Page 74 of Can't Help Falling in Love
Usually, her mom ordered her craft stuff online, but if it distracted her from her nerves, Lexi would stop anywhere.
“Of course.” She parked the car in front of the double garage.
If not for Will needing to get out on that side, she wondered if Gwen would have just stayed in the front seat. But she got out, and Will got out. He smiled at her, put a hand on her arm.
“Welcome. Do you want to eat or take a walk first?”
Let’s just get her inside away from the car. Away from the idea of leaving.
“I’m so hungry,” Lexi blurted.
Will laughed and Gwen’s shoulders relaxed.
“You should have seen her in her track days,” Gwen said with a smile, following Will to his front door. “I had to buy bulk snacks just to keep her going with all the energy she burned.”
“I was the same and I didn’t even run.” Will unlocked the front door and opened it but gestured for them to go ahead.
Even though she liked that they were chatting, that her mom seemed more at ease, she didn’t like being the focus. “Itisbreakfast time. Not so strange that I’d be hungry.”
Will closed the door behind them.
“Oh, Will. Your home is beautiful.”
Lexi held back a little, taking joy in her mother’s obvious delight as Will showed them through the house. The rooms were large and open with several floor-to-ceiling windows that let in copious amounts of natural light. They moved through the kitchen where a generous basket of goodies was waiting, headed to a study off that and then up a small set of stairs that led to the second floor—almost a hidden staircase.
“Why don’t we eat and then we can tour the backyard before it rains?” Will said after they’d toured the upstairs and come back to the kitchen.
“Absolutely,” Gwen said. “I’m just going to use the restroom.”
“You doing okay?” Will asked, taking Lexi’s hand and using it to pull her close. He leaned down, brushed his lips over hers, sweet, soft, and familiar. Dangerously familiar.
“I’m good. Thank you for taking the time to do this. The fact that she’s here is bigger than you know.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I know you and I can see how big it is. I’m glad I could offer something. Help in some way. At least with your mom.”
Moving to the fridge, he grabbed some juice. Lexi checked a couple of cupboards and found some plates, then some cutlery.
“Has anyone in your family contacted you since last night?” Lexi opened the goldish-brown cloth tying the baked goods into the basket.
As he got glasses out, his mood seemed to shift, get heavier. “No. Or maybe. I turned my phone off last night. I’ll go over to see my grandparents this morning, touch base with my sisters. I’m not ready to speak to either of my parents.”
Lexi hated the anger laced with pain. “Your dad is probably lashing out because his pride was hurt.” Useless words that may or may not have been true, but sometimes it felt good to believe there was an underlying reason.
Gwen joined them as they set muffins, croissants, fruit pastries, and scones on a large serving platter.
“Oh my. You get this delivered every Sunday?” Gwen asked.
Will poured each of them orange juice after asking if that was their preference. “I do. I freeze some, share with the neighbors, and bring some into work on Mondays and put it in the staff room.”
Lexi was glad that instead of heading into the formal dining room to sit at the beautiful live-edge table with seating for twelve, they each took stools at the rounded kitchen island. It felt more comfortable. Less intimidating.
As each of them nibbled on their choice of goodies, Lexi watched her mom for signs of nerves, tension, or sadness.
Gwen wiped her mouth with a linen napkin, set it in her lap. “You know,” she said, looking toward Will, who sat to her left. “Parents never intend to let their children down. I think because kids rely on us from their first breath until they fight for independence—because for all those developmental years we seem to have the answers and cures for everything—kids come to think of their parents as powerful. Capable. Their job is to fix things, make them right, see to their child’s needs. Solve problems that seem much larger than a child can handle.”
Lexi set her piece of muffin down, wondering where her mom was going with this.
Gwen didn’t look at her, only Will, when she continued. “What you start to learn as you get older is that your parents arepeople. Regardless of their role in your life, they’ve only ever been flawed human beings. You start to see that more as you age, as you come to recognize and acknowledge your own flaws. It’s hard to see someone you put up on a pedestal, even if you didn’t mean to or don’t think you did, slip off it.”
