Meddling Mothers

ZACH

I’m nursing a colossal hangover this morning, the aftermath of a wild night. Every sound, movement, and sight feels like a hammer to my skull. I wake up to an empty bed, the sun’s harsh rays piercing through the skylight above me. I groan, fumbling blindly for the remote to the blinds. Where could it be?

As I sit up in my futile search, I realize I’m not alone. At the foot of my bed sits…

“Mother.”

She announces, “It’s almost one in the afternoon,” while waving the elusive remote in her hand.

“What are you doing here, Ma?” She tosses a brown envelope at me. I catch it and see that it’s already been opened. Inside are the home DNA test kits I ordered. That was quick.

“You know it’s illegal to open someone else’s mail, right, Ma?”

She scoffs, brushing imaginary lint off her pants. “Why are these being sent to my house?” She’s clearly angry.

“I couldn’t have them sent here… in case someone opened them, like you just did, Ma.”

“You know he can’t do a DNA test on her without Sophie’s permission. He’s not on the birth certificate yet. His parental rights only extend as far as the agreement signed by the lawyers,” she says, her shrill voice amplifying my headache.

“He doesn’t know, Ma.”

“That makes it a hundred times worse. What were you thinking, Zach?” I grit my teeth against the pain pounding in my head, making it impossible to have such a heated conversation this early in the day.

“I agreed with Violet that if the test came back negative, I would stop being so hard on him until Dad can do something about it.”

“Do you realize how she could use this against him? If she found out he did this behind her back.”

“He’s not doing anything. He doesn’t know anything, Ma. Now, can you please lower your voice and close the blinds? My head is killing me.” She stands and flips the switch for the lights, momentarily blinding me and sending another wave of pain through my brain.

“You’re a father now, Zachary. Take a shower and meet us downstairs.” She tosses the remote at me, hitting my bare chest, then turns and leaves the room.

“Freaking mothers,” I mutter under my breath, thinking she can’t hear me. But she shouts back that she heard that.

The shower helps, a bit. The hot water pelts away the remnants of last night’s debauchery. Beers, shots, weed, and enough whiskey to knock me out. And let’s not forget the sex. It’s been a while since we hung out socially with the twins, Matthew and Leo. And boy, did we take full advantage of the good food and endless alcohol while Tyler stayed sober.

It was good to catch up, good to forget about our problems for a night, and good to let loose. It was so good that Carter and Carson came home with us and are probably downstairs in the kitchen with everyone else, having breakfast. Except for me, because I hate waking up early.

After the shower, I throw on some lounge pants and a T-shirt. I have no plans to go anywhere today. The kitchen is filled with laughter and conversation when I walk in. Violet is sitting between Carter and Carson, who are, in my opinion, underdressed in just sweatpants. They’re looking down at Ella, who’s sleeping on that weird cushion thing, the Dockatot, I think it’s called.

“Finally, he surfaces. Nice to see you still act like a teenager,” Carson teases as I walk up behind Violet. I kiss the top of her head and stroke Ella’s cheek, a display of affection fueled by jealousy.

“Some of us don’t have to get up early. Morning, beautiful.” Violet looks up at me, and I cup her face in one hand, planting a lingering kiss on her lips.

I glance up and catch Tyler’s gaze before moving on to Callum’s. Cal looks wound up and pissed, probably because of the two guests that Violet is sitting between. Cal is the jealous type.

He was jealous of my brother, so were you that night in the loft. Damn, I was. I had almost forgotten about that. His words. “Stop hurting Violet. I don’t like it.” I never did ask him what he meant by them, but evidence of him dating at school seems to shade the thought of him liking Violet sexually.

I move around the kitchen island to stand between Tyler and Cal. I kiss Tyler good morning and then turn to Cal to do the same. His cheeks turn red when I pull away. He’s still so shy.

“You never told us you had a new man.”

“Well, here he is,” Carter’s gaze remains on Cal, and I can tell it’s annoying him, being the center of attention. Maybe even more so than Violet sitting between the twins.

My mother, as always, walks in at the perfect moment and beckons Violet to follow her.

“Where’s she going?” I ask, sipping my coffee. It tastes like heaven as it slides down my throat.

“Haircut,” Cal says with a smile.

“Do I sense an argument here?” Carson asks.

“Yeah,” I scoff, “Cal thinks it should be shoulder length. Less accessibility, less risk.”

“Well, I think it’s the perfect fucking length to fuck her with. Damn, I’ve never seen someone’s hair so long.”

Callum’s fists clench beside him. “You can’t touch,” I remind Carson and Carter, but that’s not enough for Cal, apparently.

“Or think. Get her out of your damn heads. Now,” he spits, storming off down the hall in a huff.

“Someone doesn’t like sharing,” Carter chuckles.

“Violet isn’t going to be shared,” Tyler interjects just as I’m about to agree with Carter.

“We know. Zach made that perfectly clear months ago.”

“Good, then stop winding everyone up and think about someone else,” the boys look at each other, nodding as if Tyler just confirmed something for them. They did the same back last year in the club when I stupidly took Violet there with me.

“Well, you guys are lucky this little one took after her mother. She’s pretty.”

“Wait until she wakes up. Her eyes are something,” I tell them, moving over to the fridge in search of something to eat. I’m starving.

“There’s a steak and cheese wrap that Catherine made under the foil,” Tyler points out.

Our bodies press together, and I instantly get hard. Damn, now that I’ve had some sleep, my body’s realized just how little action it’s had since last Friday. I chuckle to myself at how lack of sleep has affected my sexual appetite. It never did that when we were teens pulling all-nighters on a Sunday before working all day on a Monday. Though I suppose being thirty-five might have something to do with that.

I devour the wraps in seconds, which leaves my hands free to wander. I wrap my arms around Tyler from behind, pressing my hips into him while simultaneously rubbing his length. I circle my hips and nuzzle into his neck, planting kisses along it.

“See you’re still into public displays. How does that work, being all smitten with shorty and grumpy?” Carter’s question has me laughing into Tyler’s neck. I presume shorty is Violet, and grumpy is Callum.

“I’m the only one that wants that, so I’m outnumbered,” yeah, I still haven’t brought up that particular conversation with Tyler yet. I mean, was he ever into the group sex or was it all me? My mother said he didn’t like sharing… why was it her telling me that in the first place and not him?

“That must suck for you, Zach.”

“Not so much. I have three people to fuck.”

“So you’re all on equal playing ground?” Carson asks, pulling Ella toward him. Her little arms stretch above her.

“Fuck, people can have two different colored eyes?” Tyler and I laugh together as the two of them stand to tower over Ella. Their eyes are wide, and their smiles match.

“Yes, pretty awesome, right?”

“Yeah,” they both say in unison.

“Leave it to you two to have a weird child.”

“She’s not weird, special maybe,” my mother scolds them as she works her way between them, reaching for Ella. “There’s my Ella bear,” she says, walking over to the sofa with her.

My hands remain on Tyler, finding solace in his presence as our closest friends observe us watching my mom with our baby.

“Man, you two are so smitten…” Carter chuckles, amused by our display.