29. Alexis
Ithink I’m going to be sick.
Jason and I are walking down the hallway to my apartment, about to enter the lion’s den.
His confidence that my mom couldn”t scare him away does little to calm my nerves. I think what freaks me out the most is that I have no idea what my mom will do or say. I can”t control her or predict her, and that uncertainty makes my chest tight.
Jason”s hand squeezes mine just before we open the door and step through. It helps—just a little.
”Is that my one and only baby girl?” My mom calls from her and my father”s room. Her head pops out, and she legitimately screams when she spots Jason.
”Oh my god! Bill! Stop taking a shit and get out here and meet your future son-in-law!”
The desire to turn around and leave is so strong, I actually start to move toward the door. But Jason just tugs me back and laughs as my mom practically sprints toward us.
Much like Martha, my mom doesn”t hesitate to pull Jason into a hug. ”Hello, Mrs. Masters; it”s very nice to meet you.” He doesn”t hesitate to give her one right back.
”Oh Jason, you”re practically family. Call me Cheryl.” She pulls back and pinches his cheek like he”s a kid visiting his grandma in the nursing home. A moment later, the toilet flushes, and we all hear my dad wash his hands. He”s blushing slightly as he comes out of the bathroom, attempting to shut the door behind him discreetly. I don”t even want to know what manner of foulness he dropped in there. And while he might be blushing a bit, I know my face is beet red.
Jason reaches out without hesitation and shakes my dad”s hand. ”Dr. Masters, it”s nice to meet you as well.” He flinches almost unperceptively as they awkwardly continue to shake hands. I just know they”re doing that weird thing men do where they try to hurt each other through a handshake, to battle for dominance or something.
Apparently, Jason passes the test because my dad pulls away first and then slaps him on the back, hard. ”No need to call me Dr. Masters. Bill will do just fine, son.”
Before my parents can do or say anything worse, I”m charging for the door. ”Come on! I”m hungry, and we have a dinner reservation we can”t miss.”
The car ride is awkward. But not because we don”t have anything to say. Oh no. My mother hasn”t stopped speaking for more than the time it takes to take a new breath. First, she regaled us with stories about how hard it can be to find a toilet while traveling and how it occasionally led to some hilarious situations with my father”s IBS. She then immediately moved into talking about marriage and the perfect times and locations for outdoor California weddings. Had we thought about having ours in Napa? It feels overdone to her. But also somehow perfect? Or maybe a beach wedding? She then launched into the story about how she and my dad got married in a courthouse and how they immediately regretted the location and ended up renewing their vows in Costa Rica a year later. None of us could get a word in edge wise. Thankfully, we pulled up to the restaurant before she could get into the topic of babies or start sharing the horror story that was my birth. She loves telling that one.
While waiting for the host to take us to our table, Jason pulls me into his arms and presses a kiss to my temple. ”Not freaked out in the slightest, Lex. Your mom is going to have to try harder.” A distressed laugh escapes my lips as I rub my forehead into his chest. I slip my hands around him under his sport coat, pulling him tighter against me, wishing I could burrow into his skin. I don”t care if my parents are watching or what the paps might get on camera; I just need his comforting body wrapped around mine as tightly as possible. He holds me tighter without hesitation.
The host comes, and before I let him go, I look up into his blue eyes and pinch his chin. I love his chin. ”I love you,” I whisper.
He smiles and pinches my chin back. ”I love you too.”
When I turn to follow the host, I find my mother staring at us, tears flowing down her cheeks. What have I done?
Surprisingly, she passes the dinner in a more normal state once she calms down. Asking Jason basic, non-invasive questions and actually giving him time to answer. I almost feel out of sorts, she”s acting so level. Under the table, Jason keeps periodically squeezing my knee, comforting me.
As we’re waiting for dessert, the topic of my birthday comes up.
“So, Jason, do you have any plans for Alexis’ 30th this weekend? Bill and I had a few ideas, but I don”t want to step on your toes if you have something already planned.” I can”t tell from the glint in my mom”s eye if she wants him to have something planned or not. Before I can interject that we do not, in fact, have plans, Jason jumps in.
”Actually, Cheryl, I do.” He just smiles when I look at him, surprised. ”My parents have a place on Catalina Island and invited us to stay. I spoke with Lex”s friends from the hospital, and they”re all able to come as well. We”ll have to get up pretty early Saturday morning to catch the ferry out of San Pedro to reach Two Harbors, but my parents said they”d have a big breakfast waiting for us when we arrive.”
My jaw is on the floor. I had no clue he”d done any of this, let alone talked to the girls about their schedules. Hell, I only told him my birthday was coming up two weeks ago. Was he planning this while he was away filming?
He catches my awed look and gives me the smuggest smile I’ve ever seen. Oh, he’s good. I pinch his arm, but without any force. After the initial shock rolls off, I find myself incandescently happy.
”Oh, did you hear that, Bill? That sounds wonderful! And we get to meet your parents?” My mom whacks my dad as if he wasn”t already paying attention. He just nods and grunts like none of this was a big deal to him. But I know he”ll pull me aside later and want to say something to me privately.
I pull out my phone and send a quick text to the group chat I have with Allison, Nique, and Tristan. Only slightly annoyed that they were able to keep this a secret.
Alexis:You hoes, how could you not tell me you were planning a party for me with Jason? You all made me think you were too busy to do something!
It takes less than ten seconds for their replies to roll in.
Kiki: Dammit! He was supposed to keep his lips sealed until you were on the ferry, and we jumped out of nowhere!
Allison: I”m sorry, sweety pie, but it was too good of a surprise to pass up. The look on your face when we told you we were all busy? [crying laughing emoji]
Tristan: I’d like the record to show that I was originally opposed, but was forced to comply.
Alexis: You’re all lucky I love you guys, or I’d be dis-inviting you from this whole trip.
Allison: Noooooo! Don’t do that! Phil has the kids this weekend AND I’m off. Don’t take this me time away from me!!!!!! [sobbing GIF]
Kiki: I’ll cut you if you leave me behind.
Tristan: Again, let the record show that I was always opposed to lying.
Alexis: [repeating eye-roll emojis]
Alexis: I’m getting dirty looks from my mother, so I gotta go. I guess I’ll see you three on Saturday…….
Thankfully, before my mother can complain, our desserts arrive, and she”s distracted by sugar.
***
Later in the evening, we”re back at the apartment for one last glass of wine. My mom has kidnapped Jason to the kitchen, where she needs help opening a rather pesky bottle. Which is code for, I want to talk to you without my disapproving daughter around.
But it”s ok because a little heart-to-heart in the kitchen is nothing after everything else she”s pulled tonight. At least, I hope it”s nothing.
Maybe I should go in there.
Before I can move, my father uses this as an opportunity to talk to me privately. He pulls me fully into the living room so we”re out of earshot from the kitchen. I find myself frowning, it”s not often that my father feels the need to exclude my mother from things. And now I”m a little concerned he doesn”t want Jason to hear either.
”Sweetheart, you know I love and trust you, right?” He looks down at me from over his glasses, a slight crease in his brow. I feel like there”s a big “but” coming.
“Yes?” it comes out more like a question, I have no idea where he’s going with this.
”And I want you to know that I am so happy that you are happy with Jason. But I just want to make sure you don”t get swept up in his glamorous life. New love can make you see everything through rose-colored glasses, and it”s great, but it doesn”t always last. You are nearing the end of residency; this is a crucial point in your career. I don”t want you to lose sight of that because of a man.”
I don’t even know what to say, I just stare at him. Of all the things I thought he might say, I didn’t expect him to question my ability to balance my life.
At my silence, he continues, ”You know I married Lisa during my residency, and I was so caught up in the ups and downs of our relationship I almost lost sight of my career. I was so afraid of losing her, that I have into every selfish whim she had until I didn’t know what I even wanted anymore. I just don”t want you to make the same mistakes I did.”
I sigh, closing my eyes briefly. I know he’s just trying to protect me because he’s my father, but I thought he understood that I wouldn’t ever let someone get in the way of my career. I’m too driven.
”Dad, while I appreciate your concern, it”s not needed. Jason knows how important my career is to me. We”ve had several discussions on our life goals and what takes priority. He would never push me to set anything aside in favor of our relationship. Just like I would never do that to him. Thank you, but I don”t need you to worry.”
He puts his hands up as if to calm me down, which honestly makes me more mad. ”Alright, alright. But as your father, I just needed to get my worries off my chest. You do with them what you will. I love you, Bug.”
And just like that, my childhood nickname disarms me entirely, and I”m no longer mad. Or at least, downgraded to frustrated. I begrudgingly smile and give him a hug. Just as we”re separating, Jason and my mom enter with the wine and glasses. He”s laughing at something my mom said, and she”s grinning like she just won the lottery. My dad might be worried, but when I look at what we”re starting to build? I”m not.
***
Much, much later, Jason and I are a tangle of limbs and sheets, one of his hands running up and down my spine. I”m sated and drowsy but can”t quite sleep yet. I shift around a bit until I”m propped up on his chest and can see the smug smile on his face. This time, I don”t stop myself from leaning down and taking a little nibble out of his pec.
”Hey!” He slaps his hand over my mouth, a mock scowl on his face. I know my little love nips don”t bother him; I can literally feel the evidence pressing against my hip. We”re not sleeping anytime soon. ”What was that for?”
I shrug, trying to look nonchalant. ”Just wanted you to know how excited I am for this weekend. I can”t believe you planned all this while wrapping your movie.” He shrugs as if it isn”t a big deal, but it is. It shows how much he pays attention and cares about me, that when he says ”I love you,” he means it. ”I am a little worried about our mothers being in the same house, though. They”ll either fall in love and gang up on us or initiate a Cold War.” I pretend to shudder at the thought. “I’m not sure which would be worse.”
He chuckles a bit, squeezing my arm. “I think they’ll get along fine. I will concede that your mom might be a little more intense than mine, but their hearts are in the same place.”
“Ha! So, you do admit that my mom is crazy!” I knew she’d freaked him out.
“Not crazy, just intense. She wants you to be happy, and a healthy relationship with me is a sign that you are, indeed, happy.” He shrugs as if my mother”s motivations are easy to understand.
I shake my head; this man is something else. How anyone could get through tonight with my mother and still have a favorable opinion of her is beyond me. I”m her daughter; I”m forced to unconditionally love her, crazy and all. But for Jason to be able to just roll with it? Well, it fills me up.
He lifts me up so he can quickly kiss me on the lips before settling us more comfortably in the bed. It”s weird. This is the first night we”ve spent in his apartment. And while I”m glad I don”t have to worry about my neighbor tonight or my parents, to be honest, I”m a little curious as to why we never hang out here. But just as I open my mouth to ask, I hear a snore. Jason is out, mouth open, and already drooling. I snap a picture and giggle to myself; this will be excellent blackmail material later.