Page 107 of Confessions of a Virgin on a Dating App
“Thank you, Mom. That means a lot.” My gaze drifted to my bedroom door. “You know, Devin is from a religious family too. His father is a pastor.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah. He’s not the monster Dad thinks he is.”
“Of course he’s not.” My mother scoffed, and it filled me with relief. “That’s another thing I’ve come to believe: angels come to us in all forms. I can see what a kind, considerate, respectful young man he is. How much he loves you. I believe you two are blessed to have each other.”
I lowered my head, my mind still processing the words my mother said to me. Realizing how much I’d needed to hear them.
It nearly brought me to tears, but I swallowed hard to keep them at bay.
“So, here’s what we’re going to do,” my mother continued. “I’m going to go back to the hotel for the night. Devin said he wanted to spend some time with you, and I’m sure he can assist if you need help with anything.”
I smiled and raised an eyebrow. “You’re leaving mealonewith a guy? That’s new.”
“You were right before, Avery. You’re an adult, and I need to treat you like one. Now, dinner leftovers are in the fridge, and you’re all stocked up with tea and seltzer. I’ll be back in the morning.”
My mother stood up, gave me a kiss on the forehead, and strode across my room to the door.
“Hey mom?”
She stopped with her hand on the door handle.
“Yes sweetie?”
“I love you.”
My mother’s face fell, and I realized that I hadn’t said those words in a long time.
“I love you too, sweetheart. Thank you for talking with me. I hope you two have a lovely night. Sleep well.”
Chapter 24
Despite my aching stitches and aching heart after the tumultuous evening with my parents, the rest of my night with Devin was absolute bliss.
I was still sore, so he heated up the dinner that we never got to eat in the oven and brought it into my bedroom. We set up a little picnic on my bed, where I gave Devin the details of my surgery and how it went. He especially enjoyed the fact that I’d been shouting his name in the recovery room when I woke up from anesthesia.
“I still wish I could’ve been there with you,” Devin sighed.
“You’re here now.” I grinned, ruffling his hair as I shoved another bite of food in my mouth.
After dinner, we settled on the comfy L-shaped couch in the living room. It was a hand-me-down with sagging seats, but it was incredibly plush and comfortable. Perfect for cuddling with my boyfriend under a knit blanket while we watchedCreatures & Cryptsvideos on YouTube.
A few hours later, after several heated debates about which cards from the latest set would be the strongest,Devin and I got ready for bed. My twin mattress wasn’t big enough for the two of us, but it did mean that Devin had to stay close to me all night.
“We’ll have to do more sleepovers at your house,” I noted as I turned off the light.
“Why?” Devin scooted closer until he was practically on top of me. “Am I too close?”
“Dev…my stitches.”
“Oh, right. Sorry.”
We both woke up at eight the next morning, and Devin was out the door by eight-thirty. Critical Games opened at ten, which meant he needed time to go home and get ready for work.
My mother showed up not long after, and she dug a box of pancake mix out of my kitchen cabinet and made us breakfast. I hadn’t had pancakes in a long time. My father used to make them for us every Sunday morning after church, and those first few bites made me feel both nostalgic and sad.
The rest of the week continued that pattern: my mother kept me company during the day, and Devin showed up in the evenings after work. On Thursday night, he even brought over his Nintendo Switch, and we convinced my mom to join us for a game of Mario Party. She’d never played a video game before, and I had to teach her how to use the controller. But by the end of our hour-long playthrough, she was laughing and cheering just like me and Devin. She didn’t get any stars, but since she’d used so many items during the game, she won enough bonus stars at the end to get second place.
