Page 51 of The Way Home
Oh, God. I was going to have to spell it out even more. “Jeremy Rodriguez.”
“Jeremy Rod—oh.”
The line went quiet and dread crawled under my skin. I rushed to explain. “I didn’t know you were seeing Javi until you brought me to meet them. Except, I’d already been to the cabin plenty of times, and suddenly, you were telling me you were getting married, and we would all be a family.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” My mom’s voice cracked as if she were trying not to cry, which, of course, only made me feel worse.
“I couldn’t. You were happy. And Javier was a good man. I know how bad things were with Dad. After everything you had been through, you deserved someone good like him. So I ended things with Jeremy, because I didn’t want it to get in the way of what you and Javi had. I love him, too. He’s been the kind of father I always hoped for.”
She softened her voice and said, “Oh, Riley.”
“I thought I could move on. I tried to, but I couldn’t, which is why I’ve had a hard time being around him. I’m sorry for causing you any distress over it. I really didn’t mean to let it affect anyone else, but Jeremy has always been the one for me.”
She was quiet aside from a few sniffles, and I sat and waited on baited breath to hear her response to me blowing up our family.
After a long pause, she asked carefully, “And you two have… reconnected?”
“We have.”
“Does he feel the same way?”
“He does.”He does. He loves me. He wants me. I thought of the monument. The right one was worth fighting for. I dug down and drew from the strength I felt in Jeremy. “We love each other, and I’m going to be moving back here so we can be together. I know it may not be ideal given our connection, but it’s right for us. I’ve never felt more right than when I’m with him.”
Another long pregnant pause. I almost thought she wasn’t going to say anything, but she was never one to hang up on someone, so I waited. And waited.
“So you’re telling me… my boys aren’t fighting anymore?”
I barked out a laugh and leaned back on my free hand. “We’re definitelynotfighting.”
“And you’re happy?”
“I’m ludicrously happy, like, I’m not sure it’s quantifiable.” I grinned as I looked up at the night sky. The sky wasn’t measurable either, but that was how big I felt for Jeremy.
My mom let out a long breath. “I’ll admit, it may take a little getting used to, but if you’re sure about this, I’ll stand by you.”
“Thank you. Oh, my God, thank you! That is such a relief. I was so scared.”
“I’m sorry you felt you couldn’t tell me, and I hate that you sacrificed so much to get here.” I could hear the hurt in her voice, but it wasn’t directed at me.
“It’s not your fault, Mom. You didn’t know, I made sure of it. But it turns out we both fell for that Rodriguez charm.”
She snorted out a laugh. “Stop it, we’re not there yet.”
Feeling a hundred pounds lighter, I teased, “It’s your fault, really, after parent-trapping us.”
“Well, I didn’t know getting you under the same roof meant getting you…together, together.”
I let out a laugh. “I wasn’t expecting it, either. But you know what? I think Jem and I were always on a path toward each other, I just chose the one with all the brambles.”
“Well, I hope your path is a little easier from here on out.”
“It will be, because we’re going to take it together.”
My mom was still my mom. My family was still my family, and I got to have the man I’d always dreamed of. We were going to be okay.
Love is the way forward.
Jeremy
