“Yeah. Yeah.” She grumbles.
“Steak.” I tease. “Freshly made. Still hot.”
The door opens, and Mom rubs her face as she leans on the doorframe. “Right now?”
“Yes.” I nod. “But I’m sure I can ask the guys to wait if you want more time.” I offer, trying to stay on her good side. I need at least one parent to side with me, right?
“No. It’s fine.” She rubs her face and steps out of her room. “Food is exactly what I need.”
“I’m sorry today’s been so stressful.”
“Oh, honey. I should have expected it. Being with your father means being stressed, even if I’m not completely with him.” She shrugs, then organizes her hair and wipes under her eyes to fix her makeup.
“What do you mean?”
“Not for your ears.” She taps my nose. “You might be an adult, but I’m still your mother, and there are things you don’t need to know.”
“I think that’s the healthiest suggestion I’ve heard in a long while.” I sigh. “I’d love to not know things.”
“Being in the dark won’t bother you?” She asks seriously.
“No.” I shake my head. “Not when it comes to you and Dad. The less I know, the better.” I put my hands up.
She laughs, and I bite my nail. “And I think it might be the same with you guys and my … relationships.”
“I don’t know. I have questions. And I want to approve of them.”
“You flirted with them.”
“Of course. They’re all attractive.” She says with a shrug. “But that doesn’t mean they’re good for you or that you’re good for them. Plus, I’m still wrapping my head around the numbers.”
“Number of people involved, ages, length of time?”
“All.” She nods. I can see her fighting her normal judgmental go tos. “I know that the world is changing, and some people consider this kind of thing normal, but I’m from an older generation. One girl. One boy. Marriage, baby, life together. In that order.”
“I didn’t plan this, Mom,” I say, keeping my voice low. I hold her hand, keeping her away from the dining room. “I didn’t plan on falling for any of them. I planned to stay in that room, get some good job skills, move up in the company, and explore New York.”
“But things happened.” She arches an eyebrow. “And then again. And again. And again.”
“It’s not because I’m indecisive.” I insist. “I … I can’t explain it. I just know that what we have works, and Dad isn’t going to be supportive, which is … his right, I guess, but it would be nice to have someone at least not tear it down.”
Mom chews her bottom lip, then shrugs. “All I can do is try, Sophia. This is foreign to me, and I can’t promise I’m going to be any better at accepting it. Especially when I don’t have a choice but to see it constantly.”
I nod once. “Okay. That’s understandable.”
We eat together, and things seem to go well. Everyone has jokes and stories, and Mom seems at ease. But I notice that Roman isn’t here. I try to ignore it, but it doesn’t feel right, considering it’s a family meal of sorts.
I clean up the plates after putting one to the side for Roman. Nick helps me in the kitchen, and I flash him a smile. “Thanks for dinner. It was delicious.”
“Good to know I’m worth more than my looks.”
“Anyone who says otherwise is lying,” I assure him.
He kisses me gently and rubs my lower back. “Take it easy tonight, okay? You can use the hot tub out back if you want some stress relief.”
“That does sound nice.” I sigh.
“All yours. I can make margaritas or something for you before I turn in.”
“Getting to bed early?” I ask.
“Well, I have you to entertain tomorrow, don’t I?” He winks, and I feel my cheeks heat up.
After a bit more waiting for … something, I head upstairs and get in a bikini and a robe. I grab a towel and head to the back porch. I turn on the jacuzzi and the lights that hang from the porch roof and let my robe drop.
Sliding into the water after another second, I relax into the warmth and let out a soft moan as my muscles ease. Resting my head back, I look up at the stars and smile slightly. Even if my parents don’t approve, we can make this work.
It just takes a little faith, and I have more than a little when it comes to the guys. I lean back and close my eyes. We can keep the magic we had in Italy and bring it right back here.