CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
I had no idea what to wear. Should I hide the tattoos? But Mia liked them, so maybe I should wear a short-sleeved shirt.
But what if her parents weren’t as progressive? Maybe a buttoned-down shirt would be more appropriate.
Was I supposed to wear a tie? I didn’t get that from Mia, but they could be very formal people.
And why the hell was I struggling so much to impress her parents? Deep down, I knew why. But why ?
I settled on a pair of jeans, a black shirt—I grabbed a jacket just in case my arms could be a problem—and boots.
Even though we were sleeping in the same bed, I still used the guest room to get changed. It felt like some sort of barrier, a safety measure, a way not to scare us both into analyzing what was going on between us. I walked out of the room and stopped in the corridor to smell her perfume waltzing through the air.
She came from her bedroom wearing jeans shorts, a pair of sneakers, and a tight black shirt written: “ Half of me is hunger; the other half I ate .” She was wearing glasses like me, and her hair was up in a messy bun. She was the image of the girl next door, and I was forced to adjust myself and think of Hugo’s ragged stuffed monkey, otherwise, I’d make me and Mia late to her parents. It didn’t seem like a good idea to offend them by not showing up on time because I was making out with their daughter.
She picked up her purse. “Ready to go?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
Mia beamed at me and called for Hugo, who was already waiting for us by the door. As soon as she opened the door, he raced to the car and hopped in circles until she unlocked the back door for him to jump inside.
“Mind if we drive together?”
“Not at all.”
We climbed into her car, and off we went. I noticed her hands were tight around the steering wheel. Even though I was nervous about the prospect of meeting her parents—and Gabe, whom I had yet to meet, and I knew meant a lot to Mia—she seemed nearly sick about going. I knew she loved her family, but something was disturbing her.
Wanting her to feel more comfortable, I wrecked my brain over anything to make her feel better. That was when I remembered how Pop used to make Nana smile.
Gossip.
“Have you heard about the Dillmans?”
She glanced at me in confusion. “Who?”
“The Dillmans. Remember Dale Dillman? I think he was already in our department during your time at the DEA.”
She nodded slowly with a hint of a smile. “Yeah…Skinny guy. A little creepy, but not in a sexual way, more in an ‘I like to shoot birds for the fun of it’ way. What about him?”
“His wife left him. People said—”
“Wait a minute. Are you trying to make us become friends by telling on other people?” She gasped dramatically. “Are you trying to make me feel better?”
I chuckled. “And that would be terrible because…?”
“First you coming to meet my family, now you trying to get all cozy and friendly. I’m on to you, Phoenix. Are you being deliberately endearing just so I can let my guard down? ”
I raised my palms but smiled at the glint in her eyes. “There’s just no tricking you.”
She huffed in affront and kept driving, side-eyeing me for a few seconds. “Did he cheat on her? Was it with Susan? It was with Susan from the shooting range, wasn’t it?”
“Wait. Did he have a thing for Susan?”
“Damn, he had a huge thing for Susan. No one from our department had more shooting hours than him, and he was still bad at it. It was disturbing, really. Yet, it didn’t seem to be for her. You see, Susan is a vegan, then one time, he dressed as a—wait, but if you didn’t know about his crush, then there’s nothing to do with her. Why did the Dillmans break up? Was it the bird-killing thing?”
“Come on, you can’t interrupt a story like that! What was he dressed as?”
“You tell me yours, and I’ll tell you mine. Why did his wife leave?”
We spent the next few minutes marveling and laughing at other people’s tales and fortunes, like two healthy and nice people would. And I’d never had more fun during a car ride.
She parked in front of a beautiful home—not ostentatious, but cozy and beautiful—and her mood turned somber again. Mia stared at the place, fidgeting her fingers. Even Hugo became serious. He leaned on the driver’s seat to give her a lick on the cheek, and we both waited for her to make the next move.
Mia gulped and bit the inside of her lips. “There’s just so many memories inside.”
“There’s nothing wrong in creating more.”
“How can I do that without him?”
“You don’t need to do it without your brother. You can create memories in his honor. You can create memories about him.” I turned to her in my seat. “Have I told you about when Nana passed?”
She looked at me and shook her head.
“She and Pop were two of my favorite people. Losing her was like losing a part of myself. In the beginning, I tried to pretend she wasn’t gone. I couldn’t say it out loud, otherwise, it’d become real, and I wasn’t ready for that.” I took Mia’s hands in mine. “Every time I went to their place, she’d bring me milk and cookies as we talked about our days. So, after she was gone, I started writing to her. Whenever I was feeling sad over anything, I’d pick a plate of cookies and a glass of milk, and I’d write everything I’d say to her as if she were around. I imagined what she’d say to me, what she’d done. If she was mad at Pop for something. I’d laugh seemingly alone, but in reality, I was laughing with her. I know it sounds weird, but it brought me some peace, and it felt like a way of keeping her alive.
“For years after she passed, I talked more with her than any other living person. And even now, if I feel the need to hear from her or if I need some advice, I just pick a glass of milk and a plate of cookies and tell Nana about my day.”
She squeezed my hand, and I peered up to see her leaning sideways against her seat to look at me with unshed tears in her eyes. “You weren’t supposed to be this sweet. It makes it harder to hate you.”
I caressed her face. “Then don’t.”
We remained silent in her car for a few minutes until she leaned closer and pressed a lingering kiss on my cheek. “I think I’m ready to go inside.”
We got out of the car, and I let her lead the way. “What should we do to make it more comfortable for you?”
She sighed. “We avoid the inside of the house like the plague. I’m not ready to see his pictures.”
“Then the backyard it is.”
Hugo showed us the way as we rounded the house.
“Ethan?” I stopped to look at her. “Thank you.”
I smiled and pulled her by the back of her neck to kiss her forehead. “Anything for you.”
In my attempt to make things easier for Mia, I’d momentarily forgotten how huge of a day it was for me as well. I had no idea what was happening between us—only that it was strong and something I’d never had before.
It felt an awful lot like meeting my girl’s parents. I wasn’t averse to that; Mia was becoming a big part of my life. But I was starting to feel like I should be more prepared for the event.
Hugo was comfortable enough to run to the house and greet everyone. But as soon as Mia and I showed up at the back porch, her parents looked at us in surprise and what seemed to be delight.
Ben had a shit-eating grin on his face, and I made a mental note to myself not to run to him for help during the day.
An older and beautiful woman, who looked a lot like Mia, marched toward us in excitement. “I can’t believe you came, honey.” She pulled Mia into a tight embrace. “I’m so happy to see you here.”
The two women hugged like they hadn’t seen each other in a long time. And I had a suspicion they hadn’t.
A tall man walked leisurely our way. “And you brought company. Who is this nice fellow?”
Feeling my face get warmer, and without a single clue on how to act around people, I kept my arms firm by my side and bent over my stomach.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Mia watching me concerned and horrified as she whispered, “Why the hell are you bowing at my father? ”
“I sort of started it and didn’t know how to stop it,” I mumbled.
“I think you can stand now.”
I appreciated Mia’s and her parents’ efforts not to snort by biting their lips—contrary to Ben, who was guffawing a few feet away as Izzie scolded him quietly. “Be nice.”
“Mom, Dad, this is Ethan Cross. We’ve been…he’s my…we started…”
She looked at me with rounded eyes, and neither of us could find the right description.
Working together? It wasn’t only that for a while. Dating? Unless we could count our time in All In One as dating, we hadn’t started it yet; besides, it was too weak a statement. Each other’s person? It felt more like it, at least on my part. But I didn’t want to say that out loud and risk scaring Mia.
We were both put out of our misery when her father slapped my shoulder. “It’s nice to meet you, Ethan.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Bryant.”
He waved a hand. “No Mr. and Mrs. in our home. I’m Jackson, this is Rosalinda, my wife. But we all call her Rosie. And you’re very welcome here.”
I rubbed my sweaty palms over my jeans and followed them up the porch stairs to greet Ben, Izzie, and Haley. I found Teddy on the floor and squatted to play with him when a little boy with round cheeks, blond wavy hair, and brown eyes walked out of the house.
As soon as he spotted Mia, he sprinted in her direction and jumped into her waiting arms. “Auntie Mia! I missed you so much!”
She squeezed him against her chest—lucky kid—and kissed his hair. “I missed you too, Gabe-boy! It feels like we haven’t seen each other since yesterday.”
He kissed her cheek. “But it was yesterday—who are you?”
Gabe leaned his head to the side as he watched me. I walked to him and squatted in front of him. “I’m Ethan. Your Auntie Mia’s friend.”
He squinted at me, then looked at Mia, then frowned at me again and held her hand firmly in his little one. “She’s my auntie.”
I chuckled at his display of possessiveness—who could blame him? I wanted to claim her as well.
“Oh, I know. I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re her Gabe-boy; I could never take your place.” I stretched my hand. “I’m happy to finally meet you.”
He took my hand warily, but then his eyes lit up. “You’re the one living with Auntie Mia and sleeping in my old bedroom!”
“Living with whom?” Jackson asked, at the same time Ben snorted and quipped, “We hope it’s in your old bedroom. ”
Mia’s eyes rounded, and she poked mine and Gabe’s back. “Kids, go play!”
I suppressed a laugh and was ready to do as I was told when Gabe pulled my hand. “If you know Auntie Mia, maybe you know Zachy too. Have you seen him? He’s running late.”
The collective intake of breath behind me and Gabe’s unintentionally painful words made me understand Mia’s resistance to come.
I glanced back looking for guidance and was met with everyone’s despair and Ben’s discomfort. But it was Mia’s closed eyes and guilty face that made me take action.
“I’m sorry, Gabe. I can’t say I’ve met him. But I wish I did; I’ve heard wonderful things about him. Why don’t you tell me more about Zach?”
I ruffled his hair, stood up taking Teddy in my arms, and held Gabe’s hand so we could walk around the yard as the grown-ups settled. I whistled for Hugo to join us, and the four of us explored the space as Gabe told tale after tale of how awesome Zach was.
It saddened me that I’d never get to meet the man who meant so much to my friends and their family. The man who meant so much to Mia. It felt like there would always be something fundamental about her that I’d never be privy to, and I wanted to know all about her.
Instead of letting those thoughts bring me down, I used the moment to learn as much about Zach as possible. Gabe even tried to teach me how to play soccer like he used to do with Mia’s brother—coming from a Brazilian lineage (Rosie had come from Brazil), soccer was one of the sacred topics in the Bryants’ household.
I had no doubts that Zach was an honorable and loved man. So, I made it my mission to always be a safe place where Mia—and Gabe—could talk about him and keep his memories alive.
After running around the backyard with Hugo and the kids for a while, we walked back to the porch, and I tried to engage in some adult time. Modesty aside, I’d done a good job getting closer to Gabe, but it was time to impress Mia’s parents.
It wasn’t hard. They were nothing if not hospitable. The food and the conversation were beyond pleasant. It was like that wasn’t my first time around them.
I just hadn’t expected them to insist on me going inside—maybe I should’ve.
Trying to be loyal to Mia yet being respectful of her parents’ hospitality was a challenge. I knew it was hard for Mia to be there, and I wanted to stay around in case she needed me. Besides, as long as she didn’t feel comfortable looking at Zach’s picture, I wouldn’t either. It might sound dumb and weird, but I wanted to walk along her grief by her side.
I was thankful when Rosie finally realized my motivations.
“Is there a reason why you’re set on staying outside, honey?”
On instinct, I glanced at her daughter and then cleared my throat. “I appreciate how welcoming you’ve been. But there are some lines I’ll cross only when Mia is ready.”
Rosie grabbed my hand, tapped it twice, and smiled. “I’m so glad she found a good one.”
She touched my cheek—the Bryants were nothing if not affectionate—and walked to Mia and the other girls.
Jackson stood beside me, and I was set on high alert. He seemed like a nice man, but I was shacking up with his little girl.
“I heard you’re John Cross’s grandson.”
I smiled on instinct at the mention of Pop. “I am.”
“I like him. He’s definitely a character.” We chuckled lightly. “He’s a very good friend of Mia.”
“He adores her. I have a feeling he likes her more than me.” I joked, but I meant it. And it made me happy in a way. It was like having Pop’s seal of approval on whatever was brewing between me and Mia.
“Oh, he likes you all right. He’s talked about you a lot, all wonderful things. And keep in mind he’s a grump.” We laughed again, and he stared at me. “I must admit…he seemed to have be en telling the truth. You’re a remarkable young man.”
Touched by his compliment, I felt my cheeks getting warmer again. I pushed my glasses up my nose to have something to do with my hands. “I appreciate that, sir. But…we’ve just met. How could you tell?”
“For starters, my little girl is an amazing judge of character. If she likes you, then I’m sure you must be a wonderful man.”
I smiled sheepishly. “Then I’m glad you didn’t meet me when Mia and I first started working together.”
He beamed at my side. “Let me guess: she wasn’t exactly compliant and challenged you at every turn?”
I rounded my eyes. “At one point, I was actually afraid for my life; she was out for blood. Mine. Ben and Danny were no help at all; quite the opposite, they seemed to enjoy my peril state. Thank God, Aaron ran interference.”
Jackson threw his head back in laughter. “That’s my girl. I’m not sure you know this, but Ben started coming around when he was a kid. He effectively moved in when he was a teenager, but he was ours way before that.”
“I’ve heard a little bit about it.”
“He lived such a difficult life. Abused at home. Bullied at school. Zach and Mia were the ones who took him in under their wings. Can you imagine?” He pointed at Mia and shook his head. “That little thing protecting someone?” I could definitely imagine. “Then there was one day when this bully kid tried to punch Ben. She and Zach intervened, and the jerk said something offensive to both Ben and Mia, especially for her being a girl. Well, her tooth had been loose for weeks. And I kid you not, she ripped her tooth right off, gathered blood in her mouth, spit in the bully’s shoes, and said ‘ Next time, it’ll be your tooth I’ll make bleed .’”
I guffawed along with him. “That’s psychotic.”
“It sure is. That’s Mia. A little reckless. A lot loyal. And you’ll never know someone who loves as deeply and as selflessly as she does. I guess what I’m trying to say is ‘Thank you.’”
I frowned. “What?”
His eyes filled with tears as he watched her. “It’s been a long time since I last saw my little girl. And it’s been an even longer time since I saw my smiling little girl. Until today. I’m not na?ve enough to believe she’s healed. But I can attest she’s less sad than she’d been since we lost our boy. And the only reason I see for that is you being around her.” He slapped my shoulder. “I don’t know how you managed to do that, but I’ll be forever grateful for you bringing me my little girl back.”
Mia came to my side, hiding her worry behind her sassiness. “I see you managed to keep yourself from getting punched by my father. Unless, of course, he’s waiting to get you on the way out. ”
I grinned at her. “I’ll keep my eyes open when we leave. Do you think Hugo would take my side?”
“He’d take the side of whoever’s willing to give him the biggest treat or meat. Hell, he’d sell me for a piece of chicken if it’d come to that.”
“That might come in handy. I’ll be sure to always have a piece with me from now on.” I turned to Jackson. “Has she always been this feisty and stubborn?”
“Oh, no.” He shook his head with a serious expression. “She used to be way worse. She’s been getting softer with age.”
Mia gasped and touched her chest in mock offense. “That’s absurd. I’ve always been a delight.”
Jackson looked at me and Mia, seemingly searching for something. “I think you’re good for her, son.”
She pointed a finger at him. “Now, that’s absurd.”
He chuckled lightly, kissed the side of her head, and strode to the kitchen, leaving me stunned on the porch.
Mia and I smiled at each other and stood in silence on the top of the lanai, listening to her family’s comfortable chatting and just enjoying each other’s company.
“You were great with my family today. You took everything in stride like a champ. I’m quite impressed. And a lot grateful.”
“It was a pleasure coming with you. I can see why you love them all so much, they’re incredible.” I stared into her profile, urging her to look at me. “No wonder you turned out the way you did.”
She side-eyed me, suppressing a smile. “Easy, Phoenix. I’m on the verge of not disliking you. The world isn’t ready for that.” She took in a deep breath and whispered, “Neither am I.”
I pushed her lightly with my shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m a patient man. I can wait until you realize there’s no reason to fight against what’s growing between us and that you should jump right in.”
She rolled her eyes but smiled. “Cocky much?”
“Nah. Confident. I know something good brewing when I see it. And I believe this,” I circled my fingers between us, “could be the start of something good.”
She squinted her eyes at me. “And you’re willing to wait for however long it takes for…what?”
“A chance? A shot?”
She bit her lip. “What if I’m not ready?”
“Then I’ll wait some more.” I curled our pinkies together and pulled her hand, gently prompting her closer to me. “Anything for you.”