Page 52 of Crossed Up

Soon enough, we’re bumping down the short driveway with the house clearly in view. Even though the land holds painful memories, I feel a sense of pride every time I see this house. Building our mother her dream home after she spent her entire life putting us first was something I never thought we’d be able to do, but it makes me even more grateful for the life I live.

“This house is darling!”

I smile over at Ly and place my hand on top of hers as we park. “When I was first drafted, I saved every cent I could in case I washed out of the majors and was left without a backup plan. I wasn’t doin’ too well in my college classes. I mean, shoot, I barely graduated high school. Thankfully, I didn’t wash out. My rookie year was amazing, but then Crew showed up, and I had a whole new reason to save.”

“At that point, Mama was still living in the trailer we grew up in with Wes, who was in his senior year of high school and being scouted by a few different teams. We got together and decided that if he was signed on with a decent contract, we’d pool our resources and tear down that godforsaken health hazard and build her somethin’ real nice. She’s been living here just over three years now and has the time of her life decorating it for every birthday, holiday, and season change.”

Lyla laughs lightly, and it seems like her nerves have faded some, which I’m grateful for because Mama is standing on the porch, bouncing on her toes in excitement. Her silver-blonde hair is pulled back into a long braid, and it makes her look a good ten years younger than she is.

I offer a reassuring smile and squeeze Lyla’s hand. “Just be yourself. I promise she’s going to love you.”

She takes a deep breath and sighs loudly. “Let’s go.”

Mama rushes to the bottom of the steps and sweeps my girl up into one of her famous hugs, rocking her back and forth.

Lyla visibly tenses for only a moment, and then she melts into the embrace.

Pulling back, my mom holds her by the shoulders, closely examining her face with a look of affection. “I hear you’ve been takin’ real good care of my boys.”

A blush heats Lyla’s cheeks, and she shrugs. “I’m trying my best. They’ve been taking care of me too.”

Mama nods sagely, wrapping an arm over my girl’s shoulders. “Any woman who can wrangle my boys and make ‘em this happy is good in my book. Welcome to the family, young lady.”

Crew’s squealing laughter brings a wide smile to my face at the same time I feel a presence at my side. Mama sidles up next to me with her own smile, watching Lyla chase Crew around the huge swing set.

“She sure is a pretty little thing, ain’t she? Seems like Crew’s really taken with her.”

My smile gets wider. “He adores her. Hiring Lyla was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

She nods. “Mhmm, I’ll just bet it was.”

Glancing over, I see her with a mischievous smirk on her sun-weathered face. “What’s that look for, Mama?” I ask suspiciously.

“The way you look at her reminds me of those romance books Wren and I read for our monthly book club.”

My eyes widen slightly, but I work to school my expression. “I don’t know what you mean.”

She snorts and smacks my arm. “Don't lie to your Mama, boy. I was there when you got your first crush, and hopefully, I’ll be around for your last. Either way, I know when someone catches one of my son’s attention. And like it or not, that woman out there has caught yours.”

The sigh that I let out is heavy with the events of the past month and a half, and for the first time in years, I feel like confiding in one of my family members. “I really like her, Ma. I might even love her. But she has a lot going on, and I’m worried she’s going to take off without giving us a chance.”

I watch her face closely for any disappointment, but the only thing I see in her eyes is pride. Her arm goes around my waist, and she guides me to the small swing on the back porch, where we’ll have a perfect view of Lyla and Crew as they play.

“Did I ever tell you about the man I almost married?

My head whips to the side, my eyes like saucers as I stare at my mother incredulously. “I thought Dad was your first boyfriend?”

She nods slowly. “And he was. But he broke up with me to go to college, and I started dating someone else. The man, Henry, was…” she sighs. “He was everything my parents wanted for me, and he was wonderful. He was kind, smart, wealthy, and incredibly handsome. I liked him quite a bit more than I expected to, but just a few short months into our courtship, I found out I was pregnant.”

If I thought my eyes couldn’t get any wider, I was wrong. “Wait, so Dad…?”

“Goodness, no. Unfortunately, David was your biological father. I was nearly four months along when I found out, and Henry, the honorable man that he was, asked to marry me anyway. But I felt quite a bit of misplaced loyalty to David, so his father, your granddaddy, forced David to drop out of college. We were married in the courthouse two weeks later. I found out years later he was flunking out, and that’s the real reason he agreed to come home so readily. Wesley was the product of a family wedding and too much tequila, and by that point, I didn’t feel like I could leave.”

The light in her eyes dims, but her gaze on me feels more affectionate right now than it has since the accident. “I could never regret you, my boy. But I know I haven’t been a very good Mama to you the last decade. My entire identity was wrapped up in David, and once he died, I felt… an odd combination of devastated and relieved. It’s taken me much too long to come to terms with the choices I made, and for that you have my sincerest apologies, Aidan.”

My shoulders sag as I scrub a hand down my face and pull her into a tight hug. “I love you, Mama. I forgive you.”

Her blue eyes are a little watery, but she looks relieved that I’ve accepted her apology. Wiping underneath one eye, she beams up at me. “And I promise to be much more present in your life from now on. Especially if I’m going to have a darling daughter-in-law to spend time with.”

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