Page 69 of Saving You

I nod and usher Charlie to follow me downstairs where I step into my knee-high, black heeled boots, bundle us each in a jacket, and grab my purse. Like always, Caleb is the one who gets Charlie situated in the back seat after he opens my door for me.

When he gets settled in the driver’s seat, I ask, “Can we make a quick stop at the store on our way? I’d like to grab something.”

“Of course, baby. What are you wanting?”

“I just want to grab something for your mom.”

He turns the truck on, pulls out of the driveway, and takes us to the store. He stays with Charlie while I hurriedly make my way into the store and grab a bouquet and a bottle of red wine. When I make it back, Charlie is telling Caleb all about her favouritePaw Patrolcharacter. He’s fully engaged in the conversation with her, listening to what she’s saying and asking questions. It only has my love for him growing.

We make our way to his mom’s place, and he lets Charlie and I listen to Taylor Swift the entire way, no complaints as Charlie and I sing along.

Caleb’s mom lives in a charming residential neighbourhood. Every house has nice front yards, many filled with kids’ toys. Christmas lights from the houses light the entire street. I smile at the yards filled with Christmas decorations and giant blow-ups. He pulls in front of a house halfway down the street.

Bright Christmas lights wrap around the top of the house and up the pillars of the front porch. A giant Christmas welcome sign leans to the left of the door, and light-up reindeer are placed all across the yard. This looks like the house of someone who enjoys Christmas.

Caleb rounds the front of the truck and opens my door, helping me down before moving to the back and helping Charlie. I grab the flowers and wine while he holds Charlie’s hand, and we make our way up the front walkway. Despite the chill in the air, nerves have my hands starting to sweat.

“Caleb.” Charlie’s voice comes out soft. “Will your mom like me?”

Caleb stops dead in his tracks and crouches in front of her. He holds both of her hands as he says, “Little Bear, she’s going to love you almost as much as I do. You are an amazing little girl. Don’t worry about what anyone thinks about you, just keep being the amazing little girl that I’ve fallen in love with and everything will be okay.”

He pulls her into a hug and kisses her temple. She wraps her arms around him, and I have to tip my head back to prevent the tears from rushing down my face. This man is wrecking me for any other man, and I think I’m perfectly okay with that.

They break their hug, and we make our way up the steps. He doesn’t knock, just walks right in the front door. He leans down and helps Charlie out of her shoes before taking his off and setting them against the wall. I do the same, and he leads us inside the house calling, “We’re here.”

We end up in the kitchen where a woman in her late fifties stands over a stove stirring something. She turns at our entrance, and I’m met with Caleb’s steel-grey eyes and a warm smile that has my entire body relaxing. She drops her spoon on the counter, wiping her hands on a towel as she makes her way towards us.

“Oh, how lovely to meet you,” she says as she pulls me into a hug.

When she pulls back, I hand her the flowers and wine. “These are for you.”

She smells the flowers and smiles back at me. “Well, these are just lovely. Aren’t you sweet.”

Caleb chuckles beside me. “Mom, this is my girlfriend, Bailey, and this is our girl, Charlotte. Bailey, Charlie, this is my mom, Loraine.”

She waves her hand in front of her. “Oh, where are my manners? You can call me Mom or Gran. Why don’t you guys grab a seat? Your brother and Sarah should be here soon. Dinner is almost done.”

I’m stunned by her words. She already wants me to call her Mom and Charlie to call her Gran? I feel like I’ve stepped into some alternate reality. This doesn’t happen. You don’t just show up at your new boyfriend’s mom’s house and she just accepts you as part of the family like that. And not just me, but my daughter too.

The feel of Caleb’s hand at the small of my back rips from my daze. I look up at him, and he smiles at me. “You okay?” he whispers, quiet enough that only I can hear him.

“Yeah,” I whisper back.

Charlie and I make our way to the kitchen table.

“Baby, you want a glass of wine?” Caleb asks, and I want to melt into the chair. The way the word baby sounds rolling off his tongue does things to me.

“Yes, please.”

He opens the bottle I brought and grabs three wine glasses from a cabinet over the counter. “Little Bear, would you like some milk or some juice? I think there is orange juice in the fridge.”

“Milk, please.”

He passes his mom a glass of wine and kisses her on the cheek before pouring a glass of milk for Charlie and handing it to her. He goes back to the kitchen and returns with our wine. Charlie is on my right and there is an open seat to my left, but she looks up at me. “Mommy, can you please move? I want to sit beside Caleb.”

I get up and shuffle to the empty seat on my left so Caleb can sit between us. He places my wineglass in front of me and kisses my temple once he gets settled. After adjusting a setting on the stove, Loraine comes and joins us.

The front door opens, and two sets of footsteps make their way towards the kitchen. I turn and see a man who looks just like Caleb. His big frame takes up much of the doorway, and his facial features are just as prominent as Caleb’s. His hair is a darker shade of blond, almost brown, and his eyes are hazel, but there’s no mistaking they’re brothers.

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