Chapter 26
“How couldyou bring up Libby like that?” I shouted at my mom in the back office. Twenty-four hours after the gala dinner, my blood boiled even harder at the sight of Mom. She betrayed me in every way possible the other night when it came time to meet Julia, and she could play the innocent card all she wanted. My mom knew exactly what she was doing. She didn’t operate by chance. Always had to be in control. Always had to appear like everything was perfect. Well, her only son, me, was far from perfect and absolutely in love with a woman whom my mom didn’t love.
Well, tough shit for Mom. I was going to keep Julia at all costs.
“I didn’t do anything wrong, Brett. You were in the wrong. You left out a very pertinent detail of your past.” Mom held up a knowing finger. And if she wasn’t my parent, I’d snap that digit right off.
“You had no right saying anything about Libby. Even if I had told Julia beforehand, you still don’t bring up serious past relationships when I’m trying to introduce my current girlfriend to my family. Oh, and don’t worry. Your message was received with how you feel about Julia.”
“Honey, I’m sorry, but I come from a place where I view meaningful relationships as inherently complicated. There are too many things working against you here with this woman.”
“I love this woman.” I leaned on the desk as Mom leaned back in her swivel chair.
What ensued next was a strange staring contest, and I won. Mom blinked, shaking off the defeat. “Your feelings are valid. That’s not what I’m challenging.”
“Then what exactly are you trying to do?” I threw my hands in the air.
“Have you thought about a serious future with Julia? Seriously, just take a breath and consider what the two of you want a year from now. Five years from now.”
“What does it matter to you?” I begged, clasping my hands. “I’m happy and believe I’m making her happy.” I exhaled, throwing my head back. “Don’t you want to see me happy?”
“Of course I do, Brett. But I also don’t want to see you sacrifice having certain things of your own for someone who has already lived through it.”
I clicked my jaw, knowing exactly what Mom meant. And what I hated to admit even more was she did have a point. Julia had already experienced so much in life—the pain, the heartbreak, the responsibilities of being a single mother. And here I was, barely starting to figure out my own path, still trying to navigate the uncertainties and insecurities of my twenties. But fuck all that noise. I had found love and wouldn’t let it go over an unsettled conversation.
“I know you’re talking about me having kids of my own. And I’m convinced that if I wanted a child, she’d have one with me because we love each other.”
An accidental laugh escaped through Mom’s lips. “You’re so young, you know that, right?” She got up from her chair and walked around the desk until we were toe to toe. “I’ll be honest with you. If I were in Julia’s shoes and met a younger man like yourself, I’m not sure I could go through it again. She’s had to live under a lot of pressure between going through a divorce, working full-time, and being a full-time mom. To think about resetting the clock.” Mom shrugged. “I’m not even sure if I could do it, even if I found a soul mate.”
“But Julia wouldn’t do this alone. I’d be there with her to help raise a baby.”
“And who’s going to be working? Someone has to work. Yes, you’ll come home at night but won’t be there during the day. You need to talk to Julia about these things because it sounds like you want to have at least one child, but you can’t assume love will make all these things happen.”
I swallowed an impossibly large lump in my throat, and for a second, I felt the weight of a single tear threatening to fall from my eye.
“Look, if you want to be with Julia and act like a father to her children, I’ll accept your decision. I’d hate to see you give up something you really wanted.” Mom gently touched my shoulder and leaned in for a cautious hug.
I pulled away from my mom”s embrace, an uncertainty swirling within me. She had planted a seed of doubt in my mind, questioning whether my relationship with Julia was sustainable in the long run. The thought of sacrificing my own desires for the sake of someone else”s past weighed heavily on me suddenly. I had to speak to Julia about this. It didn’t need to be this week, but it had to be soon.
A quiet knock interrupted my daze, and my head whipped to the door. All the saliva evaporated from my mouth, and I stood frozen. It must have been at least six years since I had last seen Libby, but she was in the doorway, six feet away from me, looking the same. Her stick-straight blonde hair with bangs swept to the side framed her cherry-shaped face and those piercing green eyes that garnered my attention the first day I met her. A simple pair of blue skinny jeans and a purple cashmere sweater hugged her skinny frame. She stood awkwardly, shifting, unable to find a comfortable stance. When our eyes finally locked, she bit her bottom lip, the telltale sign of her shaky nerves.
What was happening was not a coincidence. It only took one glance at Mom to know this was her plan, except I wasn’t angry. If anything, it was almost nice to see Libby. She was always easygoing, not complicated, just there for whatever was our next move.
Hold on, wait! What the fuck was I even saying? There was no us. It was just me and Libby seeing each other after years. A part of me wondered how she felt seeing me here a few feet away from her. Did she want to come closer?
”Libby,” I whispered her name, testing it on my lips after all these years. The sound of it rolled off my tongue like a bittersweet melody. ”It”s been so long.” I swallowed. “How are you?”
“Hey, Brett.” Libby’s honey-coated voice filled the air, and she took a step closer. “It’s been almost six years, I think.” A nervous laugh escaped her curved lips. Always so sweet. And I broke her, or so I thought, but she seemed okay. “I was in the area and asked your mom if I could stop by.” She motioned to Mom, who wore a proud grin. “Would you like to get lunch? Catch up?”
I turned to my mother, wondering what I should do. It was just lunch. It wasn’t like I was betraying Julia. I was simply catching up with someone from my past. My eyes met Libby’s emerald orbs. “Sure, that would be great. I’m just finishing up something here. How about I meet you out in the front in five minutes?”
I watched Libby”s eyes light up with a smile, her face sparkling with excitement and nostalgia. ”Sounds perfect,” she replied, her voice filled with a hint of anticipation. With that, she left the room, leaving me alone with Mom.
As I stared at the closed door, I couldn”t help but feel a pang of guilt tugging at my conscience. Seriously, was I betraying Julia by agreeing to meet up with Libby? Did I know how to be a good boyfriend to anyone?
“Mom, did you do this?” I pointed to the door with my thumb.
“Nonsense. I didn’t do anything. You know Libby and I speak occasionally. She was the closest person I had to a daughter.” She paused. “I might have suggested to Libby to stop by today, but that was it. What happened just now was all you.”
“And what did just happen?” My stomach lurched, and my heart twisted.
“I think you’re going to find out.” Mom’s eyes grew warm. “Honey, don’t overthink this. It’s only lunch.”
“Then why do I feel like I’m doing something wrong?” My chest began to ache.
“It’s just lunch, Brett. Sometimes, one moment is all it takes to realize what’s right.” Mom hugged me slightly and kissed my cheek before leaving the room.
I reorganized my desk, putting away papers just to buy time, and soon, my feet carried me to the front of Stelvio’s, where Libby stood waiting for me. Just like she always had. We exchanged easy smiles as we walked to my car side by side. At one point, I swore Libby’s fingers brushed against mine, but I jerked my hand away.
We reached my car, and I squinted into the sun, opening my door. While Libby climbed into the passenger seat, the instant her figure dropped out of sight and into my car, another person appeared from across the lot, standing and staring at me from the row of shopping carts.
Fuck, Amelia.