Chapter Eleven #2
Finally the car pulls up to my parents’ house, a small two-bedroom, two-bathroom house. I enjoyed growing up here, the warmth and the love. Despite my complaining about my mother’s feelings about Linc, my mom loves me and only wants to protect me from being hurt.
Maybe I should have listened.
I thank the driver, open the door, and step out of the car, slamming the door shut.
For safety’s sake, I wait until I’ve exited the car to turn off my phone, but I already shut the sound and vibration, not wanting to talk to Linc.
And I saw him start to text almost as soon as I finally left the venue.
Realizing I’ve come here in a rock concert outfit and shoes with no change of clothes, I mutter a low curse, but I’ll make do.
I rush up the path leading to the house and ring the bell.
The curtain moves on the window beside the door.
Thank goodness my parents like to stay up late, I think, as the door opens and my mother stands in the entryway.
Wearing a long caftan with a pretty pattern, her blonde hair pulled back in a bun, my mother glances at me, her unlined face worried.
Despite how hard she’s worked, Tamara has beautiful skin, and she has pride in her appearance.
Once my father’s electrical business took off, she was able to quit her housekeeping job, and she turned her knitting hobby into a business, selling items on Etsy.
“Jordan, what’s wrong?” my mom asks.
With the burden of secrets on my shoulders, I meet my mother’s gaze. “I’m pregnant with Linc’s baby,” I say as tears fill my eyes.
Which is okay. I’m finally safe to let them fall because Linc isn’t around to judge me. And my mother pulls me into her arms.
A little while later, my mom has shooed my father to the bedroom, made us both a cup of tea, and we sit facing each other across the table.
“Please don’t say I told you so.” I pour some milk and add sugar, wrapping my hands around the warm mug.
My mother lets out a heartfelt sigh. “It’s too late to do any good anyway.”
I nod in agreement. I decide it’s time to admit it all. “Mom, this isn’t the first time I’ve gotten pregnant.”
“What?”
Looking down at the light-colored tea, I draw a deep breath and tell my mother about what happened with Collin.
“And it was my fault. I had a migraine and skipped the pill, but this time, with Linc, we used protection.” It was old but there’s no point in telling my mother that.
“I guess I’m just one of those fertile people. ” I let out a wry laugh.
My mother reaches out, and I put my hand in my mom’s calloused one. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I swallow hard. “I knew you thought I was dating above my means and you were so insistent, both with Linc and Collin, I couldn’t face your disappointment.” Tears pool in my eyes again, and I use a napkin to dab at the moisture, not wanting my heavy makeup all over my face.
“Oh, honey.” My mother’s expression crumbles, her pain for her daughter obvious and so needed. “I feel terrible. I was looking out for you. I thought I could protect you, but I never meant to make it so you couldn’t come to me when you needed me most.” She curls her fingers tighter around my hand.
“I get it now, Mom. I know why you tried so hard to protect me.” I go on to explain how Collin tried to pay me to get rid of the baby, and my mom curses loudly.
“Now tell me what happened when you told Linc,” my mother says.
“First you need to know about his father.” I reveal how Kenneth Kingston got his secretary pregnant and paid her monthly for years instead of being a parent.
My mom shakes her head. “That man was always a selfish son of a bitch. Mrs. Kingston put up with too much from him if you ask me. Now what about Linc?”
I pull in a breath. “He overheard Aurora, his new sister, say something to me about being pregnant. I get he was in shock. But he repeated it twice and he sounded so angry.” I wanted to curl into myself, but I refused to let him see how badly he was hurting me.
And then he asked how, which is the ultimate in stupid questions. But Collin asked me the same thing, and that time I was at fault. All the memories came crashing back, especially because I’d just run into him and his pregnant wife.
“So we stood there in silence except for the other voices in the room. And his face might as well have been carved in stone. And in my head, I heard your voice, telling me I wasn’t part of their family, and I needed to know my place. And that one day he’d marry someone else.”
I wipe at my eyes again, my mascara all over the napkin. “Then Linc cursed. And I lost it. I told him not to worry, that the baby wasn’t his problem. That I wasn’t his problem.”
My mother pats my hand. “That’s my brave girl, standing up for herself. But—”
I push the mug aside. “Wait. There’s more. I topped it off and told him if he wrote me a check like Collin or his father, I wouldn’t take it. Then I walked out … and here I am.”
A few silent seconds tick by as my mother clearly gathers her thoughts. “Has he tried to reach you?”
I nod. “When I first left. Then I silenced my phone. And now it’s turned off.”
“Okay, good. Because you need time to think. How about I give you some clothes to change into, you wash up and get a good night’s sleep? We can talk again in the morning. Sound good?”
“Yeah. It does.” I don’t think I’ll get much shut-eye, but I need to be alone and process everything that’s happened tonight.
My mom rises from her seat and I do the same. Walking around, my mother wraps her arms around me and pulls me close. Her scent is familiar and comforting, and I know I’ve done the right thing by coming home.
* * *
Linc
I didn’t sleep. Not well, at least. The only good news I’ve had since Jordan walked out on me is a one-line text letting me know she’s fine.
That’s all she said. I’m fine. She’s ignored everything I texted after, asking where she is and if we can talk, and my calls still go to voicemail.
But I take comfort in the knowledge she thought to let me know she’s safe.
That means no matter how big an ass I was, deep down she knows I’ll worry about her.
Although I have no intention of letting a day pass without seeing her, whether she’s at her parents’ house or not, I have one stop to make first.
I feel like driving myself, and head to my mother’s house for a serious conversation.
After opening the gate and parking, I ring the bell, and since she’s expecting me, my mother answers.
We were out late last night, and she isn’t dressed up nor does she have on a full face of makeup, but she’s still beautiful.
We settle in the large kitchen, which has recently been remodeled, with stainless steel appliances, white granite counters, and state-of-the-art … everything.
She offers me something to eat but I decline. I ate at home.
We sit on barstools at the center island, and I lean an elbow on the granite. I’m not sure how to approach the subject. Until Jordan and I talk, I have no intention of telling my mother she’s pregnant. I hope my sisters kept the news to themselves.
“So you told me last night we needed to talk. What is it?” my mother asks.
“How do you feel about Jordan?” I ask, diving right in.
She tips her head, confusion in her expression. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
I let out a groan. “Okay, there’s no easy way to ask this. Chloe mentioned to me that Jordan isn’t one of us. That people in our so-called social circle consider her the maid’s daughter and … they look down on her.”
I’m not asking my mother these questions because I need her approval before making things right with Jordan. Rather, I’m asking because I want to counter any argument Jordan herself might have about us being together and having a future.
I know I’m getting ahead of myself. First I need her to forgive me for my reaction to our big news. But I’m a man who prepares for all situations before taking a leap. Another reason her pregnancy is such a shock. I’ve never considered the possibility.
I glance at my mother, who looks like a woman trying to formulate her answer, and my stomach churns. Not for myself but because I want to be able to tell Jordan she’ll be welcome in my family.
My mother clasps her hands together on the counter and blows out a long breath. “Are you asking how I feel or how other people feel?”
Is she hesitating to answer or is she really confused? I’m not certain.
“I don’t give a shit how the outside world thinks. I do, however, care about Jordan being treated with respect by everyone. And frankly I think this conversation is ridiculous in today’s world, but I believe Chloe when she tells me that’s how some people feel.”
My mother nods. “Unfortunately, there are people who come from money and think they’re better than others. Your father being one of those people.”
“Yes. He hated Jordan being a big part of my life.” And the fact that my father was rude to her had put up yet another barrier between us.
My mother glances down at her perfectly manicured nails before meeting my gaze. “But if you’re asking how I feel, I’ve always liked Jordan. I think she’s a lovely young woman who has been a good friend to you.”
“She’s more than a friend.” I keep my eyes on my mother, wanting to gauge her reaction.
She blinks. “Oh. Oh! Well, that’s a surprise. I guess I should have been paying more attention, because I had no idea!” Sudden awareness lights her expression. “And that’s why you want to know how I feel about her.”
I incline my head, nodding.
An unexpected smile lifts my mother’s lips. “Sounds like I should be asking you the same question. Except I don’t think you’d be here if it was just a casual thing.”
At her calm acceptance, the tension in my shoulders eases. “It’s far from casual. And you need to know I’m not asking you for myself, because I’m all in no matter how anyone else feels. But I would like to be able to tell Jordan she’s a welcome part of our family.”
I’ve never sensed any issues coming from my mother, and I already know my siblings like Jordan.
But as Chloe said, I’m a man. And guys don’t always think like women when it comes to this shit.
Social status, money, who you were born to.
None of it makes a damned bit of difference to me.
Wasn’t Beck my close friend in college before a woman came between us?
And Jordan has always been my best friend. I should have realized sooner that she’s my everything.
“Linc, I always liked Jordan and she has always fit in here. She’s always been welcome. As for the snobs who we are forced to deal with outside of our home? If they don’t accept her, then I have no use for them.”
Reaching out, she covers my hand with hers. “So how serious are you two?”
It’s all I can do not to tell her everything, but I need to wait. “It’s very serious.”
“Enough for me to give you your grandmother’s diamond? I know how much you loved her, and the stone is a Kingston family heirloom. I can’t think of a better way to show her she’s welcome.”
And this is why I love my mother. Standing, I take two steps and pull her into a hug.