I jerk at the sound of his voice, then feel like an idiot for doing so. I take in a deep breath, release it, place a smile on my face I don’t feel, and look at him.
“I’ll be fine.”
His eyes look over my face for a moment before a small smile plays on his lips. His hand pulls mine away from the seat belt and brings it to his mouth. My heart stutters in my chest at feeling his lips and warm breath against my skin.
“Yes, you’re going to be just fine,” he murmurs against the back of my hand.
Luckily, he releases my hand after that, and we pull away from the hospital. It’s quiet for the first several minutes, then a thought occurs to me. Something that’s been on my mind f
or days.
“Why does everyone call me Miss Rozero when we’re married? I thought I would carry your last name now.”
We pull up to a red light, and out the corner of my eye, I see Theo shift in his seat, appearing uncomfortable. He replies a minute later.
“Because we never got the chance to do an official name change. In the eyes of the law, you’re still Jules Rozero, even if our marriage certificate says otherwise.”
“Oh. That makes sense.”
Theo releases the brake and we pull through the light. “We can get it changed as soon as possible.”
“Oh, there’s no rush,” I say quickly, then cringe. I don’t want to change my last name. Maybe I will in the future when I’m more used to the idea of being married. I don’t feel married right now, so the thought of changing my last name doesn’t seem right.
Theo doesn’t say anything at my rushed reply, so I peek over at him. His outward appearance seems calm, but I see the tiny tic in his jaw and the way he’s gripping the steering wheel tightly. A shudder runs through me.
I turn away from him and look out the window. The buildings we pass by are not like the buildings where I grew up. These are old and dilapidated, many looking like they’ll crumple to dust with a heavy wind. When we pull into a neighborhood, the houses don’t look much better. The dried and overgrown yards are swarming with trash and kids’ toys. We pass by a few houses that have people on the porch or in the yard. Sympathy hits me at the despondent and haggard faces. We pull up to a stop sign and fear replaces the sympathy when a man at the corner right outside my window leers at me. His toothless grin and the way he grabs his privates suggestively have revulsion cramping my stomach. I turn away from him and discreetly make sure my door is locked as I look out the windshield.
I knew this side of town was rough, but I had no idea just how much. When I was growing up, my parents never came to the south side, saying it wasn’t a place for people like us to visit. Once I got my license, I came to this side of town a few times, just because I could. Obviously, my limited knowledge of the south side was more restricted than I thought. How can the city let this place become so run-down? I know the actions of people caused a lot of the destruction, but there has to be something the governor can do.
Minutes later, we pull up to a house with white siding. Or what used to be white. Now it’s a dingy grey. This house isn’t as bad as the others in the neighborhood, but it still wouldn’t be considered nice compared to what I’m used to. There’s another car in the drive, and we park next to it.
“Home sweet home,” Theo comments, turning the car off.
I drag my gaze away from my new home and look at him. The uncertainty in his eyes tells me my own feelings must show on my face. Feeling like an ungrateful bitch when he’s been nothing but kind to me, I plaster on a smile.
“It’s not much, but you’ll be comfortable here, Jules. I promise,” he rumbles in a deep voice.
“I’m sure I will,” I offer, hoping to fool not only him, but myself as well
“Come on. Let’s go inside.”
We both get out of the car, and my nerves start getting the best of me again. After grabbing my bag out of the back, Theo walks around to my side, placing a hand at the small of my back to lead me forward. I try to walk faster to lose his hand, but my damn legs are shaking, making it difficult.
“My parents are here,” he states as we walk up the three steps to the door. Instead of going in, he stops and faces me. “I told them to give you a few days before coming over, but Mom’s been itching to meet you for weeks. There was no holding her back anymore.”
My lungs freeze, and my knees feel weak. I’m not ready to meet his parents. I’m not ready to move into Theo’s house. It sounds childish, but I just want to go home. To my parents’ house and surround myself with things that are familiar.
But I can’t. This is my life now. I need to pull up my big girl panties and get used to it.
I suck in a deep breath for encouragement and lie through my teeth. “I’m looking forward to meeting them.”
He smiles, then grabs my hand. My teeth grind together at the contact. After opening the door, he pulls me inside with him. I don’t get a chance to look around before there’s a pretty, middle-aged woman stepping up to us.
“Hello, dear Jules. It’s so great to finally meet you.” Her voice is soft and the smile that overcomes her face is infectious. I instantly feel at ease around her.
I hold out my hand timidly. “It’s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Hendrix.”
Instead of taking my hand, she steps forward and wraps her arms around me. The warmth of her embrace has my eyes stinging. What I wouldn’t give to have my own mom’s arms around me.