see my sincerity, I tell him, “I love you, Theodore Everett Davenport, Jr.”
His eyes glisten, then he’s surging forward and kissing me, much more passionately this time.
He gives his reply against my lips. “I love you too, Cooper Gray Sorenson. It’s only ever been you.
It will only ever be you.” His lips trail across my cheek, heading towards my ear.
“Also, not cool, making me cry before work,” he whispers before nipping at my earlobe.
Laughter bursts out of me as I shove his face away. “Get out of here. I got stuff to do.”
“Oh? Like what?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
With a laugh, he holds up his hands in surrender. “Alright. I know when I’m not wanted. Just try not to burn the house down.” With one last peck on my cheek, he’s gone.
“Shit. Fuck. Oh, cheese and rice! Not the dish towel!”
Thankfully, I manage to get the pan into the sink before the flames spread.
What in Satan’s tits?! Who the fuck manages to set a batch of cookies on fire?
Me, that’s who. Looking at the wreckage of our kitchen, I slump against the counter.
I just wanted to surprise Teddy with a small thank you.
Instead, I dang near did the one thing he jokingly told me not to do.
Dr. K had agreed that baking may be a good outlet for my need for control.
Apparently, we’d both overestimated my abilities.
Mom always made it look so easy that I never realized how detailed everything was.
An idea pops into my head. Before my anxiety can take over and talk me out of it, I snatch my keys up and run towards the front door.
As I sit staring at Mom’s house, my brain finally catches up with my body.
Coming here was so impulsive. I’ve never been here without Teddy before.
What if she doesn’t want me around without him?
What if she has company? Will she feel like baking right now?
I didn’t even bring the ingredients. What an asshole move. Is she even home?
My spiral is interrupted by the beeping of my phone. Snatching it up, I see I have a text…from Mom.
Mom: Are you going to sit out there all day?
Just like that, my fears evaporate. I throw open the car door and nearly choke myself on the still-buckled seatbelt. When I get loose from the murderous strap and make my escape from the car, I look up and see Mom on the porch doubled over laughing. Rude.
“So you were just going to let me die like that?”
“Oh, honey,” Mom wheezes, wiping her face. “I wouldn’t have interfered for all the tea in China. I needed that laugh.”
Hands on my hips, I glare. “Well, I clearly came to the wrong house for help.”
“Help?”
“Yes, Mom. Help. But clearly kindness is runnin’ a little low around here.” I cross my arms with a sniff.
“Oh now, don’t go gettin’ all dramatic on me. The only reason you ain’t laughing is because it happened to you. Now come on in and tell me what kind of help you need.”
As I follow her into the house, I tell her all about the shit show that me baking cookies turned out to be. By the time we enter the kitchen, she’s dang near doubled over again.
“Cooper, son, I don’t know how you get yourself into these kinds of mess. I ain’t never heard of someone burning down a kitchen with cookies.”
“I didn’t burn it down,” I squawk. “I only singed one dish towel.” When she just raises an eyebrow, I admit, “And burned the pot holders to a crisp. But they needed replacin’ anyway!”
She just snorts in response. “So what exactly are you needin’ my help with? Clean up? Replacements? Alibi?”
“Alibi?! Jesus, woman! I was just hopin’ you’d show me how to make them properly. You know, without involving the fire department. But I’m glad to know you’ll be down to ride or die.”
“Oh, is that all? Sure, I’ll show you.”
“Do you think we’ll finish in time for me to surprise Teddy at work?
I’d uh… I’d like to thank his coworkers for, you know, saving my life and everything.
” I still struggle to look people in the eye when talking about my previous attempts, but trying to hide from Mom has always been pointless, so I keep my gaze locked on her.
Her face softens, and she walks around the counter to give me a hug.
“Yeah, Coop, we have the time. Let’s get to work, shall we?”
Like she did when I was a kid, Mom guides me through the process of making the dough, gently making corrections when I mess up.
It takes all of fifteen minutes to prepare.
So how the fuck did it take me a whole hour on my own?
We’re rolling the balls of dough in a cinnamon-sugar mix when Mom speaks.
“I’m real glad you stopped by, Cooper. It’s been quiet here without you. I’ve missed the light you bring whenever you enter a room.”
“I’m glad I stopped by too. I’ll admit I got nervous that you wouldn’t want me around without Teddy, but I know that’s just my anxiety talkin’.”
She takes my face in her hands, the sugar gritty against my cheeks. “Damn right it is. You’re my son just as much as Everett is, and this is your home. You never need permission to be here, nor do you need an escort.”
“I love you, Mom. So much. And I’m just so sorry it took me so long to come home.”
“Hush now. There’s no need for apologies. You came when the time was right, and that’s all that matters.” She pats my cheek before releasing me and moving over to the counter.
I learned a long time ago not to argue with Nyla Davenport, so I let the subject drop. Instead, I decide to tell her about the step she inspired me to take.
“I do have some news.”
“Oh?” she says, tilting her head my way without pausing her cleaning spree.
“Well, you inspired me to do something I should’ve done a long time ago.”
“I am pretty smart.”
I chuckle at that before sobering. “I went to the police station yesterday.” Mom’s hands still, her spine stiffening. “I’m pressing charges against him.”
Slowly, she turns to face me. “How do you feel about all this?” I can hear the caution in her tone.
“Terrified. Nauseous. Ashamed. But also angry and relieved and optimistic.”
“My brave boy. You tell me what you need from me, and it’s yours. If you need me to stay in the background and let you do this yourself, I will. If you need me to hold your hand the entire time, I will. If you need to play it by ear, we can. Just say the words.”
“I want to face him. I want to do as much of this on my own as I can. I need to do as much of this on my own as I can. But I also need to know that you and Teddy will be waitin’ in the wings to pick me up when I crumble.”
“Baby, you won’t get the chance to crumble. It’s not just the three of us anymore. You have an entire family standing at your back now. We’ll hold all your pieces together if we have to, but I think you’ll be surprised by the strength you have.”