Chapter 18

After I finished my delicious pasta, and headed to my bedroom, I called Graham. A part of me didn’t want to invite him yet. Meeting the in-laws was a big step, and our relationship was recent, only a few hours old (three hours, to be exact). Hopefully, I could make a joke out of it, probe him to see if one day he was willing to meet them, and decide upon his reaction.

I procrastinated and got ready for bed. I finished my homework, put on my PJs, and had lavender tea before I crashed into bed. When I knew I couldn’t prolong the wait any longer, I sent him a quick text message and hoped he wouldn’t answer since it was late, and he must be tired.

Hazel

Are you awake?

He immediately answered.

Graham

Hey, baby.

Hazel

Can I call you?

Before he replied, his call came in. I picked it up and pressed the phone to my ear.

“Something wrong?” he asked, worried and tense.

I sighed with a smile. “No. Everything’s fine.” Yet my voice sounded a bit nervous.

He hummed. “Doesn’t sound like it,” he pointed out. “Talk to me, Miller. What’s wrong? How can I fix it?”

My chest melted at his proposal, his intense need to protect me. I took note that Graham would be good whenever I had a problem. He managed to evoke protection and safety, and I had a feeling he was willing to go the whole nine yards to defend the ones he cared about.

I bit my lip. “Nothing is wrong,” I reassured him. “It’s just that my mother saw your car when you dropped me off after school.”

He was quiet for a moment, digesting my words. I tried not to think much about his silence. It was deafening.

Finally, he spoke again. “I see.” I bit my lower lip, unsure of what his answer meant. He sounded calm, but I couldn’t be sure without studying his face.

“They didn’t see the kiss.”

“Okay…”

I was a ball of knots, squirming in bed and unable to sit still. “It’s funny ’cause Mom thinks you are a new friend.”

“Does she?” He sounded a bit amused. His reaction reassured me to continue with my plan.

“Yeah, that’s why she wants to meet you. She said she wants to meet my new friends. She wants to have you over for dinner, whenever you can. Well, she said tomorrow, but I’m sure you are busy,” I started to ramble, feeling my cheeks turning bright red. The more I talked, the worse it sounded. Nothing joke-like or funny. I forced a pathetic, painful chuckle. Such a magnificent mess. “Anyway, it’s too soon and a huge step, and we have only agreed today to date, so no need to—”

“Whoa. Hold on.” Graham’s voice stopped me. It sounded warm and amused, at least. “You can breathe, baby.”

He chuckled and I blushed even more. This couldn’t go worse.

Actually, it could. He could freak out and break up with me.

I waited in silence, pressing my lips and breathing in as suggested.

“I would love to meet your parents,” he announced and then added, “Tomorrow.”

My eyes widened. “Really?” Shock stopped my brain. “It’s not necessary. I told you to go slow and here I am—”

“I want to. Is there anything I need to know about your parents beforehand?”

He sounded casual about the fact that he was meeting my parents. He wasn’t freaking out. He wasn’t breaking up with me. Was this normal?

While here I was a bundle of nerves, he was calm and assertive. I wanted to hug him for that.

“Not really,” I said. “It’s casual. Remember, Mom thinks you are a friend.”

“Okay.”

“I didn’t correct her because it’s been less than a month since Jacob and I broke up, so…”

“Hazel,” he said before I could ramble again. “It’s fine, I guess. Not much pressure being only your friend. I can kiss their asses without them guessing that all I want is to eat their daughter instead of dinner. Besides, their guard won’t be up. I hope.”

I smiled and realized I wanted my parents to like him. It was important. I wanted their approval and to genuinely like Graham, though I had a feeling Graham would charm their pants off with ease.

“I promise I’ll set Mom straight later,” I whispered to my phone.

“It’s okay, Miller,” he reassured me again. “What does your mother like? Flowers, cake? And your father? Is he a sports fan?”

He sounded a bit nervous and zealous, which was endearing. “Look who’s rambling now,” I teased, and he chuckled. “You don’t have to bring anything.”

“I want to. Told you I want to start kissing their asses.”

I laughed at the image. My heart warmed at his enthusiasm and lack of fear.

“Okay, uh…Mom likes flowers. Sunflowers are her favorite ones,” I supplied.

“What about you?” Couldn’t he be sweeter? ~Gah, he wants to kill me.~

“I’m not much of a flower girl,” I said.

“Should have guessed that,” he said. “Chocolates?”

“I wouldn’t be against it.” I conceded sheepishly.

“Any particular kind?” God, I was going to melt and die. Happily. I also wanted to kiss him hard. The sudden affection I felt overwhelmed me.

“White chocolate.”

“Great. And your father?”

“He loves football. Figures,” I muttered. “I think your mere presence would be enough.” I was sure of it. “Unless you want to bring tools. He likes to fix stuff. Well, more like he likes to impress Mom and fix her stuff whenever she asks for it. It’s pretty sweet.”

I felt his smile. “Are they still in love?”

“Yes. Very. It’s cute.”

“You want something like that,” he stated more than asked.

I bit my lip, unable to lie. I wanted what my parents had, and for a second there, I’d thought I would have it with Jacob. It wasn’t passionate, but it was secure, comfortable, and warm. It was a companionship. Two people who cared about each other and respected each other.

“I do,” I confessed.

“I’m sure you’ll get it.”

“I hope.” I cleared my throat, feeling a bit over-emotional. “Anyway, what about your parents? I know they are divorced…” Unlike the last time when he touched on the topic of his parents, I wasn’t fleeing. I wanted to know more about Graham. I wanted to ease his pain.

“Getting ready for when you have to meet them?” he teased.

~Not yet.~

It seemed fair I meet them, eventually. But it sounded more daunting, meeting his father and mother. His world-famous, ex-football-player father, and his mysterious mother. The one he didn’t visit often.

“Dad’s chill. He likes football, and doesn’t mind talking about it, even though he’s retired,” Graham supplied, his voice light and easy. “In fact, you tell him you like the sport, and you’ll pretty much buy him. Football is his first and one true love.”

I frowned at the statement. “Is football one of the reasons…” I hesitated. I wanted to know more about Graham but was scared to ask. “One of the reasons your parents divorced? Never mind. It’s none of my business.”

“It is. We are dating now, remember that, girlfriend,” he protested calmly. The title dazed me. I felt in the clouds. “I like you being interested too.”

I smiled. “Okay.”

His voice changed to a grave and solemn one. “Football was one of the reasons they divorced. He was constantly traveling, and it put a strain on their relationship. He was never there for important events, birthdays, anniversaries, or rough times. Or the events my mother considered important. She wasn’t there for his important events either, as payback. My mother resented football, and she never went with him to any games. When I turned five, they had had enough and broken up.”

I digested the information.

“Dad wanted to expand his success and my mother wanted a family,” Graham continued, and I noticed whenever he mentioned his father, he said ~Dad~, but with his mother, it was ~my mother~.

~Hmm…~

“What failed in their marriage was their difference in what they wanted in the long term, and timing. In the end, Dad got to be a famous athlete and my mother started new relationships with other men, though she never remarried. Now, she’s content with her single life and works hard redecorating houses.”

Though it sounded like his parents found contentment at the end, Graham’s tone didn’t reassure me of that. I wanted to be there, next to him, and hug him. Something bothered him about his mother, and I couldn’t pinpoint what.

“Graham,” I ventured. “Why don’t you visit your mother more if she lives close? Well, in the same state, at least.”

It made me curious. Why didn’t he visit his mother more if he sounded like he missed her? Why did he live with his father instead? Why call his father Dad and his mother only “mother”?

Graham took his time to answer the question.

“She still resents football. I believe she doesn’t approve of my decision to want to go pro. I’m basically a disappointment to her,” he admitted. He was tense but sad. I knew this assumption cut him deeply.

I couldn’t believe it. When I thought about my mother, I knew whatever choice I took, she wouldn’t be disappointed unless it didn’t make me happy.

“But football makes you happy,” I pointed out. “Shouldn’t it be enough?”

“Not all parents are like yours, baby,” he said but didn’t sound resentful. “It’s the reality. I visit her on Thanksgiving and during the summer. I think she’s waiting for the moment I stop visiting her and choose football over her instead, like Dad did. She made it clear she doesn’t support me. She has never seen me play.” It sounded like a bullet to his heart.

A sudden protectiveness of Graham embraced me. “I wish I was there to hug you,” I whispered. I wanted to do something to ease him, but everything was out of my hands.

“Don’t give me any ideas.” He sounded playful, at least. “I might drive to your place for that hug.”

I smiled. At least I’d managed to lift his mood.

“I’m really sorry to hear that,” I finally said. “About your mother.”

“Whatever.” He brushed it off as if he’d done it a lot of times. “You can’t please everyone, and football makes me happy. I’m not giving it up because my mother doesn’t like it. At the end of the day, it’s my life, my choices, my mistakes, my regrets.”

His words haunted me. He was right.

Despite that, I couldn’t stop wishing he could have a better relationship with his mother. I couldn’t stop wishing they could make amends and find a middle ground.

I couldn’t stop hoping his strained relationship with his mother wouldn’t turn into regret in the future.